How Does Oklahoma's Abortion Ban Strengthen Efforts Against Roe v Wade?

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) on Tuesday signed a near-total abortion ban into law, leaving some to believe that Roe v Wade is at risk of being overturned by the Supreme Court. 

Unlike many other newly-enforced laws that restrict abortions, the Oklahoma legislation will only make exceptions in the case of a medical emergency — not rape or incest. Stitt also said that medical providers who perform abortions will be punished with six-figure fines or up to 10 years in prison. The ban, Senate Bill 612, will likely go into effect in late August after the end of the current legislative session. Oklahoma is not the only state looking to pass an abortion ban akin to the Texas Heartbeat Act; some analysts say as many as 26 states are likely to ban abortions if Roe v Wade is overturned.

Columnist Paul Waldman argued in The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) that the Oklahoma bill "makes the death of Roe almost inevitable," and criticized Democrats for seeming "reluctant" to make abortion rights a mobilizing issue in the 2022 midterm elections. Waldman also called Republicans "emboldened" and predicted that "they’re coming for birth control next." An op-ed from The Washington Times (Lean Right bias) tied the larger debate around pro-abortion policy to the 2022 midterm elections and said "Democrats should fear the coming 'culture war' campaigns." Citing abortion and other sex-related topics, the writer contested that "the pendulum has swung too far left" and is now "coming back to center."