Columbus — Pro-choice advocates are preparing for a busy day at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday as three bills related to reproductive health care are considered in the Ohio House.
9 a.m. — The Ohio House Health Committee will hold their first hearing on the six-week abortion ban, House Bill 258. Rep. Christina Hagan (R-Alliance) and Rep. Ron Hood (R-Ashville) return with their blatantly unconstitutional bill to ban abortion at a point in pregnancy when many women do not yet realize they are pregnant.
Part of the reason the six-week abortion ban was scheduled for Nov. 1 is to coincide with a Congressional hearing for a federal version of the bill in Washington DC. Anti-choice members of Congress are looking to either challenge Roe directly with this bill, or use it to distract from a federal 20-week abortion ban also in consideration, just like the Ohio General Assembly did in December, 2016.
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland said: “The six-week abortion ban has an ugly history in the Ohio Statehouse, dating back to its first introduction in 2011. Advocates for shutting down abortion access in Ohio have tried everything from flattery to accusations of murder, and the leadership in the Ohio House is playing a dangerous game by entertaining this idea. The six-week abortion ban has one aim – to trigger a health crisis by removing access to safe and legal abortion in Ohio. Any politician willing to consider that should leave office immediately because of their disregard for public safety.”
1:30 p.m. — The Ohio House may schedule a floor vote on the Down syndrome abortion ban, House Bill 214. We strongly oppose this unconstitutional attack on reproductive rights.
Copeland continued: “All abortion bans are immoral, including this one. In committee hearings in both the House and Senate, we heard from doctors, and parents of children with Down syndrome. They all want women to have the power to make their own decisions on how and when they raise a family. They all oppose this bill.
“Ohio Right to Life claims this legislation is about disability rights, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. This bill does nothing to provide support to people living with disabilities. Just like every other abortion ban, its true goal is to close every abortion clinic in Ohio.”
3 p.m. — Rep. Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland) and Rep. Michelle Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) will have the first opportunity to testify before the House Criminal Justice Committee in support of their clinic protection legislation, House Bill 234.
Copeland concluded: “When harassment and intimidation is ignored it escalates to violence. This bill will prevent violence against women and men entering abortion clinics and other health care facilities. We don’t want to see violent confrontations like what happened in Colorado Springs develop in our state. This bill strikes an appropriate balance between our constitutionally protected right to free speech and our government’s responsibility to protect the health and safety of its citizens. This bill is constitutional, this bill is needed, and this bill is the right thing for our state and all of its citizens.”
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