Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has vetoed a bill that would have criminalized abortion in the state, saying it was vague and would not stand against a constitutional challenge.
S.B. 1152, was introduced earlier this year by Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, and it stipulated that "no person shall perform or induce an abortion upon a pregnant woman" unless the mother's life was in danger.
Under the bill, doctors who broke the law faced a one to three year prison sentence and could not renew a medical license.
Gov. Fallin's veto came as a surprise. A Republican who calls herself 'the most pro-life governor in the nation," she has signed 18 pro-life bills.
However, Fallin struck it down saying, "The bill is so ambiguous and so vague that doctors cannot be certain what medical circumstances would be considered 'necessary to preserve the life of the mother.'"
"The absence of any definition, analysis or medical standard renders this exception vague, indefinite and vulnerable to subjective interpretation and application," she said in a statement.
Lawmakers can still override the veto.
Fallin argued that the bill would not have reversed the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion, but she did suggest that there is another way to bring about that change.
"In fact, the most direct path to a re-examination of the United States Supreme Court's ruling in Roe v. Wade is the appointment of a conservative, pro-life justice to the United States Supreme Court," she said.
Did you know?
God is everywhere—even in the news. That’s why we view every news story through the lens of faith. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1.
Support CBN News
