Republican Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has issued an <a href="https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/executive/2092.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> banning state funds, property, or resources from being used by state agencies and institutions to support &#8220;diversity, equity, and inclusion positions, departments, activities, procedures, or programs.&#8221;
That ban will be implemented “to the extent they grant preferential treatment based on one person’s particular race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin over another’s,” the governor’s office <a href="https://oklahoma.gov/governor/newsroom/newsroom/2023/december2023/governor-stitt-signs-anti-discrimination-executive-order--takes-.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>. Stitt joins Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/266/?Tab=BillText" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed a bill</a> last May that banned Florida&#8217;s public colleges and universities from using funds for DEI programs.
“In Oklahoma, we’re going to encourage equal opportunity, rather than promising equal outcomes,” Stitt said. “Encouraging our workforce, economy, and education systems to flourish means shifting focus away from exclusivity and discrimination, and toward opportunity and merit. We’re taking politics out of education and focusing on preparing students for the workforce.”
The funds may also not be used to force someone to “participate in, listen to, or receive any education, training, activities, procedures, or programming,” “swear, certify, or agree to any loyalty oath that favors or prefers one particular race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin over another,” force someone to “certify or declare agreement with, recognition of, or adherence to, any particular political, philosophical, religious, or other ideological viewpoint,” force someone applying for a job to “provide a diversity, equity, and inclusion statement,” or force any person to “disclose their pronouns.”
“As a nation, we strive for equality of opportunity to give every young person a chance at achieving their American Dream,” Patrice Onwuka, director of Independent Women’s Forum’s Center for Economic Opportunity explained, adding:
<blockquote>
Race, ethnicity, gender, and heritage should not be used to discriminate against any person. Yet, discriminatory DEI programming has done damage on college campuses—fomenting division between students, eroding free speech rights, threatening academic freedom, and bloating school bureaucracies, which in turn drives up tuition costs. Furthermore, these efforts do not prepare young women and men for the diverse workforce that values aptitude, grit, and skill, not a sense of entitlement driven by victimhood. 
We applaud Governor Stitt and the state for taking leadership on removing discriminatory and divisive race-based programming and staffing from Oklahoma colleges and universities. Every student deserves a campus free from discrimination. Thankfully, legal protections already outlaw race-and sex-based discrimination, but this executive order guards against efforts to bypass those protections.
</blockquote>
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“For years, universities and government agencies, even those in red states, have become increasingly beholden to a coercive liberal agenda, often framed under the banner of DEI,” said David Safavian, general counsel for the American Conservative Union. “The transformation of these institutions has been exposed following the response by major universities in the aftermath of the October 7th terror attack by Hamas. Especially with that in mind, CPAC applauds Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt for acting through executive order today to take down DEI in all of Oklahoma’s government.”

2023 Concordia Annual Summit – September 18

Oklahoma Governor Joins DeSantis, Bans Using Funds For DEI At All State Agencies, Universities

Kevin Stitt

Oklahoma

Ron DeSantis

Oklahoma Republican Governor Kevin Stitt signed the “Women’s Bill of Rights” on Tuesday in a move that advocates called &#8220;huge&#8221; for combating gender ideology.
The “Women’s Bill of Rights,” which the governor <a href="https://oklahoma.gov/governor/newsroom/newsroom/2023/august2023/governor-stitt-leads-the-nation-as-first-governor-to-issue-women.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> by executive order, directs public schools to provide separate locker rooms and restrooms for boys and girls and state facilities like prisons or domestic shelters to provide separate facilities for men and women.
&#8220;Female&#8221; is defined in the <a href="https://www.iwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/OK-gov-stitt-executive-order-womens-bill-of-rights.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">order</a> as &#8220;a person whose biological reproductive system is designed to produce ova&#8221; or eggs, and &#8220;male&#8221; is defined as &#8220;a person whose biological reproductive system is designed to fertilize the ova of a female.&#8221;
&#8220;Today, radical gender ideologues threaten the hard-fought progress won by women and girls in our society, and the federal government is surrendering to their demands,&#8221; the order reads, adding that there are &#8220;definitional, practical, and material&#8221; differences between the sexes.
The order said it aims to bring “clarity, certainty, and uniformity” to administrative rules to &#8220;settle the unfounded confusion surrounding such basic questions as &#8216;What is a woman?'&#8221;
&#8220;It’s even weird to say that we have to do this in today’s age &#8230; but to us, it’s just common sense that we have to do this to define what a woman is and protect women,&#8221; Stitt said on Fox News after signing the executive order.
“I have three daughters,” Stitt <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/08/01/womens-bill-of-rights-signed-into-oklahoma-law-by-gov-kevin-stitt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “My wife and I’ve been married for 25 years. I did this for them. I did it for Riley Gaines. I did it for all the young girls in the state of Oklahoma. It’s just absolutely wrong for them to be forced to change and undress in what should be a safe locker room as they’re competing.”
The governor said that anyone at a state agency who violates the order would be “removed immediately,” saying, “They’re not going to work in my administration.”
Former college swimmer Riley Gaines, who was forced to share a locker room with trans-identifying male athlete Lia Thomas, called the order &#8220;huge.&#8221; Gaines joined Stitt on Tuesday as he signed the executive order.
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So honored to stand alongside Governor Stitt as he signed an Executive Order on the Women&#39;s Bill of Rights, a law that defines sex-based terms like &quot;woman&quot;
Stitt is the first governor to take decisive action and safeguard women&#39;s privacy, safety, and equal opportunities. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 <a href="https://t.co/bZBJvxepLh">pic.twitter.com/bZBJvxepLh</a>
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1686429211542638602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“This is bigger than universities that we’re seeing in academia. It’s in corporate America, it’s in the media, the amount of emotional blackmail they put us through to keep us silent. And it was effective,” Gaines said. “They told us we wouldn’t get a job, we wouldn’t get into grad school, we would lose our friends, we would lose our scholarship. They told us that we would be murderers if we spoke out because we would be complicit in a potential death. That’s how they kept us silent. That’s why it feels as if and it seems as if I’ve been one of the few voices fighting for this.&#8221;
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Paula Scanlan, a teammate of Thomas, recently <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/08/01/paula-scanlan-had-nightmares-after-sharing-locker-room-with-lia-thomas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> she had nightmares after sharing a locker room with Thomas, which she described as traumatic for her as a sexual assault survivor.
Oklahoma Democrats attacked the order as an attack on transgender people.
“Once again, the Republican supermajority continues their government overreach by infringing on the rights of citizens,” said House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, accusing the governor of deploying “partisan, polarizing politics.”
The executive order was inspired by model legislation developed by the conservative women&#8217;s group Independent Women’s Voice.
Kansas and Tennessee have adopted similar legislation based on the model legislation.
In recent years, parents across the country have sounded the alarm about minor students using school bathrooms and locker rooms designated for classmates of the opposite biological sex. <a href="https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/08/19/transgender-sexual-assault-report-bathroom-brevard-randy-fine-fdoe-could-bring-new-state-rules/10356216002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reports</a> of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/loudoun-county-schools-tried-to-conceal-sexual-assault-against-daughter-in-bathroom-father-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sexual assaults</a> occurring in bathrooms shared with trans-identifying students have only heightened concerns, and parents have shown up at school board meetings to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/frisco-isd-parents-want-students-to-use-the-bathrooms-assigned-to-their-birth-genders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demand</a> that bathrooms be separated by biological sex.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-VIRUS-HEALTH

