In a sign that—perhaps, maybe—the extreme right’s extremist attacks on the rights and health of women and children may have some limits, the Oklahoma legislature today allowed a bill to die in committee which, if passed, would have denied food vouchers and nutrition services to prenatal and pediatric clients served by Planned Parenthood of Tulsa County.
- Jodi Jacobson, Editor-in-Chief RH Reality Check
May 26, 2011
Sanity Prevails in Oklahoma, For Now
March 16, 2011
Upcoming Anti Abortion Legislation in OK, and how to take action.
The following info comes from an email by Planned Parenthood for Central Oklahoma, sign up for updates here
(Bill links provide downloads of legislation text)
HB 1548 (regarding ambulatory services) and HB 1642 (clinical privilege) would fundamentally change the way abortion facilities and providers are regulated—requiring them to comply with excessive, unnecessary, and completely inappropriate requirements—forcing most-if not all-abortion providers in Oklahoma to close their doors.
HB 1970 could turn back the clock on medical practice, apparently making it a crime to provide safe, legal medical abortion under a protocol that is based on scientific, medical evidence. In turn, Oklahoma women would be denied access to what is standard medical practice nationwide and what they and their physician believe is the best abortion procedure for them.
HB 1571 attempts to amend Oklahoma statutes to declare that it is policy of Oklahoma that life begins at fertilization and to consider “persons” from fertilization to have inalienable rights.
HB 1442 attempts to amend Oklahoma statutes to declare that it is policy of Oklahoma that life begins at fertilization and to consider “persons” from fertilization to have inalienable rights. Check out Dr. Cox’s editorial regarding this bill.
HB 1402 has one goal: ban abortion during the second trimester of pregnancy regardless of an individual woman’s circumstances and health needs. This bill would deprive a woman of her ability to make an extremely personal, medical decision, and hand it over to politicians.
Two anti-choice bills were voted on last week. HB 1888 and SB 547 will now be assigned to committee in the opposite house for further movement. Click here for more information.
February 24, 2011
New Oklahoma Bills Aim to Restrict or Ban Abortion
The proposed legislation would define life as beginning at conception, require stricter operating standards for abortion clinics and ban all research involving human embryos.
Health and legal advocates opposed to the legislation say the bills are essentially attempts to ban abortion and shut down clinics that provide the procedure, even though the clinics also provide other vital health services such as cancer screenings.
Those who support the bills say they are necessary to protect human life and are supported by a majority of Oklahomans. -Tulsa World
11 days into the legislative session and already there are 5 anti abortion bills out of committee….
January 22, 2011
Lawmakers In Many States Pushing For Abortion Curbs
This article from the NYT forecasts what will be a difficult year for the stomaching of anti choice legislation. Just yesterday we heard about several (seven?) bills to be introduced in OK all focused on limiting the clinics (of which there are only 3 for the entire state) that operate here. It is sad to think that this legislation will only serve to further limit the access to this procedure to all women, but even more so devastating to think of how these laws will all but cut off the low income, rural and women of color for whom “choice” is already severely limited.
September 15, 2010
Sally's List
How Are Women Doing In Oklahoma?
Let’s look at the numbers:
- #1 in incarcerated women
- #1 in child abuse deaths
- #4 in the divorce rate
- #6 in teen births
- #9 in women murdered by men
- #41 in women’s employment & earnings
- #42 in women’s overall health
- #45 in women in managerial & professional jobs
- #47 in women with health insurance
Clearly, there is much to be done to improve the lives of women in Oklahoma. A great deal of this change requires legislation which directly addresses the causes of these dismal statistics; an end to abstinence-only sex education, increased funding for health coverage and early childhood services, etc.
Sally’s List is a nonprofit that has started up this year in Oklahoma that is dedicated to the recruitment and training of women to run for the state legislature. Check out the link above for some of the progressive candidates they have endorsed this year.
June 3, 2010
"What’s different is that bills of serious consequence have actually passed,” said Nancy Northrup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, who characterized the volume of legislation as “an avalanche.” Already the center has brought suits to challenge six laws, more than in any other year since the 1990s."
