On April 26 Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill banning abortions after a baby’s heartbeat starts. In doing so, Oklahoma joins a host of states such as North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Iowa, Tennessee and others in protecting preborn children from abortion.
Abortions cannot be performed without confirmation of pregnancy. Pregnancy is confirmed by detecting the baby’s heartbeat. Effectively, a heartbeat bill outlaws all abortion.
The national movement to ban abortions at the state level after the heart starts beating is consistent with the purpose of government to protect all humans equally from oppression and injustice. The Supreme Court ruling legalizing abortion nationwide in 1973 irresponsibly disqualified preborn babies from protection under the law saying, “The word person does not apply to the unborn.” Heartbeat bills simply seek to correct the high court’s lapse of judgment.