Oklahoma Governor Signs ‘Women’s Bill Of Rights’ To Combat Gender Ideology

Gender

Politics

Social Issues

Sports

Transgender

Women's sports

Oklahoma Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-stitt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Stitt</a> endorsed Ron DeSantis for president on Saturday as the Florida governor campaigned in the state.
The endorsement marks the first endorsement DeSantis has received from a governor. Trump currently has endorsements from two governors — Jim Justice (WV) and Henry McMaster (SC).
&#8220;Governor DeSantis is a strong conservative and principled leader, and I am proud to endorse him for president,&#8221; Stitt said in a statement. &#8220;As fellow Governors during COVID, DeSantis did not surrender states’ rights and individual liberties over to groupthink. In this election cycle, Oklahomans will remember that DeSantis was one of the few who never backed down in the face of adversity, because DeSantis operated with dogged conviction and shared our values for a limited government and free country.&#8221;
Stitt called DeSantis a &#8220;proven leader,&#8221; adding that he &#8220;boldly delivered results for the people of Florida that laid the groundwork for a booming economy, an education system focused on student outcomes, and better infrastructure for working families.&#8221;
&#8220;To deliver these same results all across America and unwind the disastrous liberal mandates of the Biden administration is going to demand a candidate who can win and keep winning as a two-term president,&#8221; Stitt continued. &#8220;I am confident that leader is Ron DeSantis.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
In Florida and Oklahoma, we stand up for freedom — freedom to raise your family without radical ideology being crammed down your throat; freedom to worship and live your faith as you see fit; freedom to run your business and control your finances without corporate activists… <a href="https://t.co/uvXOzpJYsD">pic.twitter.com/uvXOzpJYsD</a>
&mdash; Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1667675701128855553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
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📍Tulsa, Oklahoma
Gov. DeSantis speaks to the crowd outside of the actual event once it overflowed inside🚨 <a href="https://t.co/bwaXuu1TRs">pic.twitter.com/bwaXuu1TRs</a>
— Dave Vasquez (@DaveVasquezFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaveVasquezFL/status/1667666403921633282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
Stitt&#8217;s endorsement comes after 20 Oklahoma state legislators and former U.S. Congressman Jim Bridenstine, who also served as NASA Administrator under Trump and was a member of the House Freedom Caucus, endorsed DeSantis this week.
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The 20 endorsements included Senator Lonnie Paxton (SD 23), Senator Chris Kidd (SD 31), Senator Roland Pederson (SD 19), Senator John Michael Montgomery (SD 32), Senator Brent Howard (SD 38), Majority Floor Leader Representative Jon Echols (HD 90), Deputy Majority Leader Representative Trey Caldwell (HD 63), Deputy Floor Leader Representative John Pfeiffer (HD 38), Representative Mike Osburn (HD 81), Representative Neil Hays (HD 13), Representative Ryan Martinez (HD 39), Representative Nick Archer (HD 55), Representative Anthony Moore (HD 57), Representative Dell Kerbs (HD 26), Representative Mark Lepak (HD 9), Representative Josh West (HD 5), Representative Chris Kannady (HD 91), Representative Chad Caldwell (HD 40), Representative Terry O’Donnell (HD 23), and Representative Chris Sneed (HD 14).

