Oklahoma passed a nearly total ban on abortion. It will ban abortion at any stage of pregnancy except when it is necessary to save a woman’s life in an emergency. The bill will also make elective abortion a crime punishable with up to 10 year imprisonment and a $100,000 fine.
On Tuesday, the measure—Senate Bill 612—cleared the Oklahoma House by a vote of 70 to 14. It had already passed the state’s Senate last year, in a 38–9 vote.
Now, the ban will be sent to Oklahoma’s Republican Governor. Kevin Stitt will likely sign.
Rep. Jim Olsen (R–Roland), the author of the bill, said it cleared the House with no debate. “Nobody debated, and no one asked questions. Actually, I was quite shocked.
Planned Parenthood of the Great Plains already plans to challenge it in court. Emily Wales (interim president, chief executive) said, “This ban aligns more with the traditional bans which have been blocked in past.” The New York Times. So we feel fairly certain that Roe, the law of land, will continue to be the law. There is no other way.
It is incompatible with the recent Republican-led bans on abortion.
A Mississippi case will be heard by the Supreme Court.Dobbs V. Jackson Women’s Health Organization) concerning a ban on abortion at 15 weeks pregnancy, some states—including Florida—have been passing or considering similar 15-week abortion bans, under the expectation that the Court may allow Mississippi’s law to stand (while still barring more restrictive laws). Others—buoyed by the success of Texas’ novel abortion restriction—have been attempting bans similar to that law, which tasks citizens with enforcement through civil lawsuits. In March, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a Texas-style law. Copycat legislation were introduced in Missouri and Tennessee. Idaho also passed it.
The latest poll is now available Wall Street JournalA majority of Americans may favor 15-week abortion bans, however total prohibitions against abortion aren’t:
With several states moving forward with legislation that would ban abortions after 15 weeks, 48% said they would support such restrictions with exceptions for the mother’s health. 43% were opposed.
The poll also found that the majority of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most instances. It is a reminder of the many complicated opinions Americans hold about the subject.
A 2021 Marquette poll also found similar confusion.
Recent research on the Texas ban found that its effect was limited by residents taking abortion pills they had obtained in the mail or traveling to nearby states—including Oklahoma—to get abortions.
S.B. 612 would be devastating for both Oklahomans and Texans who continue to seek care in Oklahoma,” said Tamya Cox-Touré, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, in a statement. “Almost half of Oklahoma’s current patients are being seen by medical refugees hailing from Texas,” said Tamya Cox-Toure, executive director of American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma. Oklahomans might soon be without basic health care.
People – not politicians – should be in charge of personal decisions about their health care, their bodies, and their futures!
Allie Shinn, photo credit pic.twitter.com/PNkpieauLJ
— ACLU of Oklahoma (@ACLUOK) April 5, 2022
FREE MINDS
Panhandling can be considered free speech. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is challenging Iowa’s anti-panhandling laws. Shefali Arora, attorney for the ACLU of Iowa said that “laws such as this outlawing panhandling are illegal because they incorrectly block individuals’ free speech rights.” They are ineffective as they criminalize poverty and drive people to homelessness.
FIREMARKETS
Biden is currently considering extending the student loan repayment moratorium.According to some sources, the pause was created to alleviate financial hardships caused by COVID-19. It’s been in effect for more than two years, and sources claim it will be renewed again. Politico:
Multiple people with knowledge of the situation, including an official in the administration, claim that the White House intends to extend its moratorium on student loans through August.
This announcement is expected to be made on Wednesday The current payment pause was due to end May 1. This could potentially affect more than 40,000,000 Americans. The August 31 extension is much shorter than the one many Democrats requested. The relief is also up for grabs just months before midterm elections.
FOLLOWUP
Florida already has spent $700,000 to defend its unconstitutional social media laws in court. “And that’s even before the appeal is heard — meaning that it’s quite likely that Florida will set over a million dollars of taxpayer money on fire in an attempt to violate the 1st Amendment rights of internet websites,” writes Mike Masnick at Techdirt.
This law, which bans major social media platforms from deplatforming politicians, was passed last May. It was found to violate the First Amendment by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. “The Legislation compelProviders of s services to allow speech hosted by them that is in violation of their terms Standards—speech they otherwise would not host—and forbids Providers from “speaking as they would otherwise,” the judge noted in his ruling.
“As the states across the country pass similar laws, I wonder when the’small government” elected officials that are concerned about the budget will see that it is not worth wasting public funds to attack the 1st Amendment. Masnick questions. Masnick asks, “Or don’t they care? It’s not!” TheyMoney that is being used?
QUICK HITS
Although the Kids Online Safety Act may be well-intentioned, Electronic Frontier Foundation points out that there are serious flaws to it.[it]It would violate the privacy rights of both children and adults. It’s a desperate attempt to make technology companies spy on children.”https://t.co/0tgXIZPY9n
— DuckDuckGo (@DuckDuckGo) April 1, 2022
• A new study published in the New England Journal of MedicineThe fourth dose may only provide temporary results for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination.
• When will Democrats get serious about repealing pot prohibition?
• “A nonprofit association that promotes social responsibility among corporations has concluded in a new report that Meta’s planned expansion of strong encryption to its Messenger and Instagram services will do more good than harm for human rights,” reports The Washington Post.
• Rhode Island’s Senate held hearings yesterday on two bills to decriminalize prostitution.
• Atlanta is thwarting Airbnbs and other short-term rentals.
• A Missouri man will be freed from incarceration after being wrongly convicted of a 2003 murder and sentenced to life in prison.
• South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem’s government denied protest permits to citizens urging for additional exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine requirements. After a judge ruled that the state had violated the First Amendment rights of the group, the state is required to pay $37,503.
• Kentucky will now require more proof before involuntarily committing people for drug treatment.