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OK Bans Abortions After 20 Weeks
Special Report - April 25, 2011
Last week, Oklahoma became the fourth state in the nation to ban abortions after 20 weeks, joining a growing number of states to enact or consider legislation that restricts late-term abortions and recognizes that unborn children are capable of experiencing pain. Governor Mary Fallin (R-OK) signed the pro-life measure into law on April 20, along with another bill that prohibits insurance providers from covering elective abortions in their plans. “I believe in the sanctity of human life and the responsibility of our lawmakers to protect life,” said Governor Fallin in a press release. “Together, these two pieces of legislation will expand protections for unborn children and ensure that Oklahomans are not forced to unknowingly or unwillingly help to pay for procedures that run contrary to their values.”
The Oklahoma late-term abortion ban, HB 1888—The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, prohibits abortions after 20 weeks into pregnancy except in cases when the life of the mother is at risk, or when an abortion would “avert serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, not including psychological or emotional conditions.” The Oklahoma law recognizes that “there is substantial medical evidence that an unborn child is capable of experiencing pain by twenty (20) weeks after fertilization.”
As we previously reported, Nebraska became the first state in the nation to enact such a law in 2010. This month, two other states, Kansas and Idaho, enacted similar laws modeled after the Nebraska law. According to the Guttmacher Institute, at least 35 measures aimed at restricting late-term abortions have been introduced in 17 states this year.
Related Resources:
SD Enacts 3-Day Abortion Waiting Period - March 25, 2011
Virginia Passes Abortion Safety Bill - February 28, 2011
"Choose Life" Bill Introduced - February 17, 2011
Mixed Reviews On Pro-Life Status - January 25, 2011
Abortions Down In NC, Steady Nationwide - January 18, 2011
SC Governor Signs Pro-Life Bill - August 20, 2010
Oklahoma Lawmakers Defend Life - April 30, 2010
Nebraska Abortion Law Is Model For NC - April 20, 2010
Pro-Life Legislation Enacted Elsewhere - September 28, 2009
Copyright © 2012. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.
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