Despite Court Meddling, Ohio Passes Laws to Protect the Unborn

Ohio has brought itself national attention for its pro-life policies over the last few years.

Currently, Ohio state law bans abortion after the 22nd week of pregnancy.

While the courts are challenging some of Ohio’s previously passed pro-life laws, Ohio elected officials passed two pieces of new pro-life legislation according to a Catholic Herald report.

On Wednesday, November 6, 2019, the Ohio Senate approved Senate Bill 155 by a 22-10 vote. The bill requires doctors to let a mother know that there are ways to potentially reverse a chemical abortion in case they change their mind. The vote occured on strict party lines, with only one Republican voting alongside Democrats against the bill.

Last month, on October 6, the senate additionally passed Senate Bill 208 on partisan lines. This bill mandates abortionists to report to the state Department of Health in the case that a child is born alive after an abortion, and provide the necessary medical care to keep the baby alive. All Senate Democrats voted “nay.”

Currently, Ohio law prohibits abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy, and has several other abortion laws in effect which are being addressed in federal courts. In April 2019, Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill into law which would have banned abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat. Earlier in July a federal judge blocked that bill.

In December 2017, Ohio’s previous governor John Kasich signed a bill into law that would ban abortion after a child was diagnosed before birth with Down syndrome. A federal court was able to block that bill in March 2018 eight days before it was supposed to go into effect.

States like Alabama and Ohio have led the way in passing pro-life legislation when the federal government has lagged on the issue.

Like gun rights, abortion is an issue where pro-freedom policy will likely have to be passed at the state level before it makes its way up to the federal level.