Letters to the Editor

This letter is associated with the following article:
Mississippi law limits abortion to the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. But for poor women short on time and money, that can be an impossible deadline.
  • Oklahoma's New Law

    The Oklahoma House and Senate passed a law this year that forbade any state money going for any abortion or to any facility that performed abortions. Abortion was defined as removing a fertlized egg from the womb. The law also states that any abortion also requires an insurance rider specifically for abortion. No known insurance even offers such a rider.

    Many OB/Gyn's were furious, and rallied at the State Capitol. The Democratic Govenor vetoed the bill, but it was overwritten.

    What this means in Oklahoma, among other things, is that any woman who has a dead or severely deformed fetus must carry it until it self aborts or pay for it herself. This will even impact D&Cs. Also, the premier hospital in the state that deals with unborn birth defects gets state funds. So, if a woman wants a procedure with a specialist there, tough luck.

    This law may be the straw that broke the camel's back. Ordinary average women who are getting procedures that were available pre Roe v Wade will find those procedures largely illegal or extremely expensive in Oklahoma after November 1st. The fundies may have pushed this one too far.

    Maybe the reality will finally wake some religious nuts up when they realize exactly what they have done to themselves.