The Republican controlled state Senate of Oklahoma passed the “Personhood Act” by 34 votes to 8 on 15 February. The Act moves to extend the definition of “person” under State law to include a fetus from the point of conception. The measure will now progress to the State House where it is again expected to pass, with pro-life Republicans outnumbering Democrats by more than two to one, according to Reuters.
Opponents to the embryo-personhood movement have expressed concerns that the measures do not grant exceptions in the case of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest. Further concerns have been raised regarding access to contraception, such as the morning after pill, and the continuation of IVF procedures.
A series of personhood amendments to State constitutions have failed in recent months, and after one such case in conservative Mississippi, legislators took up a similar anti-abortion strategy. In the run up to the November Presidential election abortion is a hot issue and seven US states have already mandated pre-abortion ultrasounds to inform women of the gestational development of the fetus.
Passage of these bills granting embryos “personhood” could imply ANY use of embryos other than transfer in to the uterus could be considered “murder”; and thus result in very difficult, if not impossible decisions and choices for both doctor and patient. We need to see the defeat of any or all of these bills.
Visit us at www.acfs2000.com for more information.
