On Wednesday, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill banning abortions after conception – making it the strictest law in the country.
“I promised Oklahomans that as governor I would sign every piece of pro-life legislation that came across my desk and I am proud to keep that promise today,” Stitt said in a statement Wednesday.
“From the moment life begins at conception is when we have a responsibility as human beings to do everything we can to protect that baby’s life and the life of the mother,” he added. “That is what I believe and that is what the majority of Oklahomans believe.”
The law does not block access to emergency contraception like morning-after pills or any other type of contraception.
“The law takes effect immediately and the only exceptions are to save the life of a pregnant woman or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest that has been reported to law enforcement,” The Daily Mail reported. “It also permits them to remove an ectopic pregnancy, a potentially life-threatening emergency that occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, often in a fallopian tube and early in pregnancy.”
The bill is enforced similarly to the Texas six-week abortion ban in that it doesn’t actually criminalize abortions but allows private citizens to sue anyone who aids in or performs an abortion for up to $10,000.
Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris slammed the bill when it was passed by Oklahoma lawmakers, saying, “Just half an hour ago in Oklahoma, the state legislature passed one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country — a ban that would outlaw abortion from the moment of fertilization.”
“Now think about that for a second, from the moment of fertilization. It’s outrageous and it’s just the latest in a series of extreme laws around the country,” she added.
