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Supporting Reproductive Rights - Pending or Recent Legislation

There were two bills pending in the last Ohio House of Representatives related to abortion. H.B. 228 sought to outlaw all abortions--even those required to save the life of a woman— and would make it illegal for a person to take a pregnant woman across a state line for the purpose of seeking an abortion—was not considered or passed. Since the referendum overturning a draconian anti-abortion bill in South Dakota passed in the November 2006 election and since Democrats increased their power in the Ohio Legislature, it seems even more unlikely that we will see efforts to pass H.B. 228. However, it will probably be re-introduced in the current legislature, which is still dominated by Republicans. Hopefully, moderation regarding the issue is on the rise.

H.B. 239, which restricts government entities from funding abortions for poor women, was passed with provisions changing the original bill’s refusal to fund abortions resulting from rape or incest. The bill, as passed, also states that “it is the public policy of the state to prefer childbirth over abortion to the extent that is constitutionally permissible.” H.B. 239 is in keeping with anti-choice bills of the past 20 years, which have sought to chip away at the right to make personal decisions about whether to seek an abortion. Those who voted for it said that the policy had been observed for years anyway and that the bill simply codified it. Passage of the bill does suggest, however, that anti-choice forces thought that most Ohioans do not care enough about the poor to object to the bill and that bias against persons needing government assistance is deeply ingrained.

The Ohio Legislative Services Commission publishes reports about all bills proposed. Read about H.B. 228 here.

Read the final version of H.B. 239 here. Another source for information about bills pertaining to reproductive freedom is the NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio website.