Abolishing abortion bill stopped at Judiciary Committee
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The "Abolishing Abortion Act" failed to pass the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
"We try not to use that language that's very co-opted from, you know, around slavery. They co-opted that. However, even potentially getting a hearing in the Senate would be alarming to all Oklahomans. Even having it as a talking point. When people hear about this bill circulating, they may not know that it's not an actual law and what that impact could be," said Tamya Cox-Toure of the ACLU of Oklahoma.
The bill failed the judiciary 6-to-2 after a long, almost two-hour hearing, where many Senators spoke out against it.
Deevers and Hamilton argue that a ban doesn’t stop Oklahoma women from still getting abortions in states where the procedure is legal, or in other ways, like buying abortion pills online.
That's what this attempt was meant to do. It essentially changed the criminal code in the state by calling women who take abortion pills, murderers, and possibly doctors who prescribe it, criminals.
If a woman is experiencing a pregnancy that has to be terminated for health and safety reasons, she or the doctor will not be punished.
This isn't the first time that a bill like this has failed. Last year, a similar bill didn't even make it to the committee.
Some lawmakers questioned why it was needed again for this session.
Governor Stitt, in 2024, told News 4 that he wouldn't sign a bill like this because it put the punishment on the mother.
"We want to be a very pro-family state, pro-life state. We want to support the mothers. We want to support the children. That doesn't sound like something I'd be supportive of," said Gov. Stitt last year.
There were many supporters of Deever's efforts who attended the hearing on Wednesday.
"If he [Gov. Stitt] doesn't sign it, then he has no reason to hold public office and we will work against him getting elected," said Ben Ariel of Abolitionists Rising.
Many in the group spoke out against in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments in general.
President Trump signed an Executive Order just this week, seemingly expanding access to IVF treatment and making it more affordable.
"We implore President Trump to change his mind and to repent before God for allowing this mass murder," said Ariel, in response.
"We've never seen this in this country before," said Cox-Toure, about Deever's bill that failed. "And again, it goes to show how extreme this type of movement is."
Deever's Marriage Covenant bill also failed the Senate Judiciary on Wednesday.
The Covenant Marriage Act in Oklahoma would make it harder to get a divorce. The act would allow couples to choose a covenant marriage, which is a legal contract based on traditional marriage vows.