Strict regulations and proposals for stronger abortion laws in Ohio have sparked praise and outrage among pro-life and pro-choice camps. Ohio is considered one of the strictest states in the nation regarding abortion procedures.
An Associated Press review determined that seven of 16 Ohio abortion providers either reduced services or closed between 2011 and 2015 in the state. Ohio’s abortion laws include banning the procedure once the fetus becomes viable and requiring ultrasounds for women considering abortions.
Here is what politicians and activists have said about the issue.
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Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life, said expansion of health care access for the poor and pregnancy counseling services have contributed to the reduction, according to the AP.
“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” Gonidakis said. “Our society’s changing. More and more women are choosing life.”
Elizabeth Nash, an associate with the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice non-profit organization, said Ohio has been “incredibly conservative” on abortion for decades.
“It’s one of the states people look to, to see what the next restriction is going to look like,” Nash said.
Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, said: “These laws have all been about creating these false hurdles for clinics to have to jump through in order to provide safe, legal abortion care to their patients.”
Many pro-life advocates attribute the reduction in the state’s abortion facilities to Gov. John Kasich, a candidate for the 2016 presidential race,
LifeNews.com reported.
“We are endlessly grateful for Governor Kasich’s compassion for women and their children,” stated Katie McCann, public relations manager for Ohio Right to Life. “His administration is doing its job by holding these mills accountable to basic health and safety standards.”
Pro-life advocates are pushing for a “heartbeat bill” in Ohio to ban abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which could occur six weeks into a pregnancy. However, similar laws in Arkansas and North Dakota were struck down in the courts, causing concern about legal challenges.
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Ohio Right to Life does not support the proposal, instead advocating an abortion ban at 20 weeks,
according to the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
“I share the same concerns as Ohio Right to Life,” said Gov. Kasich.
State Senate President Keith Faber, a Republican, said, “I just don’t think it’s the right political or legal strategy. I think there is danger of unsettling or frankly harming babies with the bill because of the consequences of that being overturned.”
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