Roundup: Oklahoma House Overrides Henry Veto -- Again

Roundup: Oklahoma House Overrides Henry Veto — Again

May 25, 2010, 9:02am

Robin Marty

Oklahoma House overrides the governor's veto of the Statistical Reporting of Abortions Act, the Catholic Review practices blaming the victim, and doctors can lie, except when they can't.

In a rush to get really important things accomplished, the Oklahoma House has now overridden Governor Brad Henry’s veto of the Statistical Reporting of Abortions Act. Channel 8 reports:

The Oklahoma House has voted to override the governor’s veto of a bill requiring women and their doctors to complete a lengthy questionnaire before an abortion.

With no debate, the House voted 84-13 on Monday to override Gov. Brad Henry ‘s veto.

The State Senate is now expected to attempt their own override later this week, despite the fact that some Representatives had said previously that they may not find it pressing enough to bother this year. Opponents are disappointed in the talk of an override, seeing this as bringing about yet another costly legal battle for the state.

Via Tulsa World:

“Obviously, it’s disappointing because it signals the beginning of another costly and possible futile legal battle for the state of Oklahoma,” said Paul Sund, a Henry spokesman. “Other abortion measures that were vetoed by Gov. Henry and overridden by the Legislature have already been challenged and, in all likelihood, will be overturned by the courts as unconstitutional.”

Before they override the veto, the senate will find themselves face to face with a new group who believes the veto should be upheld, and that Oklahoma legislators should learn to just trust women, according to NewsOK.

Supporters of Gov. Brad Henry’s veto of an abortion bill filled the House and Senate galleries on Monday to urge lawmakers to let Henry’s veto stand.

Wearing pink T-shirts, some 50 women and a few men urged lawmakers to sustain Henry’s weekend veto of a bill that requires women seeking an abortion to fill out a detailed questionnaire. Many of their shirts said, “Trust Oklahoma Women.”

…

Members of the newly formed group say they are in favor of reproductive justice, which includes access to family planning, social services for mothers with children and allowing women to make decisions about their reproductive health. The group is so new they haven’t decided on a name, said organizer Martha Skeeters.

Skeeters, a professor, said the group came together quickly in response to recent abortion legislation.

“Many women feel insulted by this legislation,” Skeeters said. “Women pay bills, go to work and take care of families. They are in the best position to make decisions about their reproductive lives, not only for them, but for the people they are responsible for.”

The senate is expected to vote on the override by Wednesday at the latest.

Mini-Roundup: In a new round of victim-blaming, The Catholic Register claims that the Arizona nun who approved the life-saving abortion excommunicated herself, so people should stop being so mad at the Bishop who made it official. And physicians are legally protected in Oklahoma if they lie about whether your fetus has an abnormality, but in Michigan a woman accuses a doctor of lying to abort her against her will — after the procedure was underway.

May 24, 2010

IN RE PETITION OF ANONYMOUS 3 – Leagle.com

Kagan’s Paper Trail (or Lack Thereof) – National Catholic Register

Jordanian man charged with rape, murder in horror abortion case – Earthtimes

Your morning jolt: Abortion and the Democratic race for governor – Atlanta Journal Constitution

Abortion ad screens tonight – The Sun

Jordanian ‘murdered his daughter’ – BBC News
Anti-Abortion Group Seeks Kagan Hearing Delay – U.S. News & World Report

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry Vetoes Pro-Life Bill for Better Abortion Reporting – LifeNews.com

Abortion advice service to advertise on UK television – BBC News

Sixth State Passes Measure to Opt Out of Some Abortion Funding in Health Care – LifeNews.com

Yoest: Postpone Kagan Hearings – Standard Newswire

Federal documents suggest Ottawa ignored its own advice on abortion – Winnipeg Free Press