Just as one of the boldest anti-abortion bills passed through the Legislature garnering national attention, Governor Fallin vetoed the measure. Senate Bill 1552 would have made it a felony for physicians to perform abortions.
“The bill is so ambiguous and so vague that doctors cannot be certain what medical circumstances would be considered ‘necessary to preserve the life of the mother,’” Fallin said.
“The absence of any definition, analysis or medical standard renders this exception vague, indefinite and vulnerable to subjective interpretation and application,” she wrote in her veto message.
Fallin stressed that she has a long history of championing and signing pro-life legislation. However, she didn’t feel SB 1552 was the way to approach the issue.
“While I consistently have and continue to support a re-examination of the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, this legislation cannot accomplish that re-examination,” Fallin wrote. “In fact, the most direct path to a re-examination of the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade is the appointment of a conservative, pro-life justice to the United States Supreme Court.”
It is unclear if the Legislature will attempt a veto override.
Whatever one’s opinion on this issue, the Governor is quite right. SB 1552 would have been knocked out as unconstitutional by the first court to review it.