Senate Republican bills to protect life advance from committee

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed several measures Wednesday that Republican leaders say advance the cause of life and will help save unborn lives.

The measures approved by the committee were:

• Senate Bill 918 by Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, which would, in the event the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the central holdings of Roe v. Wade or Planned Parenthood v. Casey, restore the state’s authority to prohibit abortion.
• Senate Bill 584 by Senator Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, which would prohibit state funding or funding from any political subdivision of the state for any health care provider found guilty of trafficking in fetal body parts.
• Senate Bill 612 also by Dahm, which would create a new law making an abortion procedure illegal in Oklahoma unless it is required to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency.
• Senate Bill 778 and Senate Bill 779, both by Senator Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, which would provide safeguards surrounding the use of abortion-inducing drugs.

“Any legitimate attempt to save the lives of the unborn will always have my full support. We cannot be distracted by attempts to delegitimize the drive to advance the cause of life. All lives are precious, have innate worth, and should be protected and respected at all stages. These measures are practical steps that have a real chance to save lives, and I applaud my Republican colleagues for advancing these bills and look forward to their passage by the full Senate,” said Treat, R-Oklahoma City.

Senator Greg McCortney, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, praised his colleagues for their bills protecting the lives of the unborn.

“Senate Republicans are committed to protecting the sanctity of life and I’m proud that the Health and Human Services Committee advanced worthy measures to advance that goal. All life is precious and should be valued and protected, and these measures will continue our successful efforts to advance the cause of life,” said McCortney, R-Ada.

The measures now advance to the floor of the Senate for consideration.