DeSantis Stitt

Ron DeSantis Picks Up First Presidential Endorsement From Fellow Governor

Donald Trump

Elections

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oklahoma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oklahoma</a> Supreme Court struck down two pro-life laws in a 6-3 decision on Wednesday.
Oklahoma’s highest court <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-supreme-court-abortion-bills-unconstitutional/44051611" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> that Senate Bill 1503 and House Bill 4327 are unconstitutional under the Oklahoma Constitution. Both laws were passed by the Oklahoma legislature in 2022 and included a requirement that a medical emergency be present before a doctor can perform an abortion.
“We read this section of law to require a woman to be in actual and present danger in order for her to obtain a medically necessary abortion,” the majority opinion reads.
“We know of no other law that requires one to wait until there is an actual medical emergency in order to receive treatment when the harmful condition is known or probable to occur in the future,” the opinion added.
The decision came down two months after the court <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4028613-oklahoma-supreme-court-strikes-down-two-laws-restricting-abortion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> that a woman has “an inherent right to terminate a pregnancy when necessary to save her life.” The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-oklahoma-ban-overturns-supreme-court-7fd43143fa0580460e09a9796ec30a82" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a> reports that under this interpretation, an abortion can be performed if a doctor determines that continuing the pregnancy would endanger her life due to a pre-existing condition or if one is likely to arise in the future.
Wednesday’s ruling applies the March precedent by striking down the “medical emergency” requirement, holding that this requirement “endanger[s] the life of the pregnant woman and does not serve a compelling state interest.”
Five of the justices were appointed by a Republican governor, and four were appointed by a Democratic governor. In a 2020 study on the partisanship of state supreme courts, <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Oklahoma_Supreme_Court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ballotpedia</a> characterized the Oklahoma Supreme Court as in “Republican control.”
The struck-down laws also utilize a civil lawsuit system — where private citizens can sue an individual who performs or helps another person access an abortion — to enforce the restrictions rather than criminal prosecutions.
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Governor Kevin Stitt (R-OK) <a href="https://oklahoma.gov/governor/newsroom/newsroom/2023/may2023/governor-stitt-issues-statement-criticizing-oklahoma-supreme-cou.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> the decision in a press release, “​​I again wholeheartedly disagree with the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s use of activism to create a right to an abortion in Oklahoma.”
Governor Stitt also echoed Oklahoma Vice-Chief Justice Dustin Rowe’s dissent, arguing that “[t]he issues presented in this matter are political questions, which are better resolved by the people via our democratic process.”
Despite the court’s decision, abortion remains illegal in the state under a <a href="https://oklahoma.gov/governor/newsroom/newsroom/2022/june2022/governor-stitt--ag-o-connor-celebrate-oklahoma-becoming-a-pro-li.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1910 statute</a> that went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in its landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision.

Health Care and Legal Concept

Oklahoma Supreme Court Strikes Down 2 Pro-Life Laws

Abortion

Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oklahoma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oklahoma</a> Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-stitt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Stitt</a> signed a law Monday banning sex change procedures on kids, joining a growing list of red states that have moved to protect children from the life-altering treatments. 
The law bans surgeries, like elective double mastectomies on girls who identify as boys, and prohibits puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for children.
&#8220;Last year, I called for a statewide ban on all irreversible gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies on minors so I am thrilled to sign this into law today and protect our kids,” Stitt <a href="https://oklahoma.gov/governor/newsroom/newsroom/2023/may2023/governor-stitt-bans-gender-transition-surgeries-and-hormone-ther.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. “We cannot turn a blind eye to what’s happening across our nation, and as governor I am proud to stand up for what’s right and ban life-altering transition surgeries on children in the state of Oklahoma.&#8221;
Stitt had previously asked for Oklahoma lawmakers to pass such a law and moved to withhold funding from Oklahoma Children&#8217;s Hospital at OU Health after it was publicized that the hospital was providing cross-sex hormones to children who identified as transgender. 
The Republican governor has also signed legislation requiring students to use the bathroom corresponding to their biological sex and compete on the sports team of their biological sex as well. 
Before the bill was signed, the ACLU of Oklahoma promised to take legal action against the law, as other ACLU-affiliated groups have done in other states. 
“Gender-affirming care is a critical part of helping transgender adolescents succeed, establish healthy relationships with their friends and family, live authentically as themselves, and dream about their futures. If this bill is signed into law, we will defend the rights of transgender youth in court, just as we have done in other states engaging in this anti-science and discriminatory fearmongering,” Lambda Legal, the ACLU, and the ACLU of Oklahoma <a href="https://lambdalegal.org/newsroom/ok_20230428_advocates-to-take-legal-action-in-defense-of-transgender-youth-in-oklahoma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. 
Oklahoma became the 16th Republican-led state to enact such measures, even as Democrat <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minnesota-house-votes-to-make-state-refuge-for-child-sex-changes">states move to</a> become “refuges” for transgender procedures. In some states with bans, like Arkansas and Alabama, judges have blocked the implementation of the law while the Department of Justice has sued Tennessee, arguing that its law violates the 14th Amendment. 
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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said that the state would “vigorously” fight to keep the law in place. “The federal government has joined the ACLU and an elite New York law firm in attacking a bipartisan law that protects children from irreversible harm. I welcome the opportunity to litigate these issues and vigorously defend Tennessee’s laws,” Skrmetti said in a statement.

