Oklahomans have a right to life-saving abortions, whether there’s an emergency or not, the state Supreme Court ruled. More from KOSUradio 👇🏽
The Oklahoma Supreme Court issued a ruling Tuesday, stating definitively that Oklahomans have a right to life-saving abortions, whether there’s an emergency or not.
When lawmakers passed several bills banning abortion last year, they included an exception for medical emergencies. The wording was vague. It didn’t have a list of qualifying conditions. Medical and legal experts raised concerns that this would leave doctors wondering how much danger was enough to protect them from a decade in prison.
When lawmakers pass laws, the bills contain a section with definitions. That’s for situations like this one, where the terms could mean a lot of different things, and the meaning affects how the law is enforced. When talking about abortions in life-threatening situations versus medical emergencies, there’s a go-to example. A pregnant patient is diagnosed with cancer, and they have to either have an abortion or give birth before starting treatment like chemotherapy or radiation. If the law allows abortions in life-threatening situations generally, there is no doubt the exception would allow that patient to get an abortion. But if it has to be a medical emergency, it’s up in the air.
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