Cudos to Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry

good for him

What relief after all the bad news out of AZ.

Oklahoma is considering wheter to pass legislation that allows oklahomans to opt out of paying into National Health care if they don't want it.

HOORAY!!! GOOD Vetos!





David

House overrides abortion bill vetoes

BACK ON JOB
Sen. Mike Mazzei: He's been absent for medical reasons for most of this session, but he's returning for the override vote.
By MICHAEL McNUTT NewsOK.com
Published: 4/27/2010 2:24 AM
Last Modified: 4/27/2010 10:05 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY " The Senate is expected to consider on Tuesday whether to override two gubernatorial vetoes of anti-abortion legislation, which the House of Representatives easily overrode Monday.

Sen. Mike Mazzei, a Tulsa Republican who has spent most of this session on a medical leave of absence as he tries to recover from a back injury, will be on the Senate floor, said Ashley Kehl, a spokeswoman for Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee. It's expected that Mazzei, who has supported similar legislation in the past, will vote to override the vetoes.

It will take 36 votes to override Gov. Brad Henry's vetoes. The Senate passed both measures last week with votes of 35-11; Mazzei and Sen. Johnny Crutchfield, D-Ardmore, were absent.

The House took up the overrides on the first day it was back in session since Henry vetoed the measures Friday. House Bill 2780 would have required women to hear a description of an ultrasound examination before they could have an abortion, and HB 2656 would have made it illegal to sue a doctor on a claim of "wrongful birth" because the doctor failed to persuade the mother to abort a child.

So? I suspect they'll be overturned just as the previous ones were that were passed after veto.

Henry still did the right thing in vetoing the legislation.

The only outcomes of this will be: a) some legislators get to grandstand, b) some women will be inconvenienced and/or traumatized while the cases make their way through the courts, and c) the state of Oklahoma will have to pay money to defend an indefensible position.

I have lived in Oklahoma most of my life, so I will tell you what will happen. If they do, in fact, succeed and overturn Gov. Henry's vetos, women in Oklahoma will simply go to a neighboring state for abortions. Meanwhile, expect a higher court challenge.

SO STIPULATED.





David

Anti-abortion forces are working on legislation in GA.

OKLAHOMA CITY " The Center for Reproductive Rights filed suit against the state Tuesday just hours after the Senate overturned Gov. Brad Henry's vetoes of two abortion bills.
Henry on Friday vetoed measures calling for women to undergo ultrasounds before abortions and prohibiting "wrongful life" lawsuits.

After the Senate agreed to the veto override, a lawsuit challenging the ultrasound provision was filed in Oklahoma County District Court on behalf of Reproductive Services in Tulsa and Dr. Larry A. Burns, who practices in Norman.

House Bill 2780 requires women seeking abortions to undergo ultrasounds within an hour before the procedure and to have the results explained.

The lawsuit alleges that House Bill 2780 burdens the free speech rights of abortion providers and their patients, among other things.
"It is extremely disappointing that the Oklahoma Legislature insists on passing a law that is so clearly unconstitutional and so detrimental to women in the state," said Stephanie Toti, a staff attorney with the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=16&articleid=20100428_16_A1_OKLAHO381450

The law, as passed, took effect immediately. Starting yesterday, doctors performing abortions here in Oklahoma are required to show women ultrasound images of their fetuses and hear a detailed description no more than an hour before the scheduled procedure. The law's supporters reasoned that providing this information would surely reduce the number of abortions in Oklahoma. BUT...the law cannot require women to look at the images.

As quoted in our Tulsa World newspaper this morning, the executive administrator for Reproductive Services (the firm filing suit against the new legislation) said, "We don't like it, but we're following it...The doctor told me yesterday after she finished that not one patient would view the ultrasound images. All of them closed their eyes. Some of them left the room with tears in their eyes, but nobody changed their mind."

Well, duh.

This is so stupid. It is going to cost the taxpayers a truckload of money to fight the court challenge, which is guaranteed to strike down the law as unconstitutional. The state congressional leaders don't care, of course. It's an election year...what does it matter if you traumatize a bunch of women as long as you keep the funding from the religious right rolling in that wins you elections.

Open-carry gun bill heads to Henry

By BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau
Published: 5/5/2010 2:24 AM
Last Modified: 5/5/2010 5:20 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY " A bill that would allow those with concealed-carry permits to openly carry weapons is headed to Gov. Brad Henry's desk.

The House on Tuesday passed House Bill 3354 by a 74-24 vote.

"This legislation should actually reduce the chance of violence," said Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, the House sponsor. "A criminal is far less likely to attack once he sees a citizen is armed."

Duncan said the measure would not allow law enforcement officers to stop a person who is openly carrying a weapon and ask to see a concealed-carry permit unless they believe a crime has been committed.

"Law enforcement has to have a reasonable reason to initiate a stop or detain someone," he said.
Duncan said he believes Henry will sign the measure.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=16&articleid=20100505_16_A1_OKLAHO343691

A bill that would allow those with concealed-carry permits to openly carry weapons... It's about freaking time!