Republican leaders in the Oklahoma State Senate have blocked SB 1118, a bill to classify abortion as first-degree murder punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty, from coming up for a floor vote.

Last week, Live Action News reported that the bill was introduced by Republican State Senator Joe Silk in response to a 30,000-signature petition drive calling for a more absolute and immediate stand against abortion than incremental pro-life legislation. Tactically, there are differing schools of thought in the pro-life movement regarding whether state legislatures should go as far as total criminalization before overturning Roe v. Wade.

Republican leaders in the Oklahoma State Senate have blocked SB 1118, a bill to classify abortion as first-degree murder punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty, from coming up for a floor vote.

Last week, Live Action News reported that the bill was introduced by Republican State Senator Joe Silk in response to a 30,000-signature petition drive calling for a more absolute and immediate stand against abortion than incremental pro-life legislation. Tactically, there are differing schools of thought in the pro-life movement regarding whether state legislatures should go as far as total criminalization before overturning Roe v. Wade.

However, Senate leadership’s move to block a vote has denied SB 1118 its required third reading prior to the March 10 deadline, killing it for the remainder of the session.