\n\n“Republican lawmakers in Oklahoma passed a bill on Thursday that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, typically around six weeks into pregnancy and before many even know they are pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Oklahoma Heartbeat Act<\/a> will take immediate effect as soon as Gov. Kevin Stitt signs the bill, which is expected as early as Friday. Stitt has committed to signing any anti-abortion legislation<\/a> that comes across his desk and has previously described himself as America\u2019s \u201cmost pro-life governor<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier this month, Oklahoma enacted a different bill that nearly totally bans abortion<\/a> except in cases where the pregnant person\u2019s life is endangered. Under that bill, anyone who performs an abortion would face up to 10 years in prison and up to $100,000 in fines. It will take effect in August unless barred by the courts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new bill, which was passed without debate or any questions allowed, is modeled after a Texas law<\/a> that went into effect last year. It has exceptions for cases where the pregnant person\u2019s life is endangered, but not for cases of rape, incest, or fetal conditions that make life unsustainable after birth. It also imposes additional reporting requirements on physicians and allows private individuals to seek civil penalties, including at least $10,000 in damages, against anyone who aids in or performs an abortion after the six-week term. That\u2019s designed to circumvent current legal limitations on the government\u2019s ability to go after abortion providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s identical to the bill that was enacted by the Texas Legislature last year, and that bill has passed muster with the United States Supreme Court,\u201d Tony Lauinger, the chairman of Oklahomans for Life, told the AP<\/a>. (The Supreme Court, however, never held a full hearing on the bill and merely dismissed a case challenging the bill in a brief order without explaining its reasoning.)”<\/p>\n\n\n\n