The Oklahoma Legislature voted overwhelmingly to override vetoes of two highly restrictive abortion measures.

One of the measures protects doctors from malpractice suits if they decide not to inform the parents of a unborn baby that the fetus has birth defects. The intent of the bill is to prevent parents from later suing doctors who withhold information to try to influence them against having an abortion.

Gov. Brad Henry said:

“It is unconscionable to grant a physician legal protection to mislead or misinform pregnant women in an effort to impose his or her personal beliefs on a patient”

The other measure requires that women undergo an ultrasound and listen to a detailed description of the fetus before having an abortion. There is no exception for rape or incest victims.

Two other antiabortion bills are still working their way through the legislature. One would force women to fill out a lengthy questionnaire about their reasons for seeking an abortion and then post statistics online based on the answers. The other restricts insurance coverage for the procedure.