Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law May 25 that prohibits most abortions starting at fertilization, making it the most restrictive abortion ban in the U.S., according to The New York Times.
The measure, which takes effect immediately, is modeled after Texas' law. State officials cannot issue charges to residents for getting an abortion, as the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision still upholds abortion as a constitutional right. Instead, the law permits private citizens to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps someone obtain the medical procedure.
The ban provides an exception for cases in which abortion is necessary to save a woman's life or in cases of rape or incest if they've been reported to law enforcement, according to the Times.
"From the moment life begins at conception is when we have a responsibility as human beings to do everything we can to protect that baby's life and the life of the mother," Mr. Stitt said after signing the bill. "If other states want to pass different laws, that is their right, but in Oklahoma we will always stand up for life."
Trust Women, an abortion provider in Oklahoma, called the bill "gratuitous and cruel flaunting of power by anti-abortion legislators," according to the Times. The organization said it's planning to keep its clinics in Oklahoma City and Wichita, Kan., open to help women find healthcare services in places where abortion is still legal.