A Progressive Democratic woman is calling for the removal of Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt after the Republican signed a bill that makes performing an abortion in the state illegal, because the act violates the oath to uphold the Constitution.
“I promised Oklahomans that I would sign every pro-life bill that hits my desk and that’s what we’re doing today,” said Stitt, who defied the Constitution of the United States by enacting the law. “We want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country. We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma.”
“Republican-led states across the country are rushing to restrict abortion access while the Supreme Court weighs the fate of Roe v. Wade, but local abortion bans are unconstitutional and every office holder in America has sworn to support and defend the Constitution,” said Lisa McCormick, who challenged US Senator Bob Menendez in the 2018 primary election.
According to McCormick, abortion is legal in every state as a result of the landmark 1973 decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which justices ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction.
“The U.S. Supreme Court’s failure to stop Texas from nullifying the constitutional right to abortion has emboldened other states to do the same,” said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights. “Oklahoma’s total abortion ban is blatantly unconstitutional and will wreak havoc on the lives of people seeking abortion care within and outside the state.’
“With the Texas six-week ban in place, many people are traveling to Oklahoma to get care,” said Northup. “We’ve sued the state of Oklahoma ten times in the last decade to protect abortion access and we will challenge this law as well to stop this travesty from ever taking effect.”
McCormick said that there could be a legal path to restricting abortion, but violating the Constitution of the United States is not permitted.
She said the state government has repeatedly ignored lawsuits filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Dechert LLP, and Blake Patton on behalf of the Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice, Tulsa Women’s Reproductive Clinic, Dr. Alan Braid, Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, and Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma.
Stitt signed a bill into law on Tuesday that makes it a felony to perform an abortion, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, as part of an aggressive push in Republican-led states across the country to scale back abortion rights.
Under the bill, anyone convicted of performing an abortion would face up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine although it does not authorize criminal charges against a woman for receiving an abortion.
“Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits anyone who has previously taken an oath of office from holding public office if they have ‘engaged in insurrection or rebellion’ against the United States and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is guilty of that by virtue of his enactment of a plainly illegal law,” said McCormick. “U.S. Supreme Court rulings and the Constitution of the United States are not minor inconveniences that elected officials may ignore. I certainly know how frustrating it can be, but we live under a set of laws.”
Stitt was joined at the signing ceremony Tuesday morning by members of the legislature, faith leaders, and a number of anti-abortion groups that have advocated for more antiabortion legislation.
The Oklahoma Governor sat at a desk featuring a poster with the words “Life is a human right,” which others behind him also held.
Oklahoma lawmakers passed a bill last year to prevent women from ordering abortion medication online, but that measure was struck down by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
“Every American woman should be able to get the care she needs throughout pregnancy,” said McCormick. “A growing number of women face obstacles due to harmful legislative restrictions that target reproductive health care clinics and these anti-abortion laws are both dangerous to women and illegal under our form of government. It’s time to make abusive politicians accountable.”
“Every woman’s situation is different, but freedom-loving Americans respect the individual’s right to make her own choices without a one-size-fits-all government restriction,” said McCormick.
“Some women lack financial ability to care for a child while for others a desired pregnancy might be transformed by a life-changing situation such as a serious medical diagnosis that requires chemotherapy, surgery or other medical treatment that is incompatible with giving birth,” said McCormick. “What is paramount is the right to privacy that is implicit in these choices, whether in regard to sex or treating a condition with a doctor. Governor Stitt should stay out of it.”
“Those faced with an unintended pregnancy or health complications have enough to handle, so they should not need to deal with the arrogance of know-it-all politicians or the American Taliban, who are trying to impose puritanical myths and superstitions on these modern women who are fully capable of living without these unwanted and illegal intrusions,” said McCormick.