The Oklahoma Senate has overwhelmingly
approved an anti-abortion "personhood" bill that declares life
begins at conception, despite objections from the medical community
that the bill could have dire unintended consequences.
The GOP-controlled Senate voted 34-8 for the bill by Tulsa
Republican Senator Brian Crain. It now heads to the House for
consideration.
Crain says the bill is modeled after a 1986 Missouri law that
was later determined by the U.S. Supreme Court to be
constitutional. It provides embryos and fetuses with "all the
rights, privileges, and immunities" of other citizens.
The bill is opposed by the Oklahoma State Medical Association,
which represents about 5,000 doctors and medical students in the
state.
Oklahoma City reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Eli Reshef
described the bill as an "embarrassment."