Lawsuit Filed to Block Oklahoma Abortion Bill

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A New York-based abortion rights group is suing to block enforcement of an anti-abortion law that was the focus of a veto override vote in the Senate.

Center for Reproductive Rights attorney Jennifer Mondino says the lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Oklahoma County District Court. The legal challenge came about two hours after the state Senate overrode Gov. Brad Henry's veto of a bill that requires women to undergo an ultrasound before getting an abortion.

The override allowed the measure to immediately go into effect.

Mondino says the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Nova Health Systems, which operates an abortion clinic in Tulsa, and Dr. Larry Burns, who provides abortions in Norman.

It seeks a temporary retraining order to block enforcement of the statute and an expedited hearing on an injunction.