Governor of Oklahoma Kevin Stitt speaks during CPAC (

Oklahoma Bans Trans Procedures On Kids, Becoming 16th State To Enact Such Protections

transgender surgery

A Republican legislator in Oklahoma has moved to ban gender transition procedures from being provided to anyone under the age of 21.
The <a href="https://legiscan.com/OK/text/HB1011/id/2614865">bill</a> seeks to ban medical professionals from providing or referring controversial procedures like puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex-change surgeries for those under 21. The legislation would also block such procedures or services on the young from being tied to public funding, and any organization or hospital found in violation would lose such funding.
“It’s irresponsible for anybody in health care to provide or recommend life-altering surgeries that may later be regretted,” <a href="https://kfor.com/news/local/representative-files-bill-to-prevent-gender-affirming-care-for-oklahomans-under-21/">said</a> Republican Oklahoma State Rep. Jim Olsen, who introduced HB 1011 on Thursday.
“We know there are some people who undergo the gender transition process and later identify as their biological sex,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Performing irreversible procedures on young people can do irreparable harm to them mentally and physically later in life.”
Republican Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oklahoma-governor-signs-bill-stopping-gender-transition-services-at-childrens-hospital">signed</a> a bill in October banning <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gender">gender</a> transition procedures for children at an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oklahoma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oklahoma</a> pediatric hospital after the public voiced outrage about the hospital&#8217;s practices.
“By signing this bill today we are taking the first step to protect children from permanent gender transition surgeries and therapies,” the governor <a href="https://oklahoma.gov/governor/newsroom/newsroom/2022/october2022/governor-stitt-signs-bill-to-prevent-gender-transition-services-.html">said</a> in a news release at the time. “It is wildly inappropriate for taxpayer dollars to be used for condoning, promoting, or performing these types of controversial procedures on healthy children.”
Stitt also said the legislation didn&#8217;t go far enough, seemingly an invitation for Olsen&#8217;s bill.
“I am calling for the Legislature to ban all irreversible gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies on minors when they convene next session in February 2023,” Stitt said. “We cannot turn a blind eye to what’s happening all across our nation, and as governor I will not allow life-altering transition surgeries on minor children in the state of Oklahoma.”
Similar legislation intended to protect young people from such procedures has popped up in other Republican states, like Arkansas, Tennessee, Arizona, and Alabama.
Tennessee Republicans last month <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-tennessee-introduces-legislation-to-ban-trans-treatments-for-minors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> Senate Bill 1, the Protecting Children from Gender Mutilation Act, which would prohibit doctors from prescribing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and performing gender-related surgeries on minors for the purpose of medical transition.
Tennessee’s Republican Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson also introduced a bill aimed at protecting children from sexualized drag queen events, <a href="https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Bill/SB0003.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate Bill 3</a>. The bill is set to be debated during the next legislative session, which begins on January 10, and is likely to pass since Republicans hold super-majorities in both legislative chambers.
Mairead Elordi contributed to this report 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-gop-moves-to-protect-children-from-sexualized-drag-queen-events">Tennessee GOP Moves To Protect Children From Sexualized Drag Queen Events</a>

A girl holds the Transgender Pride flag during the pride

State Legislator Moves To Ban Gender Transition Procedures For Anyone Under 21 Years Old

