The Oklahoma legislature has just passed a six-week abortion ban known as the "Oklahoma Heartbeat Act." Many women seeking the procedure came to Oklahoma after a similar bill was approved in Texas last year. Rabia Muqaddam, senior staff attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights, joins Cheddar News to discuss.

Cheddar's News Wrap

Oklahoma Legislature Passes Six-Week Abortion Ban

back to the news wrap. So Oklahoma is aiming to be the most pro life state in the nation. The Oklahoma legislator has just passed a six week abortion ban known as the Oklahoma heartbeat act. Many women seeking the procedure came to Oklahoma after a similar bill was approved in texas last year. Joining me now to discuss is rabia Moghaddam, senior staff attorney for the center for productive reproductive rights rather and Robbia. If the governor signs this bill into law, what's the immediate impact on women in Oklahoma? The immediate impact is that the majority of people who are seeking abortion in Oklahoma will be unable to get an abortion. So thousands of Oklahomans seek abortion every year, patients from Texas since SB eight has been in effect been seeking abortion in Oklahoma. And the fact of the matter is given that the majority of people who seek abortion are low income or otherwise part of a marginalized group. These are people who are not going to be able to travel to get care in the vast majority of cases, even those who are able to travel will face logistical burdens. They'll have to get later and more complex and expensive abortions. And ultimately, the state has defended these as being pro life or in favor of the dignity of life. But the fact of the matter is that these laws are incredibly cruel. They result in people who are seeking abortions having worse physical, mental, emotional and economic outcomes, as do their families and their existing Children, abortion is essential for people to be able to plan their own lives to chart their own course in the world, and these laws will completely take that away and intrude upon the most personal and complex decision making that a person has in their life. So the impact will be catastrophic. The thing with this in like which I just don't, I don't get why why would the bill? It says it prohibits abortion after six weeks, but most women don't even know that they're pregnant in that time. So is that on purpose? They did that? And also how do you think women who are in this category of feeling right now, in that state, patients are, are distraught. It's been incredibly, incredibly difficult for the people who are seeking abortion right now and the providers are similarly distraught. They are drawn to this work because they feel the need to serve people seeking abortion. Um, and so it's, it's been an incredibly difficult time for people across the region. But as you pointed out, many people do not know they are pregnant by the time. You know, there are six weeks pregnant people with, you know, extremely regular, um, cycles, they may only have two weeks at most once they miss a period to seek an abortion under a six week fan. And if this is a band that they refer to as the heartbeat ban, but that's actually inaccurate, what is happening at six weeks is a form of early electrical activity in something that is really an embryo under medical terminology. So not only does this band stop people from getting abortions before they may even know they're pregnant. It criminal, you know, it it results in people being unable to get abortions even when electrical signals are detected in an embryo. Um so the word heartbeat and the word co like these are misnomers. Um they're created by anti abortion legislators who want to stop people from getting abortions. Um and that's that's the ultimate goal of these laws and they do it regardless of the harm that will occur to people who need abortions, regardless of the harm to their families. Um that's not the goal. The goal is to stop abortions at any cost. So there's a Supreme Court hearing that's happening in june on the Mississippi case. What should people know about that case and what should people know about if road v wade is overturned? Our case? Jackson women's health versus Dobbs was argued in the Supreme Court this term and we expect a decision likely in late june and the state of Mississippi, along with a number of other states have asked the Supreme Court to overturn roe v wade and whole And this is the gravest threat that this president has been under since it was decided in 1973 And several states, 12 states have something called a trigger ban, so that if roe v wade is even only weakened many of these will go into effect. So the result from the decision of the Supreme Court to overturn roe even in part will result in media criminalization of abortion across a large swath of this country. And roe is also the basis for so many rights. Um many of the decisions that we make today that are protected our freedom to make those choices. All of it comes from this belief that we have a private right to make personal decisions about our own lives and our health. And it's the beginning, I think will be a terrible campaign against civil rights. Um we're already seeing it in the offing. Um and so a decision to overturn roe. Now it will have tremendous impact and the result will fall hardest on the people who are most vulnerable, which are low income and poor people who are by and large people who access abortion due to inequity and access to contraception and other preventive care. People who are in the most challenging circumstances, people experiencing intimate partner violence. These are all people who are seeking abortion and these are all the people who will be harmed by these laws? My last question for you is, what about those who are pro pro choice in that state? Have they been fighting back? And what happens to all the planned parenthood's that are in Oklahoma? Well, um there are some independent providers in the states also women's reproductive clinic um as well as trust women and those are our clients. Um We also are partnered with planned parenthood clinics. Um the clinics on the ground are doing everything they can to fight these laws. They are plaintiffs um in our lawsuits to challenge these laws, they have worked tirelessly for decades to help Oklahomans and all the other people who come to their doors and they've done so despite an incredibly hostile state protesters who gather outside of their clinics every day. Um but these providers are dedicated to their patients and the advocates on the ground, including our partner, Oklahoma, Call for reproductive justice, the lead plaintiff in our most recent case. There are Oklahomans who are committed to fighting this fight and we're proud at the Center for reproductive Rights to stand with them. Alright, Robbia Mukuddem, senior staff attorney for the Center of reproductive Rights, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom on this very important topic.