Oklahoma GOP Lawmaker Wants To Classify Abortion As Felony Homicide Punishable By Life In Prison

Oklahoma state Sen. Joseph Silk (R) wants to pass a bill that would classify abortion as a felony homicide punishable by life in prison.

“It’s gonna be classified as a homicide because, essentially, a fertilized egg is a human life just like a 1-year-old baby is a human life,” state Sen. Joseph Silk, R-Broken Bow, told KFOR on Friday. “So, an abortion would be considered intentionally taking a human life.”

When asked by a reporter what he would say to a woman sentenced to life in prison for abortion, Silk replied, “I don’t know, the exact same thing I would say to a mother who just killed a 1-month-old or a 1-year-old child. It’s a horrific act, and there shouldn’t be any tolerance for it.”

Silk’s proposed bill, the “Abolition of Abortion in Oklahoma Act,” calls on the state to ignore decisions by the Supreme Court on abortion.

“The Attorney General shall direct state agencies to enforce those laws regardless of any contrary or conflicting federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, or court decisions,” the proposed legislation reportedly states.

Silk also pointed to slavery while trying to argue why it was justifiable for Oklahoma to pass a bill that would ignore decisions by the Supreme Court.

“The Supreme Court also ruled that slavery, you know, that slaves were private property and they were wrong,” Silk said. “And so, the courts do need to be challenged.”

The bill would almost certainly be deemed unconstitutional if it became law.

The ACLU of Oklahoma said the bill is outrageous and that Silk can’t overturn federal law.

“This isn’t the first time that Senator Silk has demonstrated that he could use a refresher in constitutional law if he’s ever had any at all,” said Allie Shinn, deputy director for ACLU Oklahoma.

“I’m not sure where Joseph Silk got to decide that he’s the morality police, but nobody elected him to do that,” said Shinn. “He was elected to govern the people of Oklahoma, including the women of Oklahoma.”

When asked if there would be exceptions made in his bill for women who are pregnant from incest or rape, Silk said, “The numbers of rape and incest are so tiny, under half a percent. So, it’s almost not even an arguable question. It is a human life, regardless of how it came to be.”