Oklahoma Approves Bill to Suspend the Medical Licenses of Any Doctor Who Does Abortions
A bill headed to Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin’s desk this week would strip abortionists of their medical licenses and basically outlaw abortions in the state.
The bill describes an abortion as “unprofessional conduct” and prohibits Oklahoma medical licensure officials from renewing or granting licenses to doctors who do abortions, except to save the mother’s life, according to the Washington Post. The state House passed the bill on Thursday in a strong, bipartisan vote; and the Oklahoma Senate passed it in March, LifeNews reported.
Oklahoma state Sen. Nathan Dahm, who sponsored the measure, said the purpose is to protect unborn babies’ lives. Abortion activists are threatening to challenge the measure, but Dahm and state Rep. David Brumbaugh, who co-sponsored the measure in the House, staunchly defended the legislation.
“Do we make laws because they’re moral and right, or do we make them based on what an unelected judicial occupant might question or want to overturn? The last time I looked, that’s why I thought we had a separation of power,” Brumbaugh said. “It’s not about policy. It’s not about politics. It’s about principle.”
A few pro-abortion lawmakers spoke out against the bill prior to the vote. Here’s more from the report:
Several Democrats, outnumbered roughly 2-to-1 in the House, pushed back against the bill in debate on Thursday, suggesting it was misguided and unconstitutional.
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Rep. Emily Virgin (D) asked the bill’s House co-sponsor Rep. David Brumbaugh (R) about a statement from the Oklahoma State Medical Association, which said it took no position on abortion but did oppose the legislation on the grounds that it overrode physician judgment.
“We already have a severe physician shortage in Oklahoma, so are you at all concerned about physicians leaving Oklahoma if this bill becomes law,” Virgin asked.
Brumbaugh said he didn’t expect it to have an effect on doctor retention because it only affects those who perform abortions. “There’s no way that this will impact the medical community, and we’ve checked through that,” he said.
Fallin,who is pro-life, has not indicated whether she will sign the bill, Reuters reports.
She faces intense pressure to reject the bill from national pro-abortion groups including Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights, Breitbart reports. On Saturday, Planned Parenthood attacked the Oklahoma legislators on Twitter:
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