The Department of Justice must have their hands full considering how many states and cities across the country have forgotten that we have a constitution. The newest member of “lets reject certain folks constitutional rights” is the state of Oklahoma. In a 33-12 vote, legislators have made it a felony for a doctor to perform an abortion procedure. Despite Roe v. Wade, which makes it legal for a woman to get an abortion, the state of Oklahoma is rejecting this notion and hoping that other states join them. The sponsor of the bill, Republican senator Nathan Dahm, is hoping that this bill will lead to overturning Roe vs. Wade. This anti-abortion bill is the first of its kind in the nation and unconstitutional. The only physician in the Oklahoma legislature commented on the bill, calling it “insane,” and voted against it. Senate Democrat leader, senator John Sparks called the bill an “emotional distraction” from the issues that are really at hand like the $1.3 billion dollar hole in the states budget.
This isn’t the first time the state of Oklahoma has tried to reverse history and limit a woman’s civil rights. In 2013 the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case over an overturned Oklahoma law that would force a woman to view an ultrasound before having an abortion performed.
As if matters couldn’t get any worse, the Oklahoma House also approved a bill that requires the Oklahoma Department of Health to create informational materials “for the purpose of achieving an abortion-free society.” Luckily, the funding was not approved for it and would require the Oklahoma senate to approve funding for it in an already troubled budget. The anti-abortion bill now heads to the desk of the Oklahoma governor.
In the meantime, you can add this Oklahoma to the long list of states that need a refresher course in the United States Constitution.
