Leave it to Oklahoma legislators to punish doctors who help women.
A bill that passed through the House on a 59-9 vote and the Senate on a 33-12 vote would send doctors to jail for up to three years if they perform an abortion — even in the case of rape or incest.
It’s all up to Governor Mary Fallin now. And if she signs the bill, the consequences would be serious for the women it would impact, the doctors who stand to become criminals for doing their jobs, and the taxpayers who’d have to pay up after the inevitable lawsuit.
Gov. Mary Fallin declined to say what she would do with the measure, which would make it a felony to perform an abortion, punishable by at least a year in prison. Also, it calls for revoking the medical license of any doctor who performs the procedure.
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Sen. Ervin Yen, R-Oklahoma City, a medical doctor, called the bill “insane” and voted against it.
He predicted it would be invalidated in litigation if it is signed into law.
“It will be declared null and void,” he said.
How much of the state’s budget does Fallin want to throw away? And how much will the state have to spend on medical costs for women who decide to have abortions in back alleys as a result?
Because let’s be honest: This bill will not stop abortions. It will only stop legal, safer abortions. It will hurt religious women, too, since they get abortions just like the rest of the population.
Forget the illegality of it all. There’s just no good reason to support this bill. It shows how little these legislators care about the safety of their constituents. They just want to make a political point, even if it means putting women in danger at a time when they need help.
So much for the party of less government intervention.
(Image via Shutterstock)
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