Ohio Abortion Ban Hearing Set for June 13th
South Dakota Banned Abortion, Is Ohio Next?
Ohio legislators to hold hearing on June 13, on proposed ban;
Ohio version even more egregious and far-reaching than South Dakota’s ban Columbus, OH- Kellie Copeland, the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, the state’s leading advocate for personal privacy and a woman’s right to choose, urged Ohioans to prepare for a hearing on a proposed abortion ban on a Tuesday, June 13, 2006. State Rep. John White, chair of the House Health Committee, announced yesterday that the General Assembly would hold public hearings on a yet-to-be determined Tuesday in early to mid June. This morning sources confirmed that the hearing is scheduled for June 13th at 10:00AM in H.R. 313 of the State House. “The vast majority of Ohioans support women’s freedom and privacy, and this ban flies in the face of these fundamental values. South Dakota legislators launched an attack on a woman’s right to choose, will Ohio lawmakers now follow them down this path with an even more extreme ban? Ohio’s pro-choice majority will be at these hearings. We won’t let this politically inspired attack on women’s health go unanswered,” Copeland said. “This proposed ban is an example of why elections matter. Ohioans are tired of these divisive attacks on personal freedom and privacy—and the best way to end this political interference in our private medical decisions is at the ballot box. The same far-right legislators pushing this ban on abortion have failed to support a commonsense bill, The Ohio Prevention First Act, that would make birth control, including the ‘morning-after’ pill, more affordable and accessible, ensure that our young people get honest, realistic sex education, and improve access to family-planning services. We not only have to show up at this hear on June 13th to fight against this ban, but Ohio’s pro-choice majority must show up at the ballot box on November 7th to elect leaders who share our values.” The proposed ban, H.B. 228, is clearly unconstitutional. It directly contradicts the tenets of Roe v. Wade; it would ban abortion without any exceptions – not even for rape or incest, to preserve a woman’s health, or to save her life. The main sponsor of H.B. 228 has admitted that this bill is meant to provide a case to overturn Roe – supporters are intentionally enacting unconstitutional legislation to try to push their extremist agenda all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. H.B. 228 even attempts to eliminate Ohio women’s ability to seek medical care in other states. It would outlaw transporting a woman to obtain an abortion in another state–even a husband, grandparent or other family friend could face 15 years in prison for providing assistance to a pregnant woman in need.
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