Columbus — New legislation, House Bill 565, was introduced today that would outlaw abortion care in Ohio. This unconstitutional legislation is a clear effort to provide the U.S. Supreme Court with a case to overturn Roe v. Wade. The legislation is sponsored by Representatives Ron Hood and Nino Vitale, who have also supported the six-week abortion ban known as the “Heartbeat Bill.”
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland said: “Anti-choice extremists from the Ohio Statehouse to the White House are lining up their dominoes to topple Roe v. Wade and punish those who seek or provide abortion care. With Sen. Sherrod Brown up for election this fall, and Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy considering retirement this summer, the battle to keep abortion safe and legal will be decided by Ohio voters in 2018. NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio and our supporters will be relentless in our efforts to stop this dangerous agenda in its tracks.
“For those who doubt the seriousness of this attack, let me remind you that President Trump said that a woman who has an abortion should be punished, Vice President Pence allowed Purvi Patel to be imprisoned in Indiana for a miscarriage, and both GOP candidates for governor of Ohio have pledged to outlaw all abortions with no exceptions. What we are seeing today is the culmination of 45 years of maneuvering from anti-choice forces. What we do in this election and this legislative session could well determine the fate of Roe v. Wade for generations to come.”
House Bill 565 would outlaw all abortions in Ohio. All abortions would be classified as murder, punishable by life imprisonment or even the death penalty. There are no exceptions in the bill for rape, incest, or to protect the health of the woman.
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