Oklahoma Passes Anti-Abortion Bill
Written by Sam on May 24th, 2007
A bill prohibiting public funds from being used for most abortions has become law in Oklahoma after a deadline passed for the state’s governor to veto the measure.
“If the governor doesn’t act, it becomes law,” said his spokesman, Phil Bacharach. Gov. Brad Henry had until midnight on Wednesday night to veto the bill.
Henry, a Democrat, vetoed a previous bill that contained no exceptions for publicly funded abortions even in cases of rape or incest. The new version allows such an exception if the victim reports the crime to the police.
It easily passed the Republican-controlled House and got through the evenly divided state Senate with several votes from Democratic lawmakers.
Another step forward for respecting life.
25
AM
hmm, i was under the impression that tax payer money is currently not allowed to pay for abortions on the national level
This bill would seem to prove otherwise.
25
PM
The situation is a bit complicated. The 1976 Hyde Amendment (plus a few other pieces of legislation) set the tone for the Federal government, which holds that, in most cases, Federal money (from entitlements like Medicaid) cannot be used to fund an abortion. The Federal government actually mandates funding for abortions through Medicaid in instances of incest, rape, or “life endangerment.”
Obviously, that’s just the Federal government, though. State laws vary pretty widely concerning whether or not state welfare money can be used to pay for an abortion. It seems Oklahoma has joined the crowd of states, numbering more than thirty, that provide public funding only for a small minority of abortions.
26
AM
O ok. Thanks for the explanation.