Getting State Government Out of the Abortion Business

My friend Tony Lauinger, chairman of Oklahomans for Life, correctly points out that Governor Brad Henry's veto this week of pro-life Senate Bill 714 isn't the end of the story. It's simply "one more obstacle to be overcome in getting state government out of the abortion business in Oklahoma."

A two-thirds majority vote in the 48-member state Senate is necessary to override the governor's pro-abortion veto. The pro-life bill passed the Senate last week, 32-16, exactly the two-thirds margin that will be necessary to override the veto -- so long as no one changes sides.

All 24 Republican senators support the bill and support the override of the veto. Our job is to make sure all eight Democratic senators who have supported the bill up to now continue to do so, and that they vote to override the veto. There is tremendous pressure on these eight pro-life Democrats from pro-abortion groups. We must make sure they hear from pro-life Oklahomans thanking them for their support for the unborn child, and asking them to continue to support SB 714 by voting to override the governor's veto.

The eight Democratic senators who cast pro-life votes for SB 714 last week, their hometowns (and other major district towns), Capitol phone numbers (leave message on voice mail after hours), and email addresses, are:

1) Susan Paddack, Ada, (Pauls Valley, Holdenville), 405-521-5541
2) Sean Burrage, Claremore, (Pryor), 405-521-5555
3) Tom Ivester, Elk City, 405-521-5545
4) Charlie Laster, Shawnee, 405-521-5539
5) Jay Paul Gumm, Durant, 405-521-5586
6) Mary Easley, Tulsa, 405-521-5590
7) Earl Garrison, Muskogee, 405-521-5533
8) Kenneth Corn, Poteau, 405-521-5576

Please thank these senators for their support of the pro-life bill, SB 714, and ask them to continue to do so by voting to override the governor's veto. To send an email to all eight senators, just send it to Pro-LifeDemocrats@OkForLife.org and your message will reach all eight of them. Your message will say, "Dear Senator, Thank you for defending the unborn child by consistently supporting SB 714. Please vote to override the Governor's veto of this pro-life bill. Thank you."

There are three other Democratic senators who voted for SB 714 earlier in the process, and then reversed their position and voted against the bill last week. They, their hometowns, and Capitol phone numbers, are:

1) Nancy Riley, Tulsa, 405-521-5600
2) Joe Sweeden, Pawhuska, 405-521-5581
3) Charles Wyrick, Fairland, (Miami, Grove) 405-521- 5561

Please urge these senators to support the pro-life bill, as they had earlier in the legislative session, by voting to override the governor's veto. To send an email to all three senators, just send it to Pro-LifeBill@OkForLife.org and your message will reach all three of them. Your message will say, "Dear Senator, Thank you for supporting SB 714 earlier this session. Please vote to override the Governor's veto of this pro-life bill. Thank you."

And amid your political activism, don't forget to pray. As the proverb says, "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will." (Hey, it's not like you weren't warned this blog is Reformed.)

Also, in case you missed it, earlier this month U.S. Senator Tom Coburn wrote to Oklahoma's state legislators urging them to support SB 714, "which would prohibit state funds and facilities from being used to perform abortions."

As a practicing physician, I have had the privilege of experiencing firsthand the miracle of birth more than 3,000 times and I know how precious newborn life is. While this bill would not prohibit abortion, it would ensure that the tax dollars of Oklahomans are no longer used to extinguish the life of the unborn.

I am disappointed that the Oklahoma State Medical Association is opposing this legislation. As a doctor, the oath I take is to “first do no harm” and the OSMA’s position contradicts this oath. A letter you may have received from the OSMA Council on State Legislation dated March 27 claimed that this “legislation impedes on the Physician's ability to practice medicine.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that every tax dollar that is spent to perform an abortion is a dollar that has been taken away from providing medically necessary health care for patients. More than 18 percent of Oklahoma’s population is uninsured, the seventh-highest rate in the country. How can we justify spending limited public resources on abortion when our fellow Oklahomans can not even afford basic health care?