Oklahoma Moves To Ban Gender Transition Services For Children

U.S.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) signed a bill on Tuesday that prohibits <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gender">gender</a> transition services for children at an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oklahoma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oklahoma</a> pediatric hospital.
The <a href="http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20ENR/SB/SB3XX%20ENR.PDF">bill</a> requires Oklahoma Children’s Hospital to stop offering gender services to minors in order to keep millions of dollars in federal COVID relief money.
&#8220;By signing this bill today we are taking the first step to protect children from permanent gender transition surgeries and therapies,&#8221; the governor <a href="https://oklahoma.gov/governor/newsroom/newsroom/2022/october2022/governor-stitt-signs-bill-to-prevent-gender-transition-services-.html">said</a> in a news release. &#8220;It is wildly inappropriate for taxpayer dollars to be used for condoning, promoting, or performing these types of controversial procedures on healthy children.&#8221;
The governor also said the bill does not go far enough and called on the legislature to ban medical gender transition for children across the state.
&#8220;I am calling for the Legislature to ban all irreversible gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies on minors when they convene next session in February 2023,&#8221; Stitt said. &#8220;We cannot turn a blind eye to what’s happening all across our nation, and as governor I will not allow life-altering transition surgeries on minor children in the state of Oklahoma.&#8221;
Senate Bill 3XX goes into effect immediately.
According to the new law, the money cannot go toward “gender reassignment medical treatment” for minors, including interventions to suppress the development of secondary sex characteristics or to “align the patient’s appearance or physical body with the patient’s gender identity.”
Oklahoma Children’s Hospital announced last week that it is planning to halt “certain gender medicine services” in order to keep funding for its new pediatric mental health facility.
The hospital was poised to lose $39.4 million in American Rescue Plan funds.
“The Legislature restricted the use of the funds from benefitting facilities performing certain gender medicine services. The new mental and behavioral health facility was never intended to provide such care. The OU Health Senior Leadership team is proactively planning the ceasing of certain gender medicine services across our facilities and that plan is already under development,” OU Health <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-ou-health-gender-health-services/41413025#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
Oklahoma Children’s is part of OU Health, the University of Oklahoma’s health system.
As recently as earlier this week, Oklahoma Children’s offered a variety of different gender services, including “pausing puberty,” “managing gender-affirming hormone therapy,” and “helping find surgeons who perform gender-affirming surgeries,” <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20221002220636/https://www.ouhealth.com/oklahoma-childrens-hospital/childrens-services/adolescent-medicine/sexuality-gender-identity-issues/">according</a> to an archived version of its website.
The website has now been <a href="https://www.ouhealth.com/oklahoma-childrens-hospital/childrens-services/adolescent-medicine/sexuality-gender-identity-issues/">updated</a> to remove references to pausing puberty, hormone treatments, and surgery referrals, along with a statement from the health system about the new legislation.
&#8220;In light of the legislation signed by Governor Stitt, we have ceased hormone-related prescription therapies and surgical procedures for gender-affirming services on patients under the age of 18,&#8221; reads the statement from OU Health.
&#8220;OU Health provides care in accordance with all state and federal laws and in compliance with regulatory governing bodies,&#8221; OU Health added.
Oklahoma Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oklahoma-childrens-hospital-ends-gender-medicine-services-after-state-threatens-funding">said</a> they wanted to give the money to OU Health for its new pediatric mental health hospital, and behavioral health is the priority right now.
“I’m thankful for language in this bill that protects children from the practice of mutilation through gender reassignment medical treatment,” <a href="https://www.city-sentinel.com/health/state-representative-kevin-west-supports-special-session-bill-to-restrict-gender-reassignments-at-ou-childrens/article_ef5100c4-3e95-11ed-8dfd-772290284730.html">said</a> State Rep. Kevin West (R), who represents Oklahoma City. “This unbelievably harmful practice cannot be reversed, and has lasting physical and psychological consequences that can damage these children for the rest of their lives.”

Oklahoma Governor Signs Bill Stopping Gender Transition Services At Children’s Hospital

Oklahoma leaders condemned the Wednesday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-shooter-opens-fire-at-tulsa-medical-facility-multiple-casualties-reported">shooting</a> at a Tulsa medical center that left five people dead, including the shooter, who appears to have committed suicide.
The shooter, who has been described as a black man between the ages of 35 and 40, went to the Natalie Building on the St. Francis Hospital Campus, where he began shooting.
&#8220;Officers immediately rushed to the second floor where the shooting was taking place, when they got there they found a few people had been shot, a couple were dead at that time,” Tulsa Police Captain Richard Meulenberg <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/police-responding-active-shooting-tulsa-oklahoma-hospital/story?id=85120242">told</a> ABC News. “We also found at that time who [we] believe and still believe to [be] the shooter.”
The shooter reportedly brought two weapons with him to conduct the attack.
“We are doing a meticulous floor-by-floor, room-by-room search. It’s calmed down,” Meulenberg said on Wednesday. “We’re trying to connect people and we’re hoping not to find any victims.”
In the wake of the tragedy, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-stitt">Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt</a> (R) released a statement calling the attack “a senseless act of violence and hatred.”
“Sarah and I are praying for the families of those who lost their lives and for those who were injured,” the governor added. &#8220;I am grateful for the quick and brave actions of the Tulsa Police Department and other first responders who did their best to contain a terrible situation.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-lankford">Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford</a> (R) also released a statement.
“Cindy and I are heartbroken to hear the devastating news out of Tulsa this evening. We are praying for the families of the lives that were taken far too soon and for a full recovery for those who were injured today. It is hard to process the anger that motivates someone to commit such violence, especially at a place that provides care and healing,” Lankford said. &#8220;I am in touch with local officials in Tulsa and will continue to receive updates on the situation. Our law enforcement and first responders were prepared and equipped to respond to a situation to which no one ever wants to respond. I’m grateful for their quick reaction to prevent any further loss of life.&#8221;
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt also expressed his concern, saying &#8220;Oklahoma City’s prayers go out to the victims of the shooting in Tulsa, their families, the health care professionals affected, and all the people of Tulsa.&#8221;
The shooting in Tulsa came just days after a gunman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shootings-in-tennessee-oklahoma-and-pennsylvania-leave-several-dead-over-memorial-day-weekend">opened fire</a> at a festival in Taft, Oklahoma, killing a 39-year-old woman and injuring seven others. That shooting was reportedly prompted by an argument.
It is still unclear why a gunman targeted the Tulsa medical center.

