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NRL News
Oklahoma
Omnibus Abortion Bill Enjoined Oklahoma County District Judge Vicki Robertson issued a temporary injunction October 29 against a bill that, among other provisions, would require an abortionist or technician to perform an ultrasound on a woman seeking an abortion at least an hour prior to the abortion and to explain the images on the screen. The ultrasound is to be done by the method deemed likely to show the embryo or fetus most clearly, and in such a way that the images on the screen are visible to the woman. Senate Bill 1878, passed in April when the state House and Senate overrode Democratic Gov. Brad Henry’s veto, was scheduled to go into effect November 1. Further court hearings are expected in February, according to The Oklahoman. “This legislation could protect women from the long-term mental-health consequences from which they otherwise might suffer were they to undertake an irrevocable, lethal act without the benefit of information sufficient to allow for truly informed consent,” Anthony J. Lauinger, state chairman of Oklahomans for Life and Vice President of NRLC, told NRL News. “They deserve the benefit of this information, and their babies do, as well.” The parent group of abortion clinic Reproductive Services in Tulsa filed the challenge against the law. The clinic’s lawyers claimed that the law violates a woman’s right to privacy because it requires her to listen to unwelcome speech by the government while in a private setting and that it intrudes on medical decisions by the abortionist, according to Tulsa World. The abortion clinic also contended that complying with the ultrasound requirement would be expensive, would limit the number of abortions it could perform, and might cause it to go out of business. In addition, another part of the bill mandating that the clinic follow guidelines issued by the Food and Drug Administration when performing abortions using RU486 was challenged by the pro-abortionists for being “unclear,” the Journal Record reported. The House author of the bill countered that the law actually enhances medical decision-making by giving women more knowledge before they make an abortion decision. “The more information women have the more empowered they are,” Rep. Pam Peterson (R-Tulsa) told The Oklahoman. “This is really a stalling technique because it’s all about money. ... The abortion industry sees this bill as thwarting their profits.” |