Oklahoma: State Supreme Court upholds block on abortion restrictions

The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled again this Tuesday against the restrictions on abortion passed by the state Legislature. Specifically, it lifted three laws that regulated access to abortion in the state.

These are GB 1904 and SB 778 and 779, which seek to restrict access to abortifacient drugs by tightening the necessary conditions for their medical prescription.

According to the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling, the three laws pose too considerable a threat to professionals, who would run legal risks if they prescribed the medication.

This is not the first time that a law passed by the Oklahoma Legislature have clashed with the courts. Since 2021, pro-abortion groups have taken numerous legislative initiatives of the state's majority to court.

According to the AP, a spokesman for Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said that his office is reviewing the court's decision and will respond accordingly: "It is worth emphasizing, however, that these decisions do not affect Oklahoma's abortion ban, which remains the law of this land."

Oklahoma began restricting access to abortion after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, a trend that was replicated in 20 other states. Since Republican Governor Kevin Stitt signed the law banning abortion unless the mother's life is in danger, the number has dropped drastically in the state.

The number of abortions dropped from 4,145 in 2021 to 898 in 2022, according to statistics from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. In at least 66 cases in 2022, abortion was necessary to prevent the death of the mother, statistics show.