We are all shocked by the videos of Planned Parenthood selling aborted babies. This is an unconscionable act that should not be tolerated. Governor Kasich led the legislature in opposing the work of Planned Parenthood in Ohio long before these videos surfaced.
Planned Parenthood is the number one provider of abortions in America. They operate under the facade of providing women’s healthcare. Since 2011, in Ohio we have enacted a number of bills to stop Planned Parenthood and to eliminate abortions.
In Ohio, no longer are qualified health plans allowed to provide healthcare coverage for abortions with state and local tax dollars. Under the leadership of Governor John Kasich, we implemented bills prohibiting the use of tax dollars to pay for the costs, premiums, or any other charges of an abortion.
In 2013, House Bill 59 required tax dollars to be allocated to programs that had the primary focus on promoting childbirth, not abortion. State resources were redirected from abortion providers to clinics that do not advocate for abortion.
More recently, the Heartbeat Bill was passed in the House of Representatives, prohibiting an abortion once a heartbeat is detected. Generally this happens around eight weeks of pregnancy. The bill is now in the Senate for further consideration.
In the latest budget the abortion clinic in Toledo was shut down because the clinic had no medical agreement with any hospital within thirty miles. It did not take disturbing videos for Ohio law makers to take strong stances against abortion.
Currently the legislature is working to pass the Abortion- Inducing Drug Safety Act. This bill expands the regulation of the drugs used when inducing an abortion. The bill is being reviewed by the Committee of Community and Family Advancement. The Pain Capable Act has been referred to the same committee and will outlaw abortion when an unborn baby has the ability to feel pain, around twenty weeks of pregnancy. The Down syndrome Non-Discrimination Act stops the abortion of a baby who is diagnosed with Down syndrome through prenatal screenings. I co-sponsored this bill because defending the life of an unborn baby is a priority of mine.
House Bill 294 was introduced by Representatives Bill Patmon and Margaret Conditt, and the bill has been assigned to the Committee of Community and Family Advancement. In House Bill 294, there is an unfamiliar term known as an “elective abortion.” What exactly is an “elective abortion?” We do not need judicial activists defining our laws.
I will support any bill that prohibits the killing of babies. This bill needs scrutiny to determine what an “elective abortion” is and its impact on stopping abortion. Defunding Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion organizations is a step in the right direction.
Legislation enacted beginning in 2011 to stop abortion has decreased the number of abortions in Ohio; however, there is still work to be done. We will continue to work diligently on legislation that stops Planned Parenthood and ensures fewer babies will be aborted.
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