Oklahoma, weighing "personhood" law, may be next abortion flashpoint

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Oklahoma, weighing "personhood" law, may be next abortion flashpoint

By Terry Baynes

Mon Apr 9, 2012 7:36pm EDT

(Reuters) - A proposed law in Oklahoma that would grant embryos full rights as people from the moment of conception may represent the next big challenge to the constitutional right to abortion in the United States.

Oklahoma's Personhood Act passed the state Senate in February and is expected to be approved by the Republican-controlled House within weeks. The state's Republican governor, Mary Fallin, is an abortion opponent and is expected to sign the bill if it passes.

If an embryo has full legal rights, abortion would represent murder. While the bill does not expressly prohibit abortion, abortion-rights advocates say there's nothing to stop hospital administrators or local law enforcement agencies from restricting or criminalizing abortions under the law. The bill does not carve out exceptions for rape or incest.

Missouri is the only state so far with such a "personhood" law on its books establishing legal rights for embryos, though similar initiatives have been proposed in a handful of states.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/09/us-usa-personhood-oklahoma-idUSBRE8380XG20120409

[ck4829]

1. Wouldn't this make miscarriage manslaughter?

[HockeyMom]

2. Then they must be citizens too

How do they propose to prove citizenship based on conception?

[saras]

3. Next, fetuses can sign legally binding contracts with corporations...

[badtoworse]

4. At what point should an unborn child acquire its right to life?

What criteria should apply? I believe there are extreme positions at both ends of the pregnancy period. What is reasonable for a normal pregnancy, i.e. no abnormal issues threatening the mother?

[lunasun]

5. Oh try and make this country look more stupid to the rest of the world........

cant beat these fetus freaks when it comes to insane

[Kalidurga]

6. this has potential to make some birth control methods illegal

those that prevent a fertilized egg from implanting.

[BlueIris]

7. Asinine.

These sad, pathetic misogynists cannot get more pathetic than this.