Oklahoma to have the nation’s strictest abortion ban|Becker1999|CC BY 2.0
Oklahoma state governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill Wednesday that bans almost all abortions starting at fertilization.
Unlike Texas, the OK ban makes exceptions in life-threatening cases or cases of rape and incest if they have been reported.
The near-total ban comes into effect immediately and relies on civilian enforcement. State officials cannot bring charges, but a private citizen can sue abortion providers or anyone who helps in aborting a pregnancy.
Private citizens can get up to $10,000 as an award for successfully suing an abortion provider.
Notably, Oklahoma is among the 13 states that have a “trigger law” that will ban abortion immediately if the Supreme court overturns the Roe v Wade decision on abortion rights.