Shooting At Tulsa Medical Building Leaves Four Dead

‘Senseless Act Of Violence And Hatred’: Oklahoma Governor, Other Leaders, Condemn Tulsa Medical Center Shooting

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, Senator James Lankford Condemn Tulsa Shooting

James Lankford

Mass Shooting

Oklahoma has enacted multiple new laws in recent months that focus on hot-button culture war issues, including protecting women&#8217;s sports and the unborn, and keeping biological males out of women&#8217;s bathrooms and locker rooms.
Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican, has signaled that the state&#8217;s new laws stem from the views and desires of everyday Oklahomans. &#8220;It&#8217;s just common sense,&#8221; he said in a Thursday morning phone interview with The Daily Wire.
The governor shared that he&#8217;ll be interviewed by reporters from outlets like The Washington Post who refer to the state&#8217;s Save Women&#8217;s Sports bill as &#8220;controversial.&#8221;
&#8220;I say, well, hang on, whoa, whoa, whoa,&#8221; he said. &#8220;In Oklahoma, it&#8217;s not controversial at all.&#8221;
&#8220;We believe that boys should play boy sports, girls should play girls sports,&#8221; the governor explained. &#8220;I hear from parents and people with young daughters. I&#8217;ve got three daughters myself. These are young kids that are impressionable. And we&#8217;re not going to let them feel uncomfortable.&#8221;
On Wednesday, Stitt signed a bill into law requiring students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their biological sex listed on their birth certificate.
SB 615 <a href="http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20ENR/SB/SB615%20ENR.PDF">orders that schools</a> &#8220;require certain restrooms or changing areas to be used by individuals based on their sex&#8221; in order to &#8220;ensure privacy and safety&#8221; of public school and public charter school students in pre-K to 12th grade.
The bill orders that the state funding of non-compliant school districts or charter schools be decreased and notes that parents may sue non-compliant schools. It immediately went into effect since it was passed with an emergency clause. Students who are unwilling to use the bathroom that aligns with their biological sex may use &#8220;a single-occupancy restroom or changing room&#8221; designated by the school.
Amid heavy backlash from abortion supporters, the Oklahoma governor also signed the strictest abortion bill in the country into law on Wednesday. The bill, which went into effect immediately, prohibits all abortions in the state.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Oklahoma just became the only state in the U.S. to totally ban abortion while <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoevWade?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoevWade</a> still stands. The Center &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/PPFA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PPFA</a> are suing the state of Oklahoma on behalf of abortion providers and advocates to stop this cruel ban and restore abortion access in the state. <a href="https://t.co/IOxefOqmfV">pic.twitter.com/IOxefOqmfV</a>
&mdash; Center for Reproductive Rights (@ReproRights) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReproRights/status/1529627029263499273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I promised Oklahomans that as governor I would sign every piece of pro-life legislation that came across my desk and I am proud to keep that promise today,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/05/26/1101428347/oklahoma-governor-signs-the-nations-strictest-abortion-ban">said in a statement</a>. &#8220;From the moment life begins at conception is when we have a responsibility as human beings to do everything we can to protect that baby&#8217;s life and the life of the mother. That is what I believe and that is what the majority of Oklahomans believe.&#8221;
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I promised Oklahomans that as governor I would sign every piece of pro-life legislation that came across my desk and I am proud to keep that promise. (1/3) <a href="https://t.co/vQJdwkDJZN">pic.twitter.com/vQJdwkDJZN</a>
&mdash; Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovStitt/status/1529815939432292355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Stitt also signed legislation in April <a href="https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2022/04/27/oklahoma-bans-nonbinary-birth-certificates-governor-kevin-stitt-lgbtq-gender-neutral/7442938001/">banning</a> the state from issuing gender-neutral birth certificates, and in March, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oklahoma-governor-signs-bill-banning-biological-males-from-womens-sports">banning biological men</a> from women&#8217;s sports.
Across the state, Stitt told The Daily Wire, people are both grateful and supportive: &#8220;People in rural Oklahoma, people at the cattle sale, people in the business community, people in the church, people at the supermarket, people at the school where their little girls are going into a bathroom.&#8221;
&#8220;It is just craziness that people are making an issue out of this,&#8221; Stitt said. &#8220;The only reason you would make an issue about this is if you&#8217;re just kowtowing to a very, very small minority.&#8221;
Young women competing on the University of Oklahoma&#8217;s track team or on weightlifting, swimming, and volleyball teams around the state have thanked him for saving their scholarships, he said, saying, &#8220;Thanks Governor, this makes so much sense.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re not against anybody,&#8221; he insisted. &#8220;We welcome everybody to Oklahoma. But that doesn&#8217;t mean you have the right to invade on our traditions or what we know is is normal practices in the state of Oklahoma.&#8221;
Stitt is seeking reelection during a turbulent time in American politics when the GOP is <a href="https://amp.dailycaller.com/2021/06/25/gop-republican-study-committee-culture-war-critical-race-theory">increasingly leaning into the culture wars</a> following Governor Glenn Youngkin&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2021/11/04/mcauliffe-youngkin-abortion-virginia/">success in the Virginia gubernatorial election.</a> Many have <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2021/11/03/meet-the-parents-behind-youngkins-victory/">attributed</a> Youngkin&#8217;s victory to his late-in-the-game embrace of cultural issues, particularly education.
American Principles Project President Terry Schilling told The Daily Wire on Tuesday that the Oklahoma governor has internalized two &#8220;really important&#8221; aspects of American culture that more politicians on the right must figure out.
&#8220;One, our cultural elites in the so-called mainstream media and academia and Hollywood are grossly out of step with where the American people are,&#8221; said Schilling, whose organization focuses on family and culture issues. &#8220;And he is taking advantage of that and using it for his political advantages.&#8221;
But most importantly, Schilling said, Stitt is acknowledging that &#8220;economy is downstream of culture.&#8221;
&#8220;When you are producing dysfunctional people and denigrating your culture and sexualizing your children and radicalizing them to hate their country and the church that appears by their by their skin color, your economy will suffer from that long term and your nation will suffer long term from that,&#8221; Schilling predicted.
Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union have heavily criticized and pushed back on Stitt&#8217;s recent legislation, particularly SB 615.
&#8220;By singling out transgender students for discrimination and excluding them from restrooms that match their gender identity, SB 615 discriminates based on transgender status and sex in violation of the United States Constitution and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act,&#8221; ACLU of Oklahoma&#8217;s executive director, Tamya Cox-Touré, <a href="https://www.acluok.org/en/press-releases/aclu-oklahoma-statement-governor-signing-sb-615-attacking-access-restrooms">said in a Wednesday evening statement</a>.
&#8220;These violations put Oklahoma at risk of losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, and harms transgender youth, all to solve a problem that plainly does not exist,&#8221; Cox-Touré said.
Schilling insisted to The Daily Wire that the cultural left may portray Stitt as waging a culture war because it has become so &#8220;radicalized,&#8221; — but in reality the culture wars have been &#8220;brewing for a long time and Republicans are just now starting to fight back.&#8221;
&#8220;The voters are with him,&#8221; the American Principles Project president said. &#8220;And that&#8217;s a recipe for success, both in terms of growing your state, being successful and in governing, but also in getting reelected. And that&#8217;s how the founders designed our political system.&#8221;
Under pressure from corporations and organizations, Republican governors in states like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/girls-only-utah-legislature-overrides-governors-veto-bans-biological-males-from-womens-sports">Utah</a> and <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2021/04/06/arkansas-trans-governor-legislature-bans-trans-surgeries-minors/">Arkansas</a> have vetoed bills banning biological males from women&#8217;s spaces or prohibiting transgender sex-change surgeries for minors (in both Utah and Arkansas, the state legislatures overrode the governors&#8217; vetoes).
Still told The Daily Wire on Thursday that he has not faced such pressure, and that he believes average, everyday Oklahomans and Americans agree with policies like the ones he has so recently enacted.
&#8220;Sometimes there&#8217;s a vocal minority of folks that are that are the loudest in the room screaming,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And the people that love [Oklahoma&#8217;s new laws] are the silent majority. They don&#8217;t have to say anything because they&#8217;re like, &#8216;Dang right. Governor&#8217;s doing exactly what we all think and what we all think is ridiculous.&#8217; That&#8217;s kind of the way we see it in Oklahoma.&#8221;

