Rep. Olsen warns: pro-abortion bill makes late-session reappearance

 Pro-Abortion Bill SB 834 transforms into Pro-Abortion SB 368

By State Rep. Jim Olsen (R-Roland)

Before the reversal of Roe v Wade, virtually every Republican voted for some kind of abortion limitations, and the argument was "If it saves even one baby, it's worth it."  Now, among a few of the more liberal Republicans , the refrain has changed to "If we sacrifice a few, we can save many."

In Senate Bill 834, this session has seen a strong battle on whether we need to loosen up and compromise our abortion laws and allow the brutal murder of some portion of our babies.  Ostensibly, this would give us some protection against a state question that could legalize abortion on demand, wide open.  This line of thought advocates that if we allowed the slaughter of perhaps 200 babies per year, this would save the larger number that would be killed in wide open abortion on demand.  The extermination of the approximately 200 babies would have been allowed on the basis of the mother being a victim of rape or incest.

As we have argued in the past, these terrible crimes are not the fault of the baby.  The baby's essential humanity and right to life is not contingent upon the quality of her parents.  The baby is not guilty of any crime meriting the death penalty.

The baby has a right to life!

Rep. Olsen: Fallacies abound in Pro-Abortion Bill – Senate Bill 834

Fallacies abound in Pro-Abortion Bill – Senate Bill 834

By State Rep. Jim Olsen (R-Roland)

Senate Bill 834 is the pro-abortion bill that Oklahomans For Life Chairman Tony Lauinger is pushing hard for, but is probably dead for this session.  There are numerous fallacies associated with this bill.  Here are just a few.

Rep. Olsen: The wrong kind of history is being made in the Pro-Life movement

The wrong kind of history is being made in the Pro-Life movement

By State Rep. Jim Olsen (R-Roland)

Something unprecedented is happening in the Pro-Life movement.

What do I mean?  Am I speaking of the overturning of Roe v. Wade last summer?  That was wonderful news, but no, that's not what I am referring to.

I am actually speaking about some very bad news.

First, let me give the background here.  Last year, the Oklahoma Legislature passed two outstanding bills to protect innocent, unborn life.  HB 4327 addressed civil law.  It was much like the Texas law on abortion that allowed civil lawsuits.  Our law was even better, because it went all the way back to conception, the beginning of life.

The other bill we passed addressed criminal law.  SB 612 made abortion a felony, with punishments up to 10 years in prison, and a fine up to $100,000.

These two bills combined make us the strongest state in the union to defend innocent, unborn life.  This is where we always wanted to be.  It is a dream come true!

So, what is the bad news then?  The bad news is that there is an organization that wants to weaken, water down, and partially dismantle our strongly pro-life laws.  Senate Bill 834 is a pro-choice bill that would add several exceptions to our laws against abortion, repeal our law against self-induced abortion, and protect contraceptives that act as abortifacients.  This is a significant loosening of our current law.

Will the Oklahoma State Senate re-legalize abortion in an effort to appease the Left?

Last week, Republicans on the Oklahoma Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed a measure that would re-legalize and expand abortion in limited (for now) circumstances, in addition to allow for "the use, prescription, administration, procuring, or selling of any type of contraception [if] administered before the time when a pregnancy could be determined through conventional medical testing." This presumably would allow the permanent reintroduction of abortion-inducing early pregnancy drugs like RU-486/Mifepristone.

This measure (SB 834), bizarrely promoted by Tony Lauinger of Oklahomans for Life, is an effort to counteract perceived future attempts by pro-abortion forces to get a state question on the ballot by initiative petition. The thought process seems to be, "Let's put some exceptions back into law so we don't appear to be too radical on banning abortion."

OK Senate Republicans vote to re-legalize and expand abortion in "limited" (for now) circumstances

Told you this would happen.

This morning, Senate Republicans on the Health & Human Services Committee voted for three measures related to the topic of abortion, one of which re-legalizes and expands abortion in "limited" (for now) circumstances.

This comes less than 24 hours after the pro-life Rose Day at the State Capitol, and 48 hours after abortion abolitionists visited legislators. 

Political chameleons. Shameful.