Podcast: Pro-Life Legislation Passes Senate

Click here to listen to Sen. Lamb urge members to support SB 1878

An omnibus pro-life bill passed the Oklahoma State Senate Wednesday with a bipartisan vote.

Senate Bill 1878 by Senator Todd Lamb (R-Edmond), and Representative Pam Peterson (R-Tulsa), contains several pro-life initiatives, passing the Senate with a vote of 38-10.

By combining various pieces of legislation from Senator Lamb and members of the House of Representatives, Senate Bill 1878 now does the following:

• Creates the Freedom of Conscience Act which protects the rights of healthcare providers to refuse to take part in the destruction of human life (SB 1878—Sen. Lamb, Rep. Peterson)
• Regulates the use of the dangerous chemical pill RU-486, used when the unborn child is about two months old (HB 2181—Rep. McNiel)
• Ensures the mother’s consent to abort is truly voluntary, and protects against coerced abortions (HB 3059—Sen. Williamson, Rep. Hamilton)
• Provides a woman with an ultrasound of her unborn child which she can view prior to undergoing the abortion (HB 3144—Sen. Lamb, Rep. Billy)
• Cultivates respect for disabled children by banning the wrongful-life lawsuits that claim a baby would have been better off aborted (HB 2814—Sen. Crain, Rep. Sullivan)

Senator Lamb:

The provisions spelled out in this legislation are critical pro-life advances. Working with pro-life members of the House and Senate to protect the sanctity of life and develop this comprehensive bill has been an honor. I am encouraged by the bipartisan support to protect innocent life today in the Senate.

Representative Peterson:

I appreciate the Senate’s swift action and hope Governor Henry will quickly sign the bill into law. The legislation enacts several common-sense reforms respecting the sanctity of life that have been embraced by members of both political parties…[Noting that four women serving in the Legislature authored provisions of Senate Bill 1878] This legislation is pro-woman, pro-child and pro-life. The more information a woman can have before making this life-altering decision, the better. I hope Governor Henry will do the right thing this year and sign this legislation into law.

Last year, Henry vetoed pro-life legislation that would have prevented taxpayer funds from being used for elective abortions. When the measure was revived and approved by veto-proof margins, the governor let the bill become law without his signature.

The next stop for Senate Bill 1878 will be the Governor’s desk for his signature.