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Oklahoma Enacts Avalanche Of Culture War Legislation Protecting The Unborn, Banning Biological Males From Women’s Spaces

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt Signs Bill After Bill Protecting Girls Spaces And The Unborn

Pro-Life Movement

On Thursday, the Oklahoma legislature approved a measure that bans almost all abortions beginning at conception.
House Bill <a href="http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20FLR/SFLR/HB4327%20SFLR.PDF">4327</a> makes almost all abortions illegal from the point of fertilization, which is defined as “the fusion of a human spermatozoon with a human ovum.”
It includes exceptions for abortions to save the life of the mother “in a medical emergency,” or if the pregnancy resulted from “rape, sexual assault, or incest that has been reported to law enforcement.”
The bill also <a href="http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20FLR/SFLR/HB4327%20SFLR.PDF">defines</a> &#8220;Unborn child&#8221; as “a human fetus or embryo in any stage of gestation from fertilization until birth.”
The legislation is similar to a Texas bill that provides for civilian enforcement rather than being enforced by the state. It incorporates this civil action protocol by allowing “[a]ny person, other than the state, its political subdivisions, and any officer or employee of a state or local governmental entity in this state” to bring a civil action against anyone who:
<ol class="ol1">
<li class="li1">Performs or induces an abortion in violation of this act;</li>
<li class="li1">Knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion, including paying for or reimbursing the costs of an abortion through insurance or otherwise, if the abortion is performed or induced in violation of this act, regardless of whether the person knew or should have known that the abortion would be performed or induced in violation of this act; or</li>
<li class="li1">Intends to engage in the conduct described by paragraph 1 or 2 of this subsection.</li>
</ol>
The legislators in the state House <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/05/19/oklahoma-passes-third-abortion-ban-will-outlaw-procedure-even-if-roe-v-wade-isnt-overturned/?sh=787c4d0520a0">passed</a> the bill in a vote tallying at 73 to 16 after the state Senate passed it in April and sent it back to the lower chamber to approve additions.
States across the country have been creating laws in recent months restricting or permitting abortion ahead of a ruling from the Supreme Court on the Mississippi case Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. A recent Supreme Court draft majority opinion on the case showed the high court could very well overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
In the leaked draft opinion, Justice Samuel Alito <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-00029473">wrote</a>, “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” adding, “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”
The Oklahoma bill will immediately go into effect once it is signed by Republican Governor Kevin Stitt.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oklahoma-governor-signs-texas-style-abortion-ban-into-law">reported</a>, earlier this month, Stitt signed a bill similar to Texas’ heartbeat bill, which prohibits abortions if a fetal heartbeat is able to be detected. Stitt also <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/19/us/oklahoma-ban-abortions.html">signed</a> legislation in April that will go into effect in August, which bans abortion completely other than to save the mother’s life. The measure passed by the House on Thursday connects the two goals of prohibiting abortion and involving civilians to enforce the law.
Oklahoma state Representative Wendi Stearman (R), who sponsored the bill, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/19/oklahoma-abortion-ban-fertilization/">said</a> in a press release, “It is my sincere hope that, in addition to the criminal bill passed this session, this civil liability bill will provide strong, additional protection of the life of unborn children in Oklahoma.”
Planned Parenthood said it would go to court over the bill, <a href="https://twitter.com/PPact/status/1527342938245582849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1527342938245582849%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/19/oklahoma-abortion-ban-fertilization/">tweeting</a>, “The Oklahoma legislature just passed a total ban on abortion, enforced by private citizens,” adding, “This ban will take effect as soon as the governor signs the bill, making Oklahoma the first state to outlaw abortion entirely — even while Roe v. Wade still stands.”

