Columbus — For the second time in two months, the Ohio Senate will vote on an unconstitutional restriction on abortion providers. Today’s vote to force women to cremate or bury fetal tissue is a proposal specifically addressed in the same Indiana court ruling that also blocked the Indiana version of the Down syndrome abortion ban enacted last month in Ohio.
In advance of the vote on Senate Bill 28, NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland said: “When a woman has made the decision to have an abortion she should be able to to access that care in her community without judgement or harassment. The anti-abortion politicians behind this bill want to force a woman who has had an abortion to have to consider and decide upon burial or cremation services—it’s inappropriate and demeaning.
“Ohio abortion providers already work with each woman on a case-by-case basis to ensure all her questions are answered and her wishes are met. They use the same standards as hospitals and Governor John Kasich’s own government agencies. This bill imposes different, more expensive standards on abortion providers that could cause all abortion clinics in Ohio to close. It is part of the ongoing agenda of John Kasich and Mike DeWine to eliminate abortion access in our state.”
The bill also increases mandatory reporting requirements for abortion providers that are not demanded of other physicians. As the bill attempts to shame women making a decision on abortion and increases costs to abortion providers, it is an undue burden in violation of Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt.
In December, 2016, Rep. Nickie Antonio requested a memo from the Legislative Service Commission (download .pdf) to determine how much Ohioans should expect court battles over unconstitutional abortion restrictions to cost in tax dollars. Using Indiana as an example: LSC found: “According to the Indiana State Auditor, between 2011 and 2017, the state paid $2.8 million, or an average of $400,000 each year, to the ACLU following the group’s successful challenges to various unconstitutional state laws including laws restricting the right to an abortion.”
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