Columbus — The Ohio House will vote on a six-week abortion ban on Thursday, November 15. In advance of the vote, NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland said: “Once a woman has made the decision to end a pregnancy, she needs access to safe, legal abortion care in her community. The decision to have an abortion is not a political decision. Anti-abortion ideologues should not attempt to insert politics between a patient and their physician. This abortion ban would block patients from the care they need and deserve. If enacted, this legislation would worsen the reproductive health care crisis in our state.”
Copeland continued: “This bill would effectively outlaw abortion and criminalize physicians. Over twenty-thousand people choose to have an abortion in Ohio each year, and seven in ten Americans support legal access to abortion care. Banning women from getting a medical procedure is dangerous, out of touch with Ohio values, and is completely unacceptable.”
The unconstitutional six-week abortion ban would block access to safe and legal abortion before most women even know they’re pregnant. There are no exceptions in the bill for rape, incest, or to protect the health of the woman. This bill would criminalize doctors who perform abortion procedures.
Six-week ban history in Ohio
2011-2012
H.B. 125 – Six-week abortion ban bill passed the House, but was not considered in Senate. Outgoing Senate President Tom Niehaus told reporters he believed abortion providers were offering a necessary service and would not move the bill forward.
2013-2014
Six-week abortion ban bill proponents waged negative campaign attacking Republican leadership.
H.B. 248 – Bill was voted on in the House and failed.
2015-2016
Six-week abortion ban bill proponents attempted to unseat Senator Larry Obhof in Republican primary.
H.B. 493 – Abortion ban amended into other legislation and passed in House and Senate. Vetoed by Gov. John Kasich after he signed a separate 20-week abortion ban. Kasich later stated he would not support bill lacking exceptions for rape or incest, although the 20-week ban did not have exceptions, either.
2017-2018
Senator Larry Obhof named president of the Ohio Senate.
Six-week abortion ban bill proponents met with Vice President Mike Pence at White House
H.B. 258 – Awaiting House vote. Not yet considered in the Senate.
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