[JURIST] The Oklahoma Legislature [official website] approved a bill Thursday that would criminalize performing abortions. The bill, SB 1552 [materials, PDF], reads in pertinent part, “no person shall perform or induce an abortion upon a pregnant woman,” and “[violation of] this section shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not less than one (1) year nor more than three (3) years in the State Penitentiary.” The legislation would also serve to deny practicing physicians from renewing their medical licenses, except those individuals that perform an abortion to preserve the life of the mother. This exception does not include claims that a woman would commit suicide as a result of having to keep the child. The legislation is perhaps the most radical anti-abortion bill that has been passed thus far, conflicting with the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Roe v Wade [opinion, PDF]. Pro-choice groups have been vocal about their opposition to the bill, threatening to challenge [NYT article] the constitutionality of the bill if the governor signs.

Abortion remains controversial across the US, with state legislatures continuing to pass various regulations. Earlier this week South Carolina passed a bill [JURIST report] which would ban abortions at 20 weeks or later. If approved, the bill would make South Carolina the seventeenth US state to ban abortions at 20 weeks. Also this week the Louisiana state Senate approved a bill banning [JURIST report] dilation and evacuation abortion procedures. In March Utah became the first state to require doctors to administer anesthesia [JURIST report] to women receiving an abortion after 20 weeks. Also in March the US Supreme Court heard arguments [JURIST report] on a Texas law that would require abortion clinics to upgrade facilities to hospital-like standards and would require doctors to have admitting privileges at local hospitals.

UPDATE 5:00 PM ET ~ Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has vetoed [press release] the legislation.