Watch Now: Oklahoma House passes bill to limit abortion providers to OB/GYNs

Randy Krehbiel Mar 3, 2021 Updated 1 hr ago

The Oklahoma House of Representatives’ Republican majority took another swing at restricting abortion access on Tuesday with a measure that would limit providers to board certified obstetricians and gynecologists.

House Bill 1904, by Rep. Cynthia Roe, R-Lindsay, ostensibly would protect women undergoing the procedure, but Roe readily admitted that her bill’s primary objective is to make abortions harder to get. ... “The intent of this bill is to hopefully drastically reduce the number of abortions in this state,” she said.

The bill’s practical effect is unclear, although a number of primary care physicians reportedly perform abortions. Opponents of the measure said only 27 of the state’s 77 counties have OBGYNs. ... Similar laws passed in Arkansas and Louisiana are on hold pending litigation, while Mississippi’s remains in force in part because the state’s only abortion provider meets the requirement.

Roe said abortions should be performed only by OBGYNs in case emergencies arise, but she acknowledged that such complications are rare. ... Democrats argued that Republicans would rather campaign on abortion than actually stop or reduce it, and they predicted that Tuesday’s bill will ultimately be thrown out by the courts.

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