The limits Oklahoma lawmakers put on access to abortion have led some critics to charge that the state has harsh abortion laws. Women seeking an abortion must undergo counseling and then wait 72 hours before the procedure is provided.
Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill into law in May 2015 that extended the waiting period from the previous 24 hours.
Here are some quotes from the heated debated.
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“This legislation will help women get the information they need before making a decision they can’t take back. It will allow for more time to consider medical risks as well as explore alternatives to abortion, such as adoption.”
— Gov. Mary Fallin, in a statement
“I just think before you have any kind of surgery you need to have all the information in your hand before you make that irrevocable decision. … Anytime a woman makes a decision, she needs to have all that information in her hand prior to making a decision that will take the life of an unborn, separate, unique human being from her.”
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State Rep. Lisa Billy, the bill’s sponsor, said according to Live Action News
“It’s really about shame and the government trying to coerce a woman into delaying care she has already decided she needs. It’s part of a larger agenda to ensure that as long as abortion is legal, it is difficult as possible to access it.”
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Amanda Allen, state legislative counsel for the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York, according to NewsOK
“Increasing the waiting period for women seeking abortion care from 24 to 72 hours clearly demonstrates that anti-choice politicians in Oklahoma don’t respect women or their ability to make decisions, and don’t understand the realities of women’s lives.”
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Vicki Saporta, president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation, in a letter to the editor in the Daily Oklahoman
“In Oklahoma, we have a waiting period for divorce of 10 days. If there are minor children it is 90 days. We should also take it very seriously when we’re talking about the irrevocable decision of abortion.”
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State Sen. Greg Treat, a Republican co-sponsor of the bill, according to Church Militant
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