...Oklahoma Legislature on February 8... lawmakers in the House Public Health Committee blocked one anti-abortion bill and a second was tabled without discussion.
It was certainly unusual for a deeply conservative Republican government that over the years has distinguished itself by passing some of the strictest abortion regulations in the country regardless of whether those measures are unconstitutional, which many certainly are. Since 2011, lawmakers in Oklahoma have passed 20 such measures, a number of which have been blocked by the courts or are tied up in litigation.
If passed as written, the two measures that were slated for consideration on February 8 would almost certainly end up in court as well.
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The first, Rep. George Faughts House Bill 1549, was returning for a second year. Under the measure, a woman would be blocked from aborting a fetus because it has or is suspected of having a genetic abnormality, regardless of how early she sought termination. Although the measure made it out of the House in 2016, it languished in the Senate.
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But to Chowning and other members of the coalition, it was the second bill, HB 1441, that was even more disturbing, devoid of any nuance and completely unconstitutional. Written by another of the chambers freshmen, Rep. Justin Humphrey, the legislation would require a woman seeking an abortion first to obtain written permission from her sexual partner. It would also require her to provide his name to her doctor and would forestall the procedure if the man wanted the opportunity to challenge paternity.
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar provision in 1992.
It was with all this in mind that Chowning set off on her Capitol rounds. Five of the eight lawmakers sitting on the Public Health Committee are freshmen; only two members are Democrats and only one is a woman a freshman Republican. Chowning was eager to talk, hoping the OCRJ might find new allies.
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Of all the bills filed this session, HB 1441 has been most troubling to coalition members, said Speidel. This one, by far, was the one that bothered us the most, she said. There were a lot of feelings about it. In a state that doesnt really spend a lot of time on domestic violence issues it really just showed ignorance regarding what relationships can be for some women.
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Ultimately, he said, his intent was to let men have a say. I believe one of the breakdowns in our society is that we have excluded the man out of all of these types of decisions, he said. I understand that they feel like that is their body, he said of women. I feel like it is a separate what I call them is, is youre a host. And you know when you enter into a relationship youre going to be that host and so, you know, if you pre-know that then take all precautions and dont get pregnant, he explained. So thats where Im at. Im like, hey, your body is your body and be responsible with it. But after youre irresponsible then dont claim, well, I can just go and do this with another body, when youre the host and you invited that in.
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Indeed, according to the Guttmacher Institute, Oklahoma ranks second behind Louisiana for the sheer number of abortion restrictions passed since 1973, the year the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade. Since 2011, the CRR has taken the state to court eight times. Of the cases that have been resolved, the CRR has a 100 percent win record.
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When talking to lawmakers about issues of reproductive justice, Speidel grounds her arguments in her faith. I say to them, it is immoral and anti-Christian to pass restriction after restriction after restriction and then to do nothing to support women and families in this state, she said. If you really want to make abortions be gone, then do everything possible to provide birth control, to have comprehensive sex education and, more importantly, to make sure there are programs in place that are going to help women and families.
Source of long article: https://theintercept.com/2017/02/13/oklahoma-lawmakers-want-men-to-approve-all-abortions/
It was certainly unusual for a deeply conservative Republican government that over the years has distinguished itself by passing some of the strictest abortion regulations in the country regardless of whether those measures are unconstitutional, which many certainly are. Since 2011, lawmakers in Oklahoma have passed 20 such measures, a number of which have been blocked by the courts or are tied up in litigation.
If passed as written, the two measures that were slated for consideration on February 8 would almost certainly end up in court as well.
........
The first, Rep. George Faughts House Bill 1549, was returning for a second year. Under the measure, a woman would be blocked from aborting a fetus because it has or is suspected of having a genetic abnormality, regardless of how early she sought termination. Although the measure made it out of the House in 2016, it languished in the Senate.
........
But to Chowning and other members of the coalition, it was the second bill, HB 1441, that was even more disturbing, devoid of any nuance and completely unconstitutional. Written by another of the chambers freshmen, Rep. Justin Humphrey, the legislation would require a woman seeking an abortion first to obtain written permission from her sexual partner. It would also require her to provide his name to her doctor and would forestall the procedure if the man wanted the opportunity to challenge paternity.
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar provision in 1992.
It was with all this in mind that Chowning set off on her Capitol rounds. Five of the eight lawmakers sitting on the Public Health Committee are freshmen; only two members are Democrats and only one is a woman a freshman Republican. Chowning was eager to talk, hoping the OCRJ might find new allies.
........
Of all the bills filed this session, HB 1441 has been most troubling to coalition members, said Speidel. This one, by far, was the one that bothered us the most, she said. There were a lot of feelings about it. In a state that doesnt really spend a lot of time on domestic violence issues it really just showed ignorance regarding what relationships can be for some women.
........
Ultimately, he said, his intent was to let men have a say. I believe one of the breakdowns in our society is that we have excluded the man out of all of these types of decisions, he said. I understand that they feel like that is their body, he said of women. I feel like it is a separate what I call them is, is youre a host. And you know when you enter into a relationship youre going to be that host and so, you know, if you pre-know that then take all precautions and dont get pregnant, he explained. So thats where Im at. Im like, hey, your body is your body and be responsible with it. But after youre irresponsible then dont claim, well, I can just go and do this with another body, when youre the host and you invited that in.
........
Indeed, according to the Guttmacher Institute, Oklahoma ranks second behind Louisiana for the sheer number of abortion restrictions passed since 1973, the year the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade. Since 2011, the CRR has taken the state to court eight times. Of the cases that have been resolved, the CRR has a 100 percent win record.
........
When talking to lawmakers about issues of reproductive justice, Speidel grounds her arguments in her faith. I say to them, it is immoral and anti-Christian to pass restriction after restriction after restriction and then to do nothing to support women and families in this state, she said. If you really want to make abortions be gone, then do everything possible to provide birth control, to have comprehensive sex education and, more importantly, to make sure there are programs in place that are going to help women and families.
Source of long article: https://theintercept.com/2017/02/13/oklahoma-lawmakers-want-men-to-approve-all-abortions/
