On Monday, Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt signed three anti-abortion bills into law, making abortion in Oklahoma nearly impossible to access. HB 2441 is a “heartbeat” bill, which prohibits abortion once a “fetal heartbeat” has been detected. It only makes exceptions for cases where the mother’s life is in danger. Any provider who performs an abortion […]
Supreme Court Protects Native American Reservation in Oklahoma
In a win for tribal rights, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision Thursday that a large part of Eastern Oklahoma is considered tribal land, meaning crimes committed by Native Americans can only be prosecuted by federal authorities. The court’s decision returned 19 million acres of tribal land, including much of Tulsa, the state’s […]
Trump’s Controversial Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma Has “Embarrassing” Turnout
President Donald Trump held his first campaign rally since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday evening. Despite claims that nearly one million people registered for tickets, the Tulsa Fire Department reported that about 6,2000 people attended the rally. President Trump is reportedly “furious” about the “underwhelming” crowd. The rally was […]
Demand for Vote-By-Mail Grows as November Elections Loom
In the midst of a global public health crisis, the outcome of the November U.S. election is uncertain and steeped in partisan politics. Republicans argue that Democrats’ efforts to enact vote-by-mail are undermining and remaking democracy while Democrats argue such efforts are, in fact, to protect democracy and voter’s rights. Across the country, people are […]
States Tell Workers Return to Work During Pandemic or Lose Unemployment Benefits
Some states, including Iowa and Texas, have begun to reopen their economies amidst the coronavirus pandemic and have warned residents that employees who refuse to return to their jobs will be ineligible for unemployment benefits. These policies force workers to decide between their health and unemployment insurance and could facilitate the spread of COVID-19. Congress […]
Federal Judge Allows Abortions in Oklahoma to Resume Despite COVID-19 Ban
U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin has just issued a preliminary injunction against Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt’s attempted abortion ban, and is allowing all abortion services to resume on Friday, April 24. According to a release by the Associated Press, “the injunction ensures that abortions can be performed in Oklahoma while the case continues in federal […]
Abortion Services Allowed to Continue in Oklahoma After Appeals Court Ruling
The decision by a lower court to overturn the Oklahoma governor’s ban on abortion has been upheld by a federal appeals court. Yesterday, a three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals made a unanimous ruling to allow abortions to continue in Oklahoma, overturning Gov. Kevin Stitt’s (R) ban on abortion as part […]
Judge Blocks Oklahoma Abortion Restrictions During COVID-19 Outbreak
Oklahoma US District Judge Charles Goodwin has just blocked a state executive order that limits abortion access during the coronavirus pandemic. Judge Goodwin believes that Oklahoma’s ban would cause “irreparable harm” to individuals unable to receive abortion care. In response to Oklahoma’s state executive order, Goodwin also remarked, “that while the current public health emergency […]
Reproductive Rights Groups Sue to Stop Oklahoma’s COVID-19 Abortion Ban
The Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) have filed an emergency lawsuit to nullify Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt’s ban on abortion procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, Stitt issued an executive order temporarily halting elective surgeries, which he later specified includes all abortions not deemed “necessary to prevent serious […]
OK Judge Rules Johnson & Johnson Must Pay $572 Million in Opioid Trial
An Oklahoma judge ruled on Monday that pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson is responsible in part for the opioid crisis that ravaged the state due to deceptive marketing practices and must pay $572 million. Judge Thad Balkman wrote in his ruling that Johnson & Johnson “engaged in false and misleading marketing of both their drugs […]
Oklahoma Judge Upholds Ban on Second-Trimester Abortions
The Center for Reproductive Rights has vowed to take an Oklahoma abortion-ban to the state Supreme Court after an Oklahoma district judge upheld a law banning second-trimester abortion procedures last Friday. The Oklahoma Supreme Court has previously rejected multiple anti-abortion bills similar to this ban. The Center for Reproductive Rights challenged the Oklahoma law after […]
Oklahoma Senator’s Bill would Classify Abortion as Homicide
On Saturday, Oklahoma Senator Joseph Silk introduced the Abolition of Abortion in Oklahoma Act (SB13), a bill that not only criminalizes abortions, but classifies abortions as homicides that can be punishable by life imprisonment. Whilst discussing the bill, Senator Silk equated seeking an abortion to killing a one-year-old child. According to Sen. Silk, SB 13’s […]
Oklahoma Teachers Strike Over Funding Failures
Teachers in Oklahoma are boycotting school and taking to the state Capitol today to demand better wages and more school funding in the wake of a successful teacher strike in West Virginia last month.
Oklahoma Supreme Court Blocks Newest Anti-Abortion Law
Tuesday marked a victory for reproductive rights in the state of Oklahoma, as the Oklahoma Supreme Court unanimously voted to permanently block an anti-abortion law with numerous provisions, finding it in violation of the state constitution’s “single-subject rule” that restricts every bill before the legislature to one subject.
A New Clinic is Opening in Oklahoma City
There is a new women’s clinic opening this weekend in Oklahoma City, a city that for years has been the largest metropolitan area in the country without an abortion provider.
Dangerous TRAP Laws Blocked in Ohio and Oklahoma
This week, women’s healthcare providers in Ohio and Oklahoma challenging anti-abortion legislation have succeeded in blocking dangerous TRAP laws in two of the most hostile states in the nation for reproductive rights.
Oklahoma State Court Blocks One Anti-Abortion Measure, Allows Another
An Oklahoma state court blocked a measure yesterday that would have banned the most commonly used method of second trimester abortion. The court allowed, however, a tripling of the state’s mandatory waiting period from 24 to 72 hours.
US Receives “C” Grade On Reproductive Rights
While the US overall grade is a C, 15 states failed outright.
Oklahoma City Police Officer Will Go to Trial for 36 Counts of Sexual Assault
After a two-day preliminary hearing, an Oklahoma state court judge ordered that Daniel Holtzclaw, an Oklahoma City police officer, will stand trial for sexually assaulting 13 African-American women while on duty.
Oklahoma’s Supreme Court Temporarily Preserved Abortion Access
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily blocked two new abortion restrictions, allowing Oklahoma women to continue to access safe, legal abortion while the legal challenge to the state’s laws continues in court.