Gov. Brad Henry vetoed legislation Wednesday that would have prohibited abortions to be performed with state dollars except when a mother's life is in danger.
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Senate Bill 714 would prohibit public funds and state-run hospitals from being used for abortions. The bill also required Oklahomans to take out additional health insurance polices to cover elective abortions.
Henry drew criticism from the bill's supporters, who promised an attempt to override his veto.
The governor said the veto was a difficult decision for him to make.
"I do not issue this veto lightly. I believe every abortion is a tragedy, and I have a strong record of support for common-sense, reasonable restrictions on abortion,” Henry said.
"Although I have no doubt SB 714 is well-intentioned, I have grave concerns that its inadvertent consequences would prove disastrous,” he said.
The measure is flawed, Henry said, because it doesn't include exemptions from the abortion ban in cases of incest and rape.
Henry said he also shares concerns of a majority of medical experts who believe the bill would severely compromise health care in Oklahoma by placing undue restrictions on the "sacred relationship” between doctors and patients.
Under this bill, a woman may have no option but to carry to term a fetus with a fatal birth defect, he said.
Those concerns were initially brought up by Rep. Doug Cox, the Legislature's lone doctor, who attempted to add some exemptions in the House that he said would have improved the bill.
"I think that (Henry) is pro-life, as am I, and realizes that by working with experts in the medical field we can come up with a pro-life bill with compassion that makes exceptions for those rare but tragic cases that need to be considered individually,” said Cox, R-Grove.
Henry's veto received sharp criticism from abortion opponents.
"This is a very sad day for unborn babies in the state of Oklahoma,” said Tony Lauinger, state chairman of Oklahomans for Life.
"When you consider precisely what is being said, namely that mothers with very sick babies wouldn't be able to be referred to the OU Health Sciences Center if this bill had become law. That is utterly false,” he said.
"Mothers with sick babies could be referred to the OU Health Sciences Center to be cared for, to be provided the best medical attention possible. The only thing that would have happened under this bill is that these babies would not have been sent to the OU Health Sciences Center to be killed.”
Sen. James Williamson, a Tulsa Republican and the bill's author, said he will attempt to override the veto in the Oklahoma Senate, where the measure passed 32-16 last week. The bill passed the House in a seemingly veto-proof vote 73-22.
A two-thirds vote of each legislative house is needed to override the veto of this bill. Two-thirds is 32 in the Senate and 68 in the House.
Williamson has said the opponents have put out misinformation on this bill.
"Sadly, the governor has chosen to keep the state of Oklahoma in the abortion business,” he said.
The measure doesn't prevent abortions in the private sector. Nor does it ban the use of the so-called morning-after pill, he said.
"I don't think the governor's actions today are in line with the beliefs of most Oklahomans, who value the sanctity of life and are in favor of stronger protections,” House Speaker Lance Cargill said.
Many in the medical community have come out in opposition to the bill, saying it erodes the doctor/patient relationship and ties a doctor's hands in making tough medical decisions.
They have said the bill's language is vague, causing concern about what interpretations might be placed on that language in court.
Dana Stone, an obstetrician and gynecologist, said obstetricians learn early that when caring for a pregnant woman, they are actually caring for two patients.
The bill made it where a physician might have to disregard one of the patients under certain circumstances, she said.
Rep. Cox said he expects that the issue will come up again in the Legislature, and he said he hopes his colleagues are more willing to listen to medical professionals and their concerns.
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