Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:13 am
All right. Here's what I found out:
Texas has the same two 24 hour delay periods wherein a physician must give the woman information on the procedure, status of her fetus, funding options (including roping the father into child support), etc etc. This law reads pretty much identical to the Oklahoma one. Kansas, also, has a law with remarkably similar language. Arkansas has even tougher laws, which I'll cover in a moment.
Texas also prohibits public funds and facilities from performing abortions (with few, difficult to achieve exceptions on rape *rape is the crime least likely to be reported or prosecuted* and danger to the woman's life). Kansas does not permit abortions from taking place in any facility owned, operated or funded by the University of Kansas health system. I did not research how extensive that health system is.
All three states restrict low-income access to abortions with policies similar to Oklahoma.
Texas and Kansas both allow private clinic, physicians, hospitals and funds to refuse abortion services, similar to Oklahoma.
Texas and Kansas both require parental notification and the written consent of at least one parent in the cases of under 18 women. Texas does not make exceptions for rape, abuse or neglect. A minor may seek a judge to rule that she is sufficiently mature and aware of her situation and the consequences, but only in cases where parental notice may result in abuse or otherwise endanger her. (How a minor is supposed to get through all that red tape on her own I have no idea. Also, what about minors in the foster system?)
Additionally, Kansas law states a young woman may not obtain an abortion until after she receives counseling from a licensed physician, nurse, physician's assistant, clergy member, or qualified counselor while accompanied by a parent or an interested adult over 21 who is not associated with the abortion provider. Such counseling, of course, includes discussion of the alternatives and financial support available.
Kansas further has a gag order that "A group that promotes, refers for, or educates in favor of abortion may not enter into a contract under the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's pregnancy maintenance programs, which provide services to enable women to carry their pregnancies to term."
And one final law for Texas. Providers, including private physicians, who perform more than 50 abortions per year must become licensed as abortion facilities. The fee for licensing is $2,500 a year. Additionally it states that such facilities are required to uphold numerous and specific administrative and health code regulations, violations of which lead to fies of $1,000 per day per infraction. I could not find information on what these policies were, other than the extensive legal information needed for each abortion performed, including the name, age, address, ethnicity and medical history of the patient. This information must be submitted for each abortion performed.
So not much difference in laws. Now let's look at Arkansas, which is even more conservative.
In addition to restriction of access for minors and low-income women, Arkansas has the same delay and waiting period counseling rules. However, Arkansas also has no repealed its pre-Roe v Wade abortion ban, which is unenforceable but speaks powerfully for the political climate. Arkansas bans 12-week abortions and punishes offenders with felony charges.
The Arkansas constiution reads "The policy of Arkansas is to protect the life of every unborn child from conception until birth, to the extent permitted by the Federal Constitution."
Certain state employee insurance plans prohibit coverage of abortion unless necessary to preserve a woman's life.
Also, 93 percent of Texas counties have no abortion providers. 96 percent of Kansas and Oklahoma counties have no abortion provider. 97 percent of Arkansas counties have no abortion providers.
Out of curiosity, I decided to do some comparisons...
31 states have laws that subject women seeking abortions to biased counseling requirements and/or mandatory delays: AL, AK, AR, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WI.
8 states have laws that require women to obtain the written consent from, or give notice to, her husband prior to receiving abortion care: CO, IL, KY, LA, ND, PA, RI, SC.
43 (!!) states restrict young women's access to abortion by mandating parental notice or consent: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WI, WY.
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives reintroduced the so-called "Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act," which imposes criminal penalties on anyone other than a parent—including a grandparent or minister—who accompanies a young woman across state lines for abortion care if requirements of the home state's parental involvement law have not been met.
So there you have it.
And, hopping off topic briefly, yes it was illegal to tattoo in Oklahoma until 2006 when the "permenant body art" ban was lifted, the law coming into affect in November 1st of that year. We were the last state to prohibit tattooing.
Also, anyone under the age of 18, even if accompanied by a parent, adult or legal guardian cannot be in a tattoo shop or receive a tattoo in Oklahoma under state law.
A $100,000 surety bond must be filed with the State Attorney General's office for a tattoo parlor to open and operate legally. Also, artists must be licensed micropigmentologists or tattoo artists under state law.
A tattoo parlor cannot open or operate within 1,000 feet of a school, church, playground. For those of you not familiar with my state, there are a LOT of churches here. We are the buckle of the Bible Belt for a reason. I tried to find some definite numbers on this but couldn't.