A bill allowing fathers to veto an abortion is advancing through the Oklahoma legislature despite objections it would be found unconstitutional, The Oklahoman newspaper is reporting.
An Oklahoma House committee approved the bill which would require women seeking abortions to provide the father's written consent. It still awaits Oklahoma House and Senate approval before going to the governor.
"My bill would stop an abortion if a father does not agree to the abortion," said Republican State Rep. Justin Humphrey.
The bill includes exceptions for rape, incest and the mother's health.
Humphrey concedes he might not be able to get the bill to a point where it's constitutional or even passed by the legislature.
"The thing that I wanted to spark in a debate is that fathers have a role," he said. "Exactly where that role is, I'm not sure. We are starting the right debate by saying, do fathers have a place? Where should that be?"
A representative of Planned Parenthood said she believes the bill is unconstitutional.
"We believe (it) is a bill that all legislators, regardless of how they feel about abortion, could easily vote down because of how unconstitutional it is," Tamya Cox said.
Others are criticizing the bill, as well, Newsweek reports.
NARAL Pro-Choice America, an abortion rights organization, calls it "one of the most extreme anti-choice bills in the country" and claims it another example of "the rise of the aggressively anti-choice ideology pushed by President (Donald) Trump, Vice President (Mike) Pence and their Republican allies across the country," according to Newsweek.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.