News

Friday May 28, 2010


Veto Stands on Oklahoma Abortion Coverage Ban as Reps Run out of Time

By Peter J. Smith

Updated 5:50 pm EST

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, May 28, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Pro-abortion Gov. Brad Henry will see his fourth veto of pro-life Oklahoma legislation stand after the Oklahoma legislature, which overrode the last three, ran out of time Friday to mount a veto override on an abortion coverage ban.

The governor vetoed the measure late Wednesday evening, giving the legislature little time to react before this year’s legislative session ended by law at 5 p.m. today.

The sponsor of HR 3290, Rep. Skye McNiel (R-Bristow), told the Tulsa World that she would not seek to override the governor’s veto and that the legislature will probably revisit the measure in next year’s session.

H.R. 3290 would have prohibited all health insurance providers in Oklahoma from subsidizing elective abortions. This would apply even to those health insurers not participating in the state health exchange that goes into effect in 2014.

The only exceptions allowed in the bill were for cases of rape, incest, or to prevent the death of the mother.

The bill, however, did specify that individuals could purchase “separate supplemental coverage for abortion,” but also required that the individual pay a separate premium.

The Senate voted 32-13 last Wednesday for H.R. 3290, which had already been approved by the House of Representatives in a 70 – 21 vote. Had the legislature had more time before the end of the session, it was likely that a two-thirds majority override would have been attempted.

Yet this year’s legislative session has been marked by substantial pro-life victories, with seven pro-life bills entered into law, and three reversals of Gov. Henry’s pro-abortion vetoes.

“The governor waited till the eleventh hour to veto HB 3290, leaving the legislature very little time to act,” Tony Lauinger of Oklahomans for Life told LifeSiteNews.com.

He added that the governor knew that the legislature would be overburdened in the last few days of the session, and that fit into his veto strategy.

“We regret being unable to override yet another pro-abortion veto by Governor Henry, but we applaud the Oklahoma House and Senate for their magnificent accomplishments this year in defending unborn children, expectant mothers, and pro-life health-care professionals,” said Lauinger.

“We look forward to working with our legislators to enact the bill restricting insurance coverage for elective abortions next year.”

The latest victory was the legislature enacting an enhanced abortion reporting statistics law. The law requires abortionists to fill out 37 questions reporting information on abortion procedures and medical safety protocols, to ask their clients for the reasons they are seeking abortion, and also to report abortion-related complications.

The two other pro-life bills vetoed by Gov. Henry this year included a measure that expands the state’s informed consent law by requiring abortionists to perform an ultrasound on a mother seeking an abortion, and to show her the screen and give a description of her unborn child at its stage of development. The other bill prohibits “wrongful birth” lawsuits, preventing doctors from facing civil liability for failing to provide information that would have led a woman to seek an abortion.

See related coverage by LifeSiteNews.com:

Showdown at the OK Capitol: Senate Overrides Gov’s Veto of Abortion Law

https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/may/10052501.html

Oklahoma Senate Overrides Governor Veto of Pro-Life Legislation

https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/apr/10042702.html

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