Oklahoma Speaker of the House Blocks Personhood Act, Personhood USA: \u201cUnforgivable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Submitted by jennifer on Wednesday, April 18, 2012<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In a procedural move rarely seen or used in Oklahoma politics, Oklahoma Speaker of the House Republican Kris Steele blocked the Oklahoma Personhood Act, SB 1433, from coming to a floor vote today giving pro-abortion supporters hope that the measure would not reach pro-life Governor Mary Fallin\u2019s desk. The bill received the backing of the House Committee on Public Health by a vote of 7 to 4 in late March with a recommendation of \u201cdo pass,\u201d and the state Senate by a vote of 34 to 8 in February.<\/p>\n
Pro-personhood legislators and several dozen pro-life Oklahoma citizens who arrived for today\u2019s session are currently circulating a petition that would provide the House an opportunity to bypass the Speaker and allow the bill to be put to a full vote. The petition must be signed by 68 of the state\u2019s 101 Representatives.<\/p>\n
Both the National Right to Life affiliate, Oklahomans for Life, and Personhood USA affiliate, Personhood Oklahoma have endorsed the measure, with unprecedented support from the Oklahoma Eagle Forum.<\/p>\n
Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich released a statement in support of the bill in February:<\/p>\n
\u201cI applaud the Republicans and the Democrats in the Oklahoma Senate who voted last week in favor of bipartisan personhood legislation. As I have stated a number of times in this campaign, I support the personhood principle, and I support states finding ways to defend life by defining personhood under their state constitutions. It is my hope that Congress will one day pass pro-life legislation under the 14th Amendment that defines personhood as beginning at conception.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe life of each human being begins at conception,\u201c reads the Oklahoma Personhood Act. When passed in the Senate, Pro Tempore President Brian Bingman was quoted by Reuters as saying, :\u201cOklahoma is a conservative pro-life state-we are proud to stand up for what we know is right. This bill is one of many Senate Republicans have advanced which affirms the right to life and I am proud to support it,\u201d he added. http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2012\/02\/16\/us-oklahoma-personhood-idUSTRE\u2026<\/p>\n
Setting the legal definition of the beginning of human life, the Personhood Act brings Oklahoma law in line with what scientists have taught for decades.<\/p>\n