The Republican gov. of Oklahoma has vetoed a bill that aims to make abortion a felony punishable by time in prison.
Despite being staunchly pro-life, Gov. Mary Fallin chose to veto the
bill because she said it was too vague and would not hold up to being
challenged in court.
“The bill is so ambiguous and so vague that doctors cannot be certain
what medical circumstances would be considered ‘necessary to preserve
the life of the mother,’” Fallin, a Republican, said in a statement.
“The absence of any definition, analysis or medical standard renders
this exception vague, indefinite and vulnerable to subjective
interpretation and application,” she continued.
FoxNews.com reports that Fallin has, however signed 18 other bills supporting pro-life causes.
The bill would punish doctors who perform abortions with three years in
prison and loss of their medical licenses. The bill also does not make
exceptions for rape or incest, but does make an exception if the life of
the mother is in danger.
The bill’s author, Republican Sen. Nathan Dahm, stated, “Since I
believe life begins at conception, it should be protected, and I believe
it's a core function of state government to defend that life from the
beginning of conception.”
Dahm hopes the bill might be the first step in overturning the seminal abortion case Roe vs. Wade.
Other Republicans agreed with Fallin that the bill was not a measure
worth supporting. Republican Sen. Ervin Yen, who is also a doctor, voted
against the bill and called it “insane.”
Oklahoma’s legislators can attempt to override the gov.’s veto, but
must get a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate for the bill to
pass.
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