Oklahoma Independent Media Center

Yes, a huge majority of Oklahoma citizens support a woman's right to choose.

A Sooner Poll survey conducted by phone April 27-30 shows that 75% of Oklahomans believe that the abortion is a decision best left to a woman and her doctor.

However, this won't likely deter certain Oklahoma politicians from continuing to try to completely eliminate the right to abortion in the state, and many others to go along with them out of perceived political expediency. Until Oklahomans mobilize around this issue in far greater numbers than currently, we will soon have the strictest abortion laws in the nation, where rape, incest, or severe medical consequences for either the woman or the resulting child are sufficient grounds for a woman to terminate.

Once that child is born, of course, the state, the so-called Christian politicians, and certainly the conservative churches that enable them could not care less about it.

Action item from today's Progressive News list:

Yesterday, the Oklahoma House voted to suspend the rules, allowing SB139 to be revived from dormancy, and replaced with new language, essentially substituting an only slightly revised version of SB714. Rebecca Hamilton against the concerns of her own Democratic Members insisted on suspending the rules to have this bill heard on the House Floor yesterday.

House members voted on this bill without ever reading the new language. The bill was not available to members until after the vote yesterday. Many of our elected officials are voting on issues without even knowing what they are agreeing to in the process. Would you sign a contract without reading it first? Yet, they are making laws that we all must live by without even reading the language before passing them.

The bill does not make any exceptions whatsoever for fatal fetal anomalies, nor does it make any exceptions for the health of the mother. The only significant amendment that makes this bill even slightly different from SB714 is that it now will grant an exception for abortions for rape and incest. (Proponents stated on the floor that they "intend to come back next year to close every other exception, and will continue to do so each year until there are no exceptions left in this state"). Rape and incest are included but require the victim to report her attacker to law enforcement before she is allowed to seek an abortion. We are all aware that many cases of rape and incest go unreported.

In addition, this bill continues to prohibit insurance companies and all insurance policies in our state from covering therapeutic terminations of pregnancies, even in the most extreme cases of lethal anomalies and serious threats to the mother's health.

YOUR CALLS ARE NEEDED IMMEDIATELY TO STOP THIS BILL FROM BECOMING LAW!

Please call the following Senators at (405)524-0126 before Wednesday and send them a back - up email with a more detailed message, thanking them for their earlier vote against SB714, and asking them to oppose SB139:

Most Urgent ("Swing Votes")
Senator Laster laster@oksenate. gov
Senator Riley rileyn@oksenate. gov
Senator Sweeden sweeden@oksenate. gov
Senator Wyrick wyrick@oksenate. gov

Senators that have consistently voted "No" on SB714, but calls will still help:
Senator Adelson
Senator Ballenger
Senator Bass
Senator Crutchfield
Senator Eason - McIntyre
Senator Constance Johnson
Senator Leftwich
Senator Lerblanc
Senator Mike Morgan
Senator Rabon
Senator Rice
Senator Sparks
Senator Wilson

Please tell these Senators that the most critical medical issues have still not been addressed, since there remain no exceptions whatsoever for fatal anomalies.

NEXT STEP:

CALL AND EMAIL THE GOVERNOR IMMEDIATELY!

The Governor has indicated that if most of the concerns he had expressed in his veto message were addressed by the new bill, he would not veto it. This bill addresses at least half of his concerns. We have not yet received a response from him or his office in regards to his intentions related to this new bill.

Please emphasize the very serious remaining medical concerns with the failure to address fatal anomalies, as well as the loss of accreditation for the OB-Gyn program at OU Medical School, as described above, when you contact his office through his website at www.governor. state.ok. us.

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST......

This bill will be heard in the Senate tomorrow. The Senate will go into session at 1:30 pm. Please make every attempt to attend tomorrow. If you can arrive prior to 1:30 pm please go see your Senator and ask him to vote no on this bill. The more that attend this session tomorrow the better our chances are of killing it in the Senate. If you will attend please let me know. I can be reached at 405.921.7080.

Senate Contact Information

http://www.oksenate .gov/Senators/ directorypictori al.htm

Mailing address: 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd, Room Number, Oklahoma City OK 73105

Phone Number: Main Switchboard (405) 524-0126, Direct line to Senator's office 405 521-5+Extension
Thank you!