OUR STATE IT CAN’T HAVE THE MONEY. JUST THE MONEY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE USED FOR A RANGE OF FAMILY PLANNING CARE, AND THAT CAN INCLUDE ABORTION REFERRALS. THE STATE ISN’T PROVIDING THOSE REFERRALS AND ARGUES THE FEDS ARE BREAKING THE LAW BY REQUIRING THEM. OKLAHOMA LOSING A LEGAL FIGHT THIS WEEK OVER WHETHER OR NOT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS $4.5 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR FAMILY PLANNING CARE. THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, DENYING OKLAHOMA’S APPEAL AFTER LOWER COURTS RULED THE FEDS WERE WELL WITHIN THE LAW WHEN THEY SAID OKLAHOMA COULD NOT GET THAT MONEY IF THEY REFUSE TO PROVIDE ABORTION REFERRALS. IT CONFIRMS WHAT WE THOUGHT ALREADY, WHICH IS THAT OUR STATE, IF WE’RE GOING TO OFFER LOCAL HEALTH CARE, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE’RE GIVING PEOPLE ALL THE FACTS. AND THIS THIS CASE SEEMS TO REINFORCE THAT, THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT. OKLAHOMA CITY STATE SENATOR JULIA KURT, A PRO-CHOICE DEMOCRAT, ARGUES THAT OKLAHOMA’S ABORTION LAWS, SOME OF THE STRICTEST IN THE NATION, ARE HURTING THE MOST VULNERABLE AS THE FEDERAL MONEY WOULD HAVE GONE TOWARD STATE RUN CLINICS IN RURAL PARTS OF THE STATE. WE COULD RUN LEGISLATION QUICKLY THAT WOULD ALLOW PHYSICIANS AND OUR HEALTH, OUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS TO GIVE ADVICE TO PATIENTS. AND RIGHT NOW, THEY DON’T DO IT BECAUSE THEY’RE WORRIED THEY’LL BE VIEWED AS A AIDING AND ABETTING ABORTION. THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GIVE THE ADVICE THEY NEED TO GIVE ACROSS THE AISLE. OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT, ACCUSING THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION OF DENYING OKLAHOMA FAMILIES ACCESS TO PREGNANCY RESOURCES, WRITING ON X THAT THE LEGAL FIGHT ISN’T OVER. OKLAHOMA ATTORNEY GENERAL GENTNER DRUMMOND CALLED THE SUPREME COURT’S DENIAL DISAPPOINTING, BUT NOTED THAT THE ORDER FROM THE SUPREME COURT SAID THREE OF THE JUSTICES WOULD HAVE SIDED WITH OKLAHOMA IF THE CASE HAD BEEN HEARD. DRUMMOND SAYS HE’S EXPLORING OTHER LEGAL OPTIONS, AND DESPITE THIS ORDER FROM THE HIGH COURT, THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER. OKLAHOMA IS JUST ONE OF TEN STATES CURRENTLY IN THE COURTS ARGUING THAT FEDERAL RULE ON ABORTION REFERRALS IS ILLEGA
Oklahoma’s abortion ban costing state millions of federal dollars
Oklahoma’s abortion ban is costing the state millions of dollars from the federal government because they said the state isn’t meeting certain requirements.
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Updated: 6:09 PM CDT Sep 4, 2024
Oklahoma’s abortion ban is costing the state millions of dollars from the federal government because they said the state isn’t meeting certain requirements.Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.The money was supposed to be used for a range of family planning care, and that can include abortion referrals. The state isn’t providing those referrals and argues the federal government is breaking the law by requiring them.Oklahoma is losing a legal fight this week over whether they should be able to access $4.5 million in grants for family planning care. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Oklahoma’s appeal after lower courts ruled the federal government was well within in the law when they said Oklahoma could not get the money if they refused to provide abortion referrals.“It confirms what we thought already, which is if we’re going to offer local healthcare, we have to make sure we’re giving people all the facts, this case seems to reinforce that we need to do that,” said state Sen. Julie Kirt.>> Download the KOCO 5 AppKirt, a pro-choice Democrat, argues that Oklahoma’s abortion laws, some of the strictest in the nation, are hurting the most vulnerable as the federal money would have gone toward state-run clinics in rural parts of the state.“We could run legislation quickly that would allow physicians and our healthcare workers to give advice to patients, right now they don’t do it because they’re worried as aiding and abetting abortion, they should be allowed to give the advice need to be able to give,” Kirt said.Across the aisle, Gov. Kevin Stitt is accusing the Biden-Harris Administration of denying Oklahoma families access to pregnancy resources, writing on social media that the legal fight isn’t over.Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond called the U.S. Supreme Court’s denial disappointing but noted that the order from the court said three of the justices would have sided with Oklahoma if the case had been heard. Drummond said he’s exploring other legal options.“While the denial is obviously disappointing, Attorney General Drummond is pleased that three Supreme Court justices were willing to step in and stop the Biden Administration’s lawless overreach at this preliminary juncture. We will be exploring our options moving forward,” Drummond’s office wrote in a news release.Despite the order from the high court, the fight is not over. Oklahoma is just one of 10 states currently in the courts arguing that the federal rule on abortion referrals is illegal.Top HeadlinesShooting at Georgia high school leads to multiple victims, suspect in custodyOnline sports betting costs Americans twice as much in retirement, study saysOHP: Oklahoma City man died day after near drowning at Lake ThunderbirdPolice shoot suspects after fire breaks out at Edmond homePolice identify suspect, release new details after standoff at OKC home ends in shooting
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s abortion ban is costing the state millions of dollars from the federal government because they said the state isn’t meeting certain requirements.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
The money was supposed to be used for a range of family planning care, and that can include abortion referrals. The state isn’t providing those referrals and argues the federal government is breaking the law by requiring them.
Oklahoma is losing a legal fight this week over whether they should be able to access $4.5 million in grants for family planning care. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Oklahoma’s appeal after lower courts ruled the federal government was well within in the law when they said Oklahoma could not get the money if they refused to provide abortion referrals.
“It confirms what we thought already, which is if we’re going to offer local healthcare, we have to make sure we’re giving people all the facts, this case seems to reinforce that we need to do that,” said state Sen. Julie Kirt.
>> Download the KOCO 5 App
Kirt, a pro-choice Democrat, argues that Oklahoma’s abortion laws, some of the strictest in the nation, are hurting the most vulnerable as the federal money would have gone toward state-run clinics in rural parts of the state.
“We could run legislation quickly that would allow physicians and our healthcare workers to give advice to patients, right now they don’t do it because they’re worried as aiding and abetting abortion, they should be allowed to give the advice need to be able to give,” Kirt said.
Across the aisle, Gov. Kevin Stitt is accusing the Biden-Harris Administration of denying Oklahoma families access to pregnancy resources, writing on social media that the legal fight isn’t over.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond called the U.S. Supreme Court’s denial disappointing but noted that the order from the court said three of the justices would have sided with Oklahoma if the case had been heard. Drummond said he’s exploring other legal options.
“While the denial is obviously disappointing, Attorney General Drummond is pleased that three Supreme Court justices were willing to step in and stop the Biden Administration’s lawless overreach at this preliminary juncture. We will be exploring our options moving forward,” Drummond’s office wrote in a news release.
Despite the order from the high court, the fight is not over. Oklahoma is just one of 10 states currently in the courts arguing that the federal rule on abortion referrals is illegal.
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