— Abortions Foes Advance Cause at State Level, NYTimes
May 28, 2010
Oklahoma lawmakers won't attempt to override latest abortion veto
The legislative session for 2010 has concluded. Though some very harsh anti women bills were pushed through by the legislature, Gov. Henry’s late veto on HB 3290 was not overturned! The bill would’ve restricted insurance coverage for elective abortions.
In a news release from the Governor’s office, House Bill 3290 would have required rape and incest victims to purchase special and separate abortion insurance before they were victimized in order to obtain an abortion covered by their health insurance policy.
Thank goodness this veto held. There is just something supremely offensive about having to purchase abortion insurance BEFORE victimization in order to cover cases of rape or incest.
In any case I hope that the presence of supporters of reproductive justice at the capitol all this week was an influence!
May 6, 2010
Meek calls on Crist to veto measure that would require women seeking abortion to pay for an ultrasound
“My objection to this amendment is the intrusion of government to the practice of medicine,” Homan said. “The core issue in this bill is about ideology, it is not about better health care.”
-Florida State Rep. Ed Homan, Republican AND a doctor. (at least some people are still operating on the basis of logic)
First they force you to have an ultrasound, then they charge you for it. Good thing 42% of women getting abortions don’t have incomes below 100% of the federal poverty level or anything. (Oh wait, that is a FACT.)
EDIT: Though the link has to do with the state of Florida, we felt that it was important to highlight the important battle occurring there and what it means to women across the country. The numbers presented in the link concerning the tie between poverty and women seeking abortions is devastating regardless of what state you’re from.
May 5, 2010
Access to abortion is under attack all over the United States
In which I rant (finally!) about Oklahoma, and try to sort out what state is doing what re: abortion access.
“As an aside: Republicans/tea partiers/anti-choicers/other supporters of these kinds of bills: You are no longer allowed to cry about the government “taking over” your health care. EVER. AGAIN. I mean it. Not ever. Because here’s the thing: the government is not taking over your health care in any way, shape or form unless you are a woman seeking an abortion. Then the government is all up in your uterus and lying to you about your fetus. THAT is what government taking over your health care looks like. Is that happening to you? No? So kindly STFU.”
May 3, 2010
This week in Oklahoma
But, again, who cares? Why should a woman who chooses to have an abortion have any legal rights at all? The Legislators are protecting “life,” just not the real lives of pregnant women.
And who cares if the pregnant woman is a rape victim?
Who cares if the State of Oklahoma will spend millions of tax dollars in litigation expenses because of the new law? Who cares if hundreds of thousands of tax dollars are spent to support the new reporting requirements placed on doctors, both who perform abortions and doctors who may treat a woman for complications after she has had an abortion?
This is invasive government in the most personal aspects of our lives.
But, again, who cares? As long as it isn’t you, your child, or your grandchild who is raped and pregnant. As long as it isn’t you, your child, or your grandchild whose pregnancy is life-threatening due to a medical condition. As long as it isn’t you, your child, or a grandchild carrying a hopelessly deformed fetus. Who cares?- Retired Oklahoma Judge, Janice P. Dreiling
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The Republican-controlled Oklahoma House of
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All this debate about abortion, but how often do you hear from the women who get them?
Well now there’s a tumblr for that!
This...
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inconstantcontradiction asked: "The problem with sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, classist, ableist, etc., remarks and “jokes” is not that they’re offensive, but that by relying for their meaning on harmful cultural narratives about privileged and marginalized groups they reinforce those narratives, and the stronger those narratives are, the stronger the implicit biases with which people are indoctrinated are. That’s real harm, not just “offense."
http://finenessandaccuracy.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/i-dont-care-if-youre-offended/
Yes. Excellent example of that passage.
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“With just a handful of Democrats opposing, the House of Representatives...
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Be Very Grateful You Don't Live in South Dakota
“The idea that pregnant women were now “legally mandated to be coerced by people...
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“South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed a law Tuesday requiring women to wait three days after meeting with a doctor to have an abortion, the...”
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The anti-abortion rights movement last year found itself in a set of circumstances that have all worked to advance their agenda. Most importantly,...
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