Henry Vetoes Abortion-Restricting Senate Bill 714

Governor Brad Henry today vetoed Senate Bill 714, a measure advocated by those who are pro-life.

Proponents of the bill said it would get state government out of the abortion business by restricting abortions in state-owned facilities or by state employees.

“I am stunned and shocked by Governor Henry’s veto of this bipartisan legislation. Now that he has been re-elected, we’re starting to see the real Brad Henry – and we’re seeing that he is neither a moderate nor is he bipartisan,” said Senator James A. Williamson, R-Tulsa, author of SB 714.

House Speaker Lance Cargill issued the following statement: "It's especially sad that on a day when the U.S. Supreme Court is advancing the cause of life, Oklahoma is moving backwards thanks to the Governor. I don't think the Governor's actions today are in line with the beliefs of most Oklahomans, who value the sanctity of life and are in favor of stronger protections. But we can take heart in the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision is a victory for efforts to protect the unborn. The idea that taxpayer dollars could be used to perform abortions is terrible. Most Oklahomans oppose it and I am very disappointed that our Governor supports it."

Said Henry: “This was a very difficult decision to make, as there are good people of strong convictions and reasonable arguments on both sides of this bill. Nevertheless, after closely reviewing the legislation and meeting with both its supporters and opponents, I have vetoed SB 714 because I believe it ultimately does more harm than good. I do not issue this veto lightly. I believe every abortion is a tragedy, and I have a strong record of support for commonsense, reasonable restrictions on abortion. Although I have no doubt SB 714 is well-intentioned, I have grave concerns that its inadvertent consequences would prove disastrous.

“First and foremost, the measure is flawed in that it does not include exemptions for cases of incest and rape. That means many victims of rape or incest would have no option but to carry a fetus to term, no matter how horrific and violent the circumstances.

“In addition, I share the concerns of a majority of medical experts who believe this bill would severely compromise health care in our state by placing undue restrictions on the sacred relationship between doctor and patient. Under this measure, a woman may have no option but to carry to term a fetus with a fatal birth defect. There are a number of fatal birth defects in which there is no chance of survival, and yet SB 714 would add to a family’s suffering and medical costs by forcing a woman to carry that fetus to term.

“Although designed to simply prohibit taxpayer-funded abortions, in reality the bill reaches much further, impacting most community hospitals in the state and severely compromising the quality and availability of medical care.

“Furthermore, because of its flaws, it was questionable whether this legislation could withstand the legal challenges that would have awaited it. For instance, the bill disproportionately impacts health care options for low-income women and families.

“This is an emotional, highly charged issue. Sadly, some people will distort and mischaracterize this veto for political ends, but I believe the unintended consequences of this bill would do more harm than good.”

Lisa Billy: 'He tried to make me feel like some uneducated 'hick' because I didn't want to kill my child."

"The governor's veto means some doctors will continue to receive state payments when they pressure women into aborting healthy babies,"said Rep. Lisa Billy, R-Purcell. "Oklahoma government should not be in the abortion business in the first place, and the unintended consequence of that policy can be devastating for women." Billy noted that a doctor at an Oklahoma City state-funded hospital tried to talk her into aborting her son, Nahinli, when she was 22 weeks pregnant. The reason: The doctor claimed her son had "potential" to have Down Syndrome. "He tried to make me feel like some uneducated 'hick' because I didn't want to kill my child," Billy said. "It was a horrible experience."

She ignored the doctor's advice and her healthy son does not have Down Syndrome: "I was pressured to abort my child on little more than a doctor's whim," Billy said. "Nahinli is living proof that medical officials can be wrong - dramatically and irrevocably wrong. To provide those officials with state funding to perform abortions means more women could face the same terrible situation I did and healthy babies may be killed because some doctor wants to play God at taxpayer expense."

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