Abortion ban not expected to go far
Many Ohio lawmakers, groups cool to proposal
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Jim Siegel
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
A bill that would ban all abortions in Ohio is expected to draw enthusiastic audiences and spirited debate to the Statehouse today for the first, and likely last, hearing on the proposal. After dozens of supporters and opponents of abortion rights spend a good six hours making their cases, House Bill 228 is expected to be placed back in a file cabinet and left to die at the end of the year. "I don’t see it coming back," said Scott Borgemenke, chief of staff for Speaker Jon A. Husted, R-Kettering, adding that an abortion bill is not among the priorities this year for Republicans, who control both branches of the legislature. Rep. John White, a Kettering Republican and chairman of the House Health Committee that will hear testimony starting at 10 a.m., said he expects only one hearing. "As the bill is written, I don’t think there is support on the committee," White said, calling the bill "poorly written." Even Ohio Right to Life does not support the bill. The measure, introduced by Rep. Tom Brinkman, a Cincinnati Republican, would ban all abortions in Ohio without exception, and make it a felony to take a woman across state lines to get an abortion. "There are various degrees of pro-lifers," said White, who said that he supports an exception to save the life of the mother. "Some have rape and incest exceptions, some don’t. This is a pretty cutand-dried piece of legislation, and I lose pro-life legislators if we have no exceptions." But Kellie Copeland is unconvinced. The executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio said the lame duck legislative session in November and December could push through an anti-abortion bill, especially if Democrat Ted Strickland is elected governor Nov. 7. Strickland favors most abortion rights, except so-called partialbirth abortion. Republican gubernatorial candidate J. Kenneth Blackwell has said he would sign an abortion ban with no exceptions, like the law South Dakota lawmakers passed in March. Copeland will be in Columbus today with about 30 others to testify why they believe a bill that bans abortion, even to save the life of the mother, is dangerous. "It’s shocking to me to propose legislation that says to another human being, ‘You don’t have the right to health care that could save your life,’ " she said. Like backers of the South Dakota law, supporters hope the Ohio bill would one day give the U.S. Supreme Court the chance to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that guarantees abortion rights. Ohio Right to Life is neutral on the bill being considered today. Denise Mackura, director of government relations, said while at least 100 abortion-rights opponents are expected at the Statehouse to express their views, she’s concerned the bill would eliminate a number of critical state laws, such as a ban on partial-birth abortion. While that might appear to make sense, if the court tosses out the bill, all the other laws might get tossed with it, she said. Mackura is unconvinced that an abortion ban is the best way to get Roe v. Wade overturned. Rather, she expects it would come from a case challenging, for example, a law restricting abortion funding or parental notification. Mackura said she would rather see Ohio pass an abortion ban that goes into effect if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. She also wants to take away state funding for abortions. "It’s always useful to send a message to the court that people do think the law has gotten too extreme," she said.
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