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March 10, 2010

Williams bashes anti-abortion bill

By Philip Jankowski Stillwater NewsPress

STILLWATER, Okla. — Stillwater Rep. Cory Williams is blasting an abortion measure requiring women to undergo an ultrasound one hour prior to the procedure as an instance of medical waste.

Williams, a Democrat, was one of seven representatives who voted against HB 2780, a bill that passed the House of Representatives on March 2. The next day Williams issued chastising remarks, stating the bill is reminiscent of federal encroachment into health care.

“Our doctors need to be focusing on making people better, not jumping through bureaucratic hoops to satisfy the whims of politicians,” Williams said.

Rep. Lisa Billy, R-Purcell, authored HB 2780. The measure would mandate women undergoing the procedure to not only have the ultrasound, but also hear the unborn baby’s heart beat and medical description which could include the sex and the size of the embryo.

“I don’t believe any woman would want to consent to an irrevocable event without that information,” Billy said.

Women would be able to avert their eyes during the ultrasound.

Billy also stated an ultrasound already is a required procedure for any abortion. However, Oklahoma Board of Licensure and Supervision Executive Director Lyle Kelsey said an ultrasound is not mandated. “It is not a required procedure,” Kelsey said.

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