For Immediate Release: May 18, 2006

Senate Passes GOP Pro-Life Bill over Objections of Senate Democrat Leaders

The Oklahoma State Senate passed a Republican-authored pro-life bill Thursday, which included legislative language from several pro-life bills that were killed by the Senate’s Democrat leadership earlier this year.

The Senate Democrat leadership had indicated earlier this week that they did not want to allow Senate Bill 1742 to be brought to the floor for a vote. But the bill had overwhelming bipartisan support, and Democrat leaders reversed course and allowed the vote to occur Thursday.

Senate Bill 1742 passed the Senate on a 38-8 vote, and now goes to Gov. Brad Henry.

“Today we won a great victory for the unborn in the Oklahoma State Senate,” said Sen. Don Barrington, R-Lawton, the bill’s author. “I am proud of the overwhelming bipartisan support for this legislation.”

Senate GOP Leader Glenn Coffee said new Sen. Mike Schulz should get part of the credit for the decision by Democrat leaders to allow a vote on SB 1742.

“Sen. Schulz’s victory in last week’s special election gave pro-lifers an extra vote in the Senate – and the momentum to pass this bill,” said Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. “If we didn’t have Sen. Schulz as the 23rd Republican in the Senate, we probably wouldn’t be voting on this bill today.”

SB 1742’s provisions include:
- Requiring the consent of one parent before a minor can receive an abortion (from House Bill 2369, by Rep. Odilia Dank and Sen. Glenn Coffee)..
- Expanding the recognition of an unborn child as a separate victim if a crime is committed against the mother (from HB 2741 by Rep. Pam Peterson and Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson).
- Ensuring that a woman is informed that her unborn baby, if 20 weeks or older, may feel pain during an abortion and that anesthesia could be administered to the baby to relieve that pain (from House Bill 2496, authored by Rep. John Trebilcock and Sen. David Myers).
- Ensuring that a woman seeking an abortion has the option to view her unborn baby by ultrasound prior to the abortion (from House Bill 2614, by Rep. Kevin Calvey and Sen. Randy Brogdon).
- Allowing funding to be directed to organizations that help pregnant women with pro-life counseling and support-services (from House Bill 3001, by Rep. Marian Cooksey and Sen. Cliff Aldridge).

For more information, contact:
Senate Republican Leadership Assistant's Office: (405) 521-5654