Lessons Learned from an Oklahoma Abortion Ban (Senate Bill 1118) | The Mark Harrington Show

Oklahoma Senator Joseph Silk joins Mark to recap a recently failed attempt to pass legislation in his state that would've classified abortion as murder, thereby making it illegal.

Mark's unique experience in leading a push for an immediate ban in Ohio ("HB 228" as introduced by former Rep. Tom Brinkman) and in leading multiple pushes for the Ohio "Heartbeat Bill" (introduced in 2011, 2012 and 2015) gives him authoritative knowledge on the existing strategic obstacles to passing such legislation.  Mark believes the greatest obstacle to immediate bans is what he calls "legislative judicialism": legislatures choosing not to pass bills because they predict that they won't hold up in court.  This also may have been the case in Oklahoma with Silk's recent legislation--SB 1118--which modeled Ohio's Hearbeat Bill.

Listen to Mark interview Oklahoma Senator Joseph Silk about his unsuccessful attempt at bringing an immediate ban to abortion in Oklahoma.  Silk--until recently--was investing in incremental legislation, and was convinced it was the most effective way to ultimately bring about an end to abortion.  But when he saw the aggressive opposition an attempt at an Oklahoma immediate ban received from pro-life legislative organizations, he was disillusioned by the plans of the pro-life lobby and became an immediatist.

Mark believes that immediate abolition at the state level will only succeed if the state's governor and attorney general back the legislation with every atom of their being.  The Federal government will pull out ALL STOPS against state-level defiance to legalized abortion.  State legislatures MUST be willing to resist STRONG OPPOSITION--even the NATIONAL GUARD--if necessary!