OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma Senate has approved a bill that prevents girls younger than 17 from buying the so-called morning-after pill without a prescription.
The Senate voted 33-11 on Wednesday for the bill, which now heads to the House for consideration. It was written by Republican Sen. Rob Standridge, a pharmacist from Norman. The bill prohibits girls younger than 17 from purchasing the morning-after emergency contraceptive without a prescription.
Democrats who voted against the bill argued that it would lead to more unwanted pregnancies, especially among young teenage girls, and likely more abortions.
But Standridge said the emergency contraceptive is a powerful drug, and that young people’s access should be limited. He says the bill addresses a “public-health issue, not a pro-life issue.”
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Online:
Senate Bill 1219: https://bit.ly/1k7C1uI
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