When supporters of Senate Bill 13 went to lunch on March 10, Sen. Kim David, R-Wagoner, hurried up a vote to keep the bill from advancing in the Legislature.

SB13, authored by Sen. Joseph Silk, R-Broken Bow, is the Abolition of Abortion in Oklahoma Act. Forty state senators – mostly Republicans – voted to stop the legislation while only four voted for it in the lunchtime vote. Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, voted for the bill.

SB13 would make abortion illegal in Oklahoma. Silk said his bill is based on the constitutional authority given to the states. Oklahoma voters and the Oklahoma Legislature have never approved legalization of abortion.

Oklahoma is defying federal law against possession of marijuana and several states are defying federal immigration laws. And some states have passed laws similar to SB13 that are expected to wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

But the Republican-led Oklahoma Senate (including David) won’t let the issue even have a hearing.