Oklahoma House sends Texas-style abortion ban to governor

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma House has given final approval to a Texas-style abortion ban that prohibits abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy. The bill passed Thursday (April 28, 2022) by the GOP-led House now heads to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is expected to sign it within days. The bill prohibits abortions once cardiac activity can be detected in the fetus. Experts say that’s typically about six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. Like Texas, the bill allows private citizens to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion for up to $10,000. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed a similar law in Texas to stand. That has led to a huge increase in the number of women from Texas seeking abortions in Oklahoma.