Oklahoma governor warns tribes not to create abortion havens

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) on Sunday warned Native American tribes not to create abortion safe havens if Roe v. Wade is overturned and his state enacts a near-total ban on abortions.

Stitt told “Fox News Sunday” there was a “possibility” tribes could establish abortion havens if his state makes most abortions illegal.

“Oklahomans will not think very well of that if tribes try to set up abortion clinics,” Stitt said, warning he is monitoring the situation.

Stitt appeared on “Fox News Sunday” after the Supreme Court leak of a draft opinion showing the court was preparing to overturn the 1973 precedent Roe v. Wade, which created a constitutional right to abortions.

Oklahoma has passed into law a total ban on abortions after six weeks, only making an exception if the mother’s life is endangered. The law would go into effect if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

More than half of Oklahoma is within tribal lands. Stitt said the expansion of tribal lands in Oklahoma includes the city of Tulsa, which covers about 1 million people, so he is “watching” what might be done to establish abortion safe havens in his state.

“They think they can be one-one-thousandth tribal member and not have to follow state law,” Stitt said.

The Supreme Court is currently overseeing a case involving a separate dispute between Stitt and tribal leaders over whether the state can prosecute non-Native Americans for crimes committed on tribal lands if the victim is Native American.