Oklahoma’s new abortion ban: Explained

The Oklahoma legislature on Thursday approved the strictest abortion ban in the US amid a push by Republican states to scale back abortion rights across the country.

The bill, the third abortion ban passed by the state legislature since April, is awaiting the signature of Governor Kevin Stitt, who has long maintained an anti-abortion stance and is likely to sign it into law.

The ban will take immediate effect when Governor Stitt signs it, making Oklahoma the first US state to effectively ban all abortions.

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What does the bill say?

Known as HB 4327 by its official name, the bill bans all abortions from the moment of fertilization, far earlier than the extant Texas-style ban in place in the state that prohibits abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

The only exceptions to the new ban will be medical emergencies, and cases of incest, rape, and sexual assault, only if such cases have been reported to law enforcement.

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How will the ban be enforced?

The ban will be enforced through private citizens bringing civil lawsuits against anyone who “aids or abets” abortions in the state for damages of at least $10,000.

The very nature of said enforcement, as seen in Texas, makes it difficult to challenge in court.

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The state of abortion rights in Oklahoma:

With a Texas-style six week abortion ban already in place, the new ban will make Oklahoma the most restrictive state vis-à-vis abortion rights.

That is not all.

The Oklahoma legislature, earlier in April, also passed a total abortion ban that makes abortions a felony, and that ban is slated to take effect in summer.

However, in the event Roe v Wade is not overturned by the Supreme Court, that ban maybe be relatively easy to challenge in court, unlike the present one that is enforceable through civil suits.