Abortion

Oklahoma “Egg As Person” and Heartbeat Bills Pass House Committee

If the state's voters don't want it, the legislature will just force it on them.

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Tired of waiting for voters to simply agree with them that a fertilized egg should be provided the same rights as a fully born human, Personhood Oklahoma has decided to go through the legislature to give human rights to fertilized eggs.

A House committee has passed a “fertilized egg-as-person” bill, and preparations are now in progress to bring it up for a floor vote soon, despite the likelihood of a lawsuit if the bill passes.

Via NECN.com:

“This is going to cost the taxpayers of Oklahoma money,” said Martha Skeeters, of Norman, president of the Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice. About two dozen women from the group, many wearing pink shirts, listened to lawmakers debate the bill.

“This is really outrageous,” Skeeters said. “It’s very disturbing that the committee fails to realize how dangerous this bill is for Oklahoma women. It interferes with the treatment of pregnant women.”

The bill was passed 10-1 in committee, where no one was allowed to testify for or against it.  While they were at it, the committee also approved a bill that would make women who want to terminate their pregnancies listen to the heartbeat of the embryo or fetus first.

Despite legislation working its way through the political system, Personhood Oklahoma is pursuing its ballot initiative as well.