Latest news with #OhioPrenatalEqualProtectionAct
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Planned Parenthood closes Cleveland facility; Cleveland Department of Public Health to fill gaps
[In the player above, watch previous FOX 8 News coverage on the Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act, which is legislation that would effectively ban abortion in the state.] CLEVELAND (WJW) — Planned Parenthood has closed its Cleveland Health Center facility at 7997 Euclid Ave., a move local officials said was 'driven by federal pressure and the Trump administration's freeze on Title X funding.' Now, the Cleveland Department of Public