By Gabriella Borter

(Reuters) – Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Tuesday a bill making it illegal in Oklahoma to have an abortion, except for medical emergencies. It penalizes those who violate the law with up to $100,000 fines and ten years imprisonment.

The legislation, which is one of several anti-abortion measures advanced by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature this year, will take effect this summer unless it is blocked in court.

“We want Oklahomans the freedom to choose their own life.” Stitt, signing the bill during a news conference said that Oklahoma does not allow abortions.

It will apply to a large portion of the country, where legal abortion is not available. Oklahoma is now a popular destination for Texas women looking for abortions. Oklahoma’s neighbor, which was banned in September, has been banning abortions from pregnancies for six weeks. This ban came before most women know that they are pregnant.

The Oklahoma Planned Motherhood Abortion providers experienced a near 2,500% rise in Texas patients within the first six months following the Texas law’s implementation, compared with the same time period in 2020.

Melissa Fowler from the National Abortion Federation, stated that today’s ban was cruel. She also said it would have a severe impact on Oklahomans, Texans and an entire region that is facing threats to their right to access abortion.

Oklahoma has introduced separate legislation this year that would ban abortions in Oklahoma and allow private citizens to sue those who aid or abet abortions. The Oklahoma law is very similar to Texas’ six week abortion ban. This bill includes an emergency clause which allows it to be immediately effective once signed by its governor.

Oklahoma and other Republican-led states have passed ever more restrictive abortion bans over the past months in anticipation of a U.S. Supreme Court case that could support the bans against legal challenges.

A case involving a Republican-backed Mississippi bill is expected to be heard by the Supreme Court before June ends. This gives the court’s conservative majority a chance of reversing or even eliminating the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that allowed abortion to become legal in all 50 states.

The conservative justices indicated a willingness during arguments to drastically curtail the rights of abortion in America.