Abortion restrictions continue to be tightened in some US states. The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday, April 28, banning voluntary termination of pregnancy (IVG) after six weeks of pregnancy. This conservative state had welcomed thousands of Texas women seeking abortions for several months after a similar text was passed in that neighboring state.
The text, passed by the Oklahoma lower house of legislature, provides medical exceptions to abortion authorization, but no exception in cases of rape or incest. It is now up to the Republican governor to sign it and put it into effect.
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Hours after the first vote in the lower house, the Oklahoma Senate approved another bill, this time banning all abortion regardless of pregnancy stage, but including exceptions for medical emergencies, rape or incest. The parliamentary shuttle should now make this text into the lower house.
Access to abortion is restricted in several conservative states
On September 1, 2021, one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the United States went into effect in the Republican state of Texas, banning all abortions after the fetal heartbeat is detectable on ultrasound, about four weeks after conception.
With a population of 30 million, Texas is the second most populous state in the country, and this law has quickly overwhelmed patients turning to clinics in other states, including Oklahoma, forcing them to relentlessly delay their abortions.
In addition to Texas and Oklahoma, other conservative states such as Florida and Mississippi have passed legislation restricting access to abortion. The legality of the text voted on in the latter state is currently being examined by the US Supreme Court, with a decision expected in June.
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During the review of the case, the Conservative judges writing it, now in a majority (six out of nine), suggested that they could use it to reduce or even repeal abortion rights. Recognized in the landmark case “Roe v. Wade” of 1973, this right applies today as long as the fetus is not viable, i.e. towards the end of the second trimester.