State supreme court tosses restrictive abortion laws
BY BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
12/04/12 at 3:31 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday tossed out two laws that placed restrictions on abortions.
The state's high court found that House Bill 2780 was unconstitutional, upholding a ruling from Oklahoma County District Court.
The measure would have required any woman seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound within an hour of the procedure and to have its results explained to her before the procedure.
All justices concurred except for Noma Gurich, who recused from the decision.
The state's high court also found unconstitutional House Bill 1970, which put restrictions on abortion-inducing drugs. The opinion was unanimous.
An Oklahoma County District Court judge found in May that the measure was "an unconstitutional law in violation of the fundamental rights of women to privacy and bodily integrity" guaranteed in the Oklahoma Constitution.
Attorney General Scott Pruitt had appealed both decisions to the state Supreme Court.
