Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt blasted potential discussion regarding abortion-on-demand services on tribal lands in his state, arguing against the effort and claiming he is “watching” out for the possibility.
Stitt shared the remarks on “Fox News Sunday” during an interview regarding Oklahoma’s pro-life efforts.
“The tribes in Oklahoma are super liberal,” he said. “They go to Washington, D.C. They talk to President Biden at the White House, they kind of adopt those strategies.”
The governor expressed his concern and noted his state is prepared to deal with the potential move.
“We think that there’s a possibility that some tribes may try to set up abortion on demand. … that’s something that we’re watching,” Stitt added.
“I’ll tell you this, Oklahomans will not think very well that if the tribes try to start up abortion clinics — abortion on demand — in eastern Oklahoma because the expansion of tribal lands includes the city of Tulsa.”
Stitt also took to Twitter on Sunday to share his criticisms of social Democrats who oppose pro-life protections.
“Socialist Democrats use poverty rates and other statistics to justify their immoral argument for killing unborn children,” the governor wrote. “But I believe God has a special plan for every life. I’m working hard to make Oklahoma a Top Ten state. Killing unborn children is not a part of the plan.”
Socialist Democrats use poverty rates and other statistics to justify their immoral argument for killing unborn children.
But I believe God has a special plan for every life.
I'm working hard to make Oklahoma a Top Ten state. Killing unborn children is not a part of the plan. pic.twitter.com/xIvE5BR58O
— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) May 15, 2022
The state’s new law is now the strongest in the nation. Following a recently enacted law by Texas that bans abortions after six weeks, Stitt recently signed a similar ban with no exceptions for rape or incest.
Stitt signed the law on May 3, posting his proud support in a Twitter post.
“I am proud to sign SB 1503, the Oklahoma Heartbeat Act into law,” Stitt tweeted. “I want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country because I represent all four million Oklahomans who overwhelmingly want to protect the unborn.”
The law arrived on Stitt’s desk last week after it was approved in the state legislature, as The Daily Wire reported. It passed the state House of Representatives by an overwhelming majority, 68-12, after it passed the state Senate in March by another large majority, 33-11. The Associated Press reported that the bill went into effect immediately upon Stitt’s signature.
The new law declares that “an abortion may not be performed or induced on a pregnant woman unless a physician has determined, in accordance with this section, whether the woman’s unborn child has a detectable fetal heartbeat.” Defining a fetal heartbeat as “cardiac activity or the steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart within the gestational sac,” the law then bans abortion if the heartbeat can be detected.
“[A] physician shall not knowingly perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman if the physician detected a fetal heartbeat for the unborn child… or failed to perform a test to detect a fetal heartbeat,” the law states.
The law also comes shortly after a recent leak of a Supreme Court opinion draft by Justice Samuel Alito that may overturn Roe v. Wade and allow decisions regarding abortion laws to return to individual states.