[JURIST] Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry signed three anti-abortion bills into law Monday. The first bill prohibits abortions performed because of the gender of the fetus. The second bill creates the Freedom of Conscience Act and protects medical employees who refuse to participate in procedures such as abortion based on religious beliefs. The third bill regulates the use of RU-486, or mifepristone, a chemical used in abortion procedures. State Senator Todd Lamb (R), a sponsor of one of the bills, explained the purpose of the new measures:
These bills were each approved previously by the Legislature, but were prevented from taking effect due to a court ruling that they violated Oklahoma’s Constitution regarding single-subjects for legislation. … We believed then and believe now these provisions reflect the values of our state, and have successfully reaffirmed them in the Senate as individual measures.The bills contain emergency clauses, causing them to take effect immediately.The measures signed by the governor Monday were included in previous bills that were struck down by Oklahoma courts. In March, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down a broad abortion law that included the RU-486 restrictions. In February, a state court struck down another multi-part law that included the prohibition on abortion based on the gender of a fetus. The Oklahoma Constitution requires each piece of legislation to address only one subject. The Center for Reproductive Rights, which initially filed lawsuits against the bills, has indicated that it will challenge the constitutionality of the separated bills. Staff Attorney Stephanie Toti criticized the laws, arguing that “they violate a myriad of constitutional principles, from freedom of speech to due process to equal protection of the law.”