From Bans to Criminal Charges—The Next Phase of Abortion Crackdowns

Oklahoma’s failed bill is just one piece of a growing legal strategy.

The anti-abortion movement has entered a terrifying new phase—one that doesn’t just ban the procedure but seeks to prosecute the pregnant people who obtain abortions and those who help them.

In February 2025, Oklahoma State Senator Dusty Deevers introduced Senate Bill 456, a sweeping measure that sought to classify abortion as homicide under state law. I…