New born baby grip his mother’s finger. The love of a mother concept.

Oklahoma Passes Ban On Almost All Abortions Starting At Conception

Oklahoma Passes Almost Total Abortion Ban

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

Supreme Court

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 &#8220;watching&#8221; out for the possibility.
Stitt shared the remarks on &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221; during an <a href="https://video.foxnews.com/v/6306198228112#sp=show-clips" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> regarding Oklahoma&#8217;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&#8217;s a possibility that some tribes may try to set up abortion on demand. … that&#8217;s something that we&#8217;re watching,&#8221; Stitt added.
“I&#8217;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.
&#8220;Socialist Democrats use poverty rates and other statistics to justify their immoral argument for killing unborn children,&#8221; the governor wrote. &#8220;But I believe God has a special plan for every life. I&#8217;m working hard to make Oklahoma a Top Ten state. Killing unborn children is not a part of the plan.&#8221;
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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&#39;m working hard to make Oklahoma a Top Ten state. Killing unborn children is not a part of the plan. <a href="https://t.co/xIvE5BR58O">pic.twitter.com/xIvE5BR58O</a>
&mdash; Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovStitt/status/1525883013036445698?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The state&#8217;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 <a href="https://twitter.com/GovStitt/status/1521606133525491715">tweeted</a>. “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 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oklahoma-passes-texas-style-abortion-ban">The Daily Wire</a> 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 <a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-texas-oklahoma-528aede70223d68dd5ed09160098445f">Associated Press</a> reported that the bill went into effect immediately upon Stitt’s signature.
The new <a href="http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20FLR/HFLR/SB1503%20HFLR.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">law</a> 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.

Oklahoma Governor Addresses ‘Possibility’ Of Abortion-On-Demand On Tribal Lands

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt Blasts Talk Of Abortion Services On Demand On Tribal Lands

Native Americans

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed the state&#8217;s Texas-style abortion ban into law Monday evening.
Oklahoma Senate Bill 1503, also known as the Oklahoma Heartbeat Act, bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, about six weeks into the pregnancy. Like Texas’ trail blazing abortion law, the Oklahoma law is enforced by civil lawsuits on abortion providers and anyone who &#8220;aids and abets&#8221; procuring an abortion.
&#8220;I am proud to sign SB 1503, the Oklahoma Heartbeat Act into law,&#8221; Stitt <a href="https://twitter.com/GovStitt/status/1521606133525491715">tweeted</a> Monday shortly after signing the bill into law. &#8220;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.&#8221;
The law arrived on Stitt&#8217;s desk last week after it was passed in the state legislature, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oklahoma-passes-texas-style-abortion-ban">The Daily Wire</a> 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 <a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-texas-oklahoma-528aede70223d68dd5ed09160098445f">Associated Press</a> reported that the bill went into effect immediately upon Stitt&#8217;s signature.
The Oklahoma state Supreme Court also denied an emergency request to stay the implementation of the law temporarily. Abortion providers in the state have also said they will immediately stop providing abortion services for women after six weeks of pregnancy now that the law is in effect without court action, AP reported.
The <a href="http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20FLR/HFLR/SB1503%20HFLR.PDF">text of the law</a> states 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.&#8221; 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.
&#8220;[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&#8230; or failed to perform a test to detect a fetal heartbeat,&#8221; the law states.
Like Texas’ law, the Oklahoma law enforces violations through civil action. Any private individual can sue the abortion provider, as well as anyone who “engages in conduct that aids or abets” the procurement of an abortion, including paying for the abortion or reimbursing the costs of the procedure.
The woman who receives the abortion cannot be named as a defendant in any civil action. If the suit is successful, the court can enjoin the individual from performing or aiding the abortion, and claimants are entitled to up to $10,000 in damages. A similar law that bans all abortions, using the same enforcement method of civil lawsuits, is currently working its way through the state legislature.
The Oklahoma law comes on the heels of a leaked draft opinion in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women&#8217;s Health Organization, which indicates that the Supreme Court may vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. Stitt signed a bill into law earlier this month that made performing an abortion a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oklahoma-makes-it-a-felony-to-perform-an-abortion">felony</a> in the state, which takes effect in the summer in anticipation of the SCOTUS decision. In addition, the pro-abortion <a href="https://reproductiverights.org/maps/what-if-roe-fell/?state=OK">Center for Reproductive Rights</a> reports that Oklahoma has a &#8220;trigger bill&#8221; banning abortion in nearly all cases that goes into effect &#8220;if ever legally permissible.&#8221;

Pro-life

Oklahoma Governor Signs Texas-Style Abortion Ban Into Law

Oklahoma Gov. Signs Texas-Style Abortion Ban Into Law

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