Several Republican-led states including Oklahoma and Idaho have already passed a flurry of measures this legislative session seeking to curtail abortion in the lead-up to the Supreme Court's decision on Roe v. Wade
Earlier this month, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed into law a near-total ban on abortion at any stage, unless the life of the mother is in danger
The Supreme Court closed out a closely-watched term that saw its conservative majority prevail in many cases, as its impact began to take shape. WSJ’s Gerald F. Seib and Jess Bravin explain. Photo illustration: Laura KammermannOklahoma’s legislature on Thursday passed a bill banning abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy and deputizing enforcement to private citizens, making Oklahoma the third state to take this novel approach to curtailing the procedure.
The Oklahoma bill, passed Thursday by the state’s House of Representatives, allows members of the general public to bring lawsuits against providers who perform abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected. That usually occurs at around six weeks of pregnancy, before many people know they are pregnant. The law sets a floor for damages at $10,000, plus legal costs. Suits could also be brought against those who assist patients in obtaining such abortions.