Oklahoma GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law on Tuesday that makes performing an abortion illegal in the state except for cases in which there is a medical emergency.
The legislation, Senate Bill 612, states that “a person convicted of performing or attempting to perform an abortion shall be guilty of a felony punishable by a fine not to exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) or by confinement by the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed ten (10) years, or by such fine and imprisonment.”
The bill states that it does not authorize the charging or conviction of a woman with any criminal offense in the death of her unborn child. The bill also does not prohibit the use, sale, prescription, or administration of contraceptives.
Stitt was joined at the signing ceremony with members of the state legislature, faith leaders and pro-life organizations “in support of protecting lives of unborn children in Oklahoma,” the governor’s office said in a statement.
“As Governor, I represent all four million Oklahomans,” Stitt said during the signing. “And they overwhelmingly support protecting life in the state of Oklahoma. We want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country. We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma.”
“Attorney General John O’Connor and I know this bill will be challenged immediately by liberal activists from the coasts who always seem to want to come in and dictate and mandate and challenge our way of life,” he added.
“We believe every life is precious. As a father of six, those are my core beliefs. And I’m elected by four million Oklahomans to represent them and to put our beliefs in the law.”
Stitt later said that “we’re going to sign every piece of pro-life legislation that hits our desk.”
“We want it clear that we want to choose life in Oklahoma. We don’t want to allow abortions in the state of Oklahoma. Now, there’s a Supreme Court case…that’s a Mississippi law that’s now before the Supreme Court. These issues belong to the states and other states may do things differently, but in Oklahoma, I represent all four million Oklahomans. They overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly, do not support abortions in the state of Oklahoma. We know it’s going to be challenged from some folks but we are so excited about the Supreme Court addressing the issues and giving it back to the states where it belongs,” Stitt continued.
Currently, the Supreme Court is deciding a case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, that surrounds a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi. Dobbs is the first case in decades that could overturn Roe v. Wade. A decision is expected this summer. Other states, such as Arizona and Florida have created legislation banning abortion at 15 weeks, which is mainstream in Europe. Other states, like California, Maryland, and Colorado, are pushing extreme pro-abortion policies.
Watch the bill signing below.
I intend to make Oklahoma the most-pro life state in the country.
— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) April 12, 2022
This morning I will sign SB612 into law.
Tune in live at 9:00am CT here: https://t.co/8suOoUU9t4