Oklahoma Passes State’s Most Restrictive Abortion Ban Yet

For Immediate Release: May 19, 2022
Media Contacts: press@prochoice.org; 202-918-7768

Today, the Oklahoma state legislature passed the country’s most restrictive ban on abortion access to date and would make Oklahoma the first state to outlaw abortion outright until a final decision is made by the Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. H.4327 is a citizen-enforced total abortion ban that would take effect immediately upon Gov. Kevin Stitt’s signing it.

Statement from Melissa Fowler, National Abortion Federation’s Chief Program Officer:

“We are in a devastating moment for reproductive rights, but this bill is one of the most alarming pieces of legislation we have seen yet. Oklahoma’s new abortion ban builds on Texas’ vigilante SB 8 and takes it even a step further by prohibiting all abortions starting at fertilization. Oklahoma will now become the first state to completely outlaw abortion even while Roe remains in place. 

Abortion bans do not happen in a vacuum, as we have seen by the growing passage of abortion restrictions across the country. This bill will have a ripple effect outside the state as patients throughout the region will be displaced and forced to travel greater distances in order to obtain abortion care in a clinic. This extreme ban will also embolden those who want to harass and terrorize abortion providers. NAF tracks violence and disruption against clinics and we know that as more clinics close, the remaining providers will likely experience an acute increase in harassment and violence. 

Abortion is still a legal right in this country, and NAF is committed to making sure any patient in any state, no matter their income, can access abortion care. The NAF Hotline at 1-800-772-9100 provides patients with funding for their care and travel and help with logistics so they can safely, efficiently, and legally access abortion care.”