OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - An Oklahoma House panel is
expected to consider a pair of bills that would tighten the requirements
for girls under age 18 to notify a parent before receiving an abortion.
Both bills are scheduled to be heard Tuesday in the
House Public Health Committee. The measures seek to tighten the
judicial bypass policy in state law that allows girls under 18 to
receive an abortion without notifying a parent if a judge approves it.
Anti-abortion proponents maintain the state's
current judicial bypass option is being exploited by abortion providers
who seek out judges who routinely approve the practice.
But abortion rights supporters say judicial bypass
is essential for teenagers facing an unwanted pregnancy who might suffer
abuse from parents or guardians that learn of the pregnancy.
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