Women must get men’s permission to have an abortion as Oklahoma takes a giant step back to the dark ages of dangerous and illegal back-street abortions. A Public Health Committee at the state capitol agreed to let dads block abortions.

Republican state representative Justin Humphrey said that he just wants to include the father in the abortion process, but what he is really doing is giving the man the right to control the woman’s body.

A woman would have to reveal the father’s name and provide his “written, informed” consent, before she could have the abortion. Humphrey authored House Bill 1441 that says fathers can veto a women’s decision to go forward with the abortion, even in the case of incest.

According to The Oklahoman, Humphrey has called women “hosts” to unborn babies:

‘When I use the term host, it’s not meant to degrade women. If there’s better verbiage out there, I will gladly use better verbiage. I just couldn’t find it.’

The Oklahoman reported that Humphrey told the committee:

‘My bill would stop an abortion if a father does not agree to the abortion. There’s a lot of questions that need to be answered in this bill. I’m willing to work with any of y’all to change things, to work with either side, to make a better bill.’

Planned Parenthood Great Plains’ Tamya Cox warned that women face a very real fear of abusive men, especially at this time, The Oklahoman reported:

‘While it made exceptions for rape, incest and death of the partner, it did not consider women in an abusive relationship. One of the very numerous problems with this bill is there are so many questions left unanswered that may never be answered.’

Cox said that in 1992 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that women have the sole authority to get an abortion. However, the Supreme Court case struck down several provisions of a Pennsylvania law, making it harder for women to get an abortion. The majority wrote:

‘The women most affected by this law — those who most reasonably fear the consequences of notifying their husbands that they are pregnant — are in the gravest danger.’

Humphrey’s bill passed committee 5-2, and now it will go to the full House. If it passes there, it goes to the Senate and then, to the governor.

The bill does include exceptions for rape, incest and the mother’s health.

Check out this video about Humphrey’s bill:

Featured Image: x1klima via Flickr, Creative Commons License.