The Oklahoma Senate on Friday adjourned for the year without seeking a legislative override of Gov. Mary Fallin's (R) veto of a bill (SB 1552) that would have effectively prohibited doctors in the state from providing abortion care, the AP/Sacramento Bee reports (AP/Sacramento Bee, 5/27).
Bill details
The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Nathan Dahm (R), would have required medical licensure officials to deny renewing or issuing a license for physicians who provide abortion care in circumstances outside of certain limited exceptions. In addition, the bill would have barred physicians who have provided such care from attaining a medical license. Further, physicians who violated the measure by providing abortion care could have been guilty of a felony, punishable by up to three years in prison.
The bill's limited exceptions included instances in which a woman's life is in danger or when a fetus is not viable. The bill did not include exceptions in cases of rape or incest. While the life endangerment exception was included in the bill's provision addressing physician licensing, it was not included in the provision outlining felony charges.
Veto details
Fallin vetoed the bill on May 20. In her announcement, Fallin reiterated her opposition to abortion rights, but said the bill was unconstitutional and unlikely to withstand a legal challenge. She added, "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 pregnant woman.
At the time, Dahm said he had not decided whether to seek an override of the veto.
To succeed, a vote to override a veto would have required at least a two-thirds majority in each chamber of the Oklahoma Legislature. The original bill passed 33-12 in the state Senate and 59-9 in the state House (Women's Health Policy Report, 5/23).
State Senate forgoes override vote
According to the AP/Bee, the conservative-led state Legislature wanted Dahm to attempt an override vote.
However, the state Senate ended its session Friday without doing so. State Senate President pro tempore Brian Bingman (R) said Dahm likely did not have the 32 Senate votes necessary for a successful veto override (AP/Sacramento Bee, 5/27).
