Bill To Ban Abortion Dies In State Senate

A last-ditch effort to pass a bill outlawing abortions in Oklahoma died on the Senate floor. 

Senate Bill 13 would have outlawed abortion in Oklahoma except in cases where the mother’s life was in danger. Wednesday the bill’s author tried a Hail Mary move to have the bill voted on.

Supporters of Senate Bill 13 lined the hallway leading to the Senate Chambers Wednesday, demanding the bill be heard. The bill’s author, Senator Joseph Silk (R) Broken Bow, tried a procedural move; making a motion for it to be heard directly on the floor.  The motion was tabled.

“So, Senate Bill 13 the abolition of abortion act in Oklahoma this year is dead.” Silk said.

“We’re mourning the death of the over 5,500 babies that were slaughtered in our state last year. These are our brothers and sisters. They’re preborn image bearers of God,” Pastor Dusty Deevers of Grace Community Church in Elgin said.

Senator Kim David (R) Majority Leader tabled the motion. She said there are procedures in place; that a bill has to be heard in committee before it can be heard on the floor, and Senate Bill 13 wasn’t heard in committee.

“I moved to table that measure because we have never done that. I mean the history of the Senate is that bills work through the process through committee and I want that process to be able to continue as long as I’m in charge of the floor,” David said.

“For two years we tried to work it through committee, and they would deny it a hearing, deny it a hearing, deny it a hearing, because they didn’t want to be on the record voting for or against it.  They were able to default to the chairman and say the chairman didn’t want to hear it,” Silk responded.

Only four senators voted to have the bill heard. Supporters of Senate Bill 13 said the rest have a target on their backs. 

“And we will be campaigning against them,” said Russell Hunter of Free the States. “We will be attempting to replace each and every legislator that said they will not hear Senate Bill 13.”