Protestors Calling For Harsher Punishments On Abortion Gather At The Capitol

Hundreds of people gathered at the state capitol Tuesday, to protest the state’s abortion laws, and push for more restrictions. 

Oklahoma has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, only allowing exceptions for medical emergencies. But some lawmakers want harsher punishments for anybody undergoing or condoning abortions. “We want to see abortion abolished in our state, no more prenatal homicide, and stop giving exceptions to people that do,” said Sen. Dusty Deevers, ( R) Lawton.

The abolitionist movement is led by Freshman Senator Dusty Deevers, who has introduced the “Abolition of Abortion Act” that would classify any abortion as homicide and allow for the prosecution of the mother. “It would create the act of murdering a preborn child like any act of murdering any other person so it's a matter of equal protection under the law,” said Sen. Deevers.

Deevers said there will still be an exception for medical emergencies, any mother who is coerced into getting an abortion, a spontaneous miscarriage. “But if doctors are not committing prenatal homicide, they are simply doing medical triage and they're treating patients with the intent to save their lives they have nothing to fear,” said Sen. Deevers. “Women are dying in this state because doctors are confused about when the exact moment is that they can go in and save a woman's life without being prosecuted themselves,” said Rep. Mickey Dollens, ( D) Oklahoma City.

Representative Mickey Dollens says the abortion laws in the state are already strict enough. “Oklahoma has become this state of intrusion and control,” said Rep. Dollens

Others say current laws aren’t strict enough, saying there are too many loopholes. “Right now mothers and fathers are still ordering pills and terminating their preborn neighbors and they need to do something about it,” said one protestor. 

“Laws to murder babies are written here,” said another protestor. “To say that bills are being written in this building to kill babies is just not true,” said Rep. Dollens. “The government telling a person what they can and can't do with their body is unpopular with many Oklahomans.”

The abolitionists say they’ll continue gathering until Deevers’ “Abolition of Abortion Act” is passed. “I hope that we will continue to do this until justice is established and our preborn brothers and sisters in the womb are protected by law and by love,” said a protestor.

Deevers’ bill has been referred to the Senate judiciary committee: