New Oklahoma bills are some of the most extreme anti-abortion bills ever to be advanced out of a committee
WASHINGTON — Last week, Republican Oklahoma lawmakers advanced two of the most extreme anti-choice bills ever to be introduced at the state level.
- HB 3216 would define “life” as when a sperm hits an egg and could ban the morning-after pill and some IUDs.
- HB 3216 could also create a statewide database of women who received an abortion, spurring many rightful privacy issues.
- Another bill, HB 3013 would make it a felony to deliver or intend to deliver abortion-inducing medications to Oklahoma residents who planned to use the drugs to have an unlawful abortion, essentially equating abortion medication with drug trafficking.
Both of these bills passed out of committees by similar 5-1 votes. Oklahoma already has one of the strictest abortion laws in the country, yet Oklahoma Republicans keep on pushing for new laws to control a woman’s body.
A reminder: Republican attacks on reproductive rights and freedoms in one state often spread across the country quickly.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee National Press Secretary Sam Paisley issued the following statement:
“In a country full of Republican legislators trying to outright ban abortion, these Oklahoma bills are particularly concerning and reprehensible. Banning IUDs and other forms of contraceptives, equating the abortion pill with drug trafficking, and creating a statewide database of women who have received abortions are the latest in a series of extreme proposals we are seeing play out across the country. These proposals show once again that Republicans aren’t slowing down with their attacks on women and reproductive rights. These egregious bills might be proposed and debated in Oklahoma right now but they could happen anywhere next. From blue states to purple states to red states, we must elect more Democrats who will protect reproductive rights and family planning for every American. Our fundamental freedoms rely on it.”
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the official Democratic Party committee dedicated to winning America’s state legislatures and building state infrastructure. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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