new law
State of Oklahoma: 10 years in prison for performing an abortion
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt expects lawsuits against the new law that will severely punish abortion in the US state in the future
© Reynolds Stefani/CNP/ABACA/Picture Alliance
In Oklahoma, abortions are punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. The planned penalties do not threaten the pregnant women, but the medical staff.
“We want to ban abortion in the state of Oklahoma,” said the Republican governor. “We believe every life has value.” The law, which Gov. Kevin Stitt signed on Tuesday, is expected to go into effect at the end of August, according to local media reports. The politician admitted that there will certainly be many lawsuits against it. However, he expressed confidence that it will ultimately last. Exceptions should only apply if the life of the expectant mother is in acute danger due to the pregnancy.
Joe Biden condemns new abortion law
US President Joe Biden’s spokeswoman Jen Psaki called the law an “unconstitutional attack” on women’s rights. The law does not even provide for exceptions in cases of rape or incest, she criticized. The regulation is part of “a disturbing national trend to attack women’s rights”.
The traditionally conservative Oklahoma with around four million inhabitants is located in the north of the populous state of Texas, where around 30 million people live. The state has also had a strict abortion law since last year. It bans all abortions once the fetal heartbeat has been determined. This can happen as early as the sixth week of pregnancy. Many women do not even know at this point that they are pregnant. What is unusual about the law is that it allows private individuals to take civil action against anyone who assists with an abortion.
Again and again, Americans demonstrate for the liberalization of abortion laws
© Allison Bailey / Picture Alliance
Other Republican-led states are also trying to largely restrict access to abortions. According to a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court in Washington in 1973, abortions are actually permitted in the USA until the fetus is viable – today around the 24th week of pregnancy. The decision, known as Roe v. Wade is known as a milestone.
A lawsuit is pending in the Supreme Court against an abortion law in Mississippi that prohibits almost all abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. If the conservative majority of the nine judges let the rule stand, other states could also further restrict abortion.