Columbus — Fake women’s health centers mislead, delay, and outright lie to women seeking information about pregnancy options. Last week the Ohio Senate added five million dollars in funding for these centers into the state budget. Newly introduced House Bill 297 takes it even further by offering a 50% refundable state tax credit for donations to these centers.
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Deputy Director Jaime Miracle said: “It is bad enough that the state budget now includes five million dollars of funding for centers that lie to and manipulate the clients that they are supposed to help. Now, Ohio legislators are proposing a refundable tax credit for these centers as well. A refundable tax credit not only creates a third mechanism for state support for these fake women’s health centers, but it shows just how little our legislators really care about women and families in our state.”
Miracle continued: “Ohio is one of just four states that does not allow the earned income tax credit to be refundable for low-income Ohioans, but instead of making that tax credit refundable, legislators are creating another scheme to use state resources to contribute to centers that lie. A refundable EITC tax credit will put about $475 into the pockets of low-income families working hard to make ends meet, and put an extra $400 million into the Ohio economy. Nearly 20% of Ohio’s children live in poverty and struggle with hunger, leading to higher rates of infant mortality. These families are what we should be investing in with a tax credit, not donors to centers who’s primary goal is to lie to and manipulate people coming to them for help. This is just another example of the misplaced priorities of the Ohio Legislature. If they truly care about life, and protecting women and families in our state, they would be working on a refundable EITC, not this crazy scheme to give kick backs to their political donors.”
###