House Votes To Tighten Abortion Requirements

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- State lawmakers voted Wednesday to tighten medical emergency exceptions to Oklahoma's abortion laws.<br/><br/>The move came despite concerns from the state Legislature's only

Wednesday, March 14th 2007, 5:06 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- State lawmakers voted Wednesday to tighten medical emergency exceptions to Oklahoma's abortion laws.

The move came despite concerns from the state Legislature's only practicing physician that the bill is an attempt to supersede a doctor's clinical judgment.

The state House voted 87-9 for legislation that would redefine the term medical emergency in Oklahoma's informed consent law.

The exception permits doctors to bypass the state's informed-consent requirements for women considering an abortion when they are experiencing a medical emergency.

Representative Doug Cox is an emergency medicine physician at Integris Grove General Hospital. He says the measure overrides a doctor's clinical judgment and is an attempt to legislate a physician's ability to determine whether an abortion should be performed to save the life or health of a woman.