Oklahoma Abortion Law: Details To Be Publicly Posted Online
A new Oklahoma law requires physicians to disclose detailed information on women’s abortions to the State’s Department Of Health, which will then post the collected data on a public website. The controversial measure comes into effect on November 1 and will cost $281,285 to implement, $256,285 each subsequent year to maintain.
Oklahoma women undergoing abortion procedures will be legally forced to reveal:
1) Date of abortion
2) County in which abortion is performed
3) Age of mother
4) Marital status of mother
5) Race of mother
6) Years of education of mother
7) State or foreign country of residence of mother
8) Total number of previous pregnancies of the motherProponents of the legislation claim that women should not be concerned over their privacy since no names or “personal information” will be reported. This defense is questionable. Feminists For Choice argues, “In reviewing the actual text of the law, the first 8 questions that will be asked and reported could easily be used to identify any member of a smaller community.”
The Center For Reproductive Rights, former state Rep. Wanda Jo Stapleton (D-Okla.), and Okla. resident Lora Joyce David have filed a lawsuit to prevent this contentious abortion bill from going into effect, on the grounds that it violates the state’s constitution.
i’ve no business in Oklahoma, nor do i know anyone there. this is also a state issue, not a federal one… i think.
but there are 26 Republicans and 22 Democrats in the State Senate, and this seems like something that neither side should think is a good idea. i mean, really? posting this information ONLINE!?
if you read the bill in full (the link is in the word “reveal”), the questions that are available for answering and posting online are just criminally personal.
/doublefacepalm
edit: i feel like i should make an editorial note and state that this isn’t even about ProLife/ProChoice unless you really, really want it to be. this is something that could easily lead into other areas of your very personal life being exposed in a very public forum (although, thankfully, no one’s using names… yet).
I actually don’t have a problem with this limited information being GATHERED, since it can be used, presumably, in much the same way all other statistics are used — to zero in on where greatest need for education, etc., might be needed. I do wonder if it isn’t already being gathered? But I do have a problem with the information being available to John Q at the touch of a button, for precisely the reasons stated in the article — no big deal in NYC, maybe, but in Chilton County, Alabama — yep — maybe a devastatingly horrible thing.
well, yeah: medical information gathering is part of what the medical field is all about. the uses of statistics and demographics and population health are really good tools in the hands of a good researcher. i just cannot fathom why they feel it necessary for this information to be posted publicly on a case-by-case basis (even without names). i read through the bill and unless i just completely missed it, there’s not a reason given for this needing to happen.
I haven’t read through the legislation — is there some question about tax dollars, and a suggestion that the citizenry is entitled to have this information for THAT reason? (Not that I believe that is valid. I think that argument only extends reasonably to whether tax $$ are being spent at all, just like I want to know how many of my tax $$ are funding the arts, or cancer research, or the military).
Welcome to Oklahoma! Where we elect nut jobs like Sally Kern. Surprisingly, this state used to be very progressive and was staunchly Democrat when it came to state politics. Like the rest of the heartland we have been overrun by the Republican Right, which consequently has been taken over by the fundamentalist sects of Christianity. Not saying that either Christianity or Republicans are evil just that they together shouldn’t mix. This law is simply one of many ridiculous laws that the Republicans have been forcing in lately. If the laws pass the Republicans win. If the Democrat Governor vetoes the bills (which he has done several times lately) then they will use them as wedge issues in an attempt to regain control during next years election.Dirty politics as usual…