House Speaker Kris Steele says the

Republican caucus has decided in a closed-door meeting not to hear

a so-called "personhood" bill. The bill would have granted

fertilized human eggs the rights and privileges of other Oklahoma

citizens.

Steele says House Republicans voted Thursday not to hear the

bill amid concerns that it could lead to a ban on certain forms of

birth control and in-vitro fertilization. He says concerns also

were voiced that passage of the bill could result in another

potential legal challenge.

Proponents of the bill maintain the measure wasn’t intended to

ban abortions or threaten reproductive medicine, but only to send a

message that Oklahomans believe life begins at conception.

Several anti-abortion groups are gathering signatures to have a

separate personhood measure placed on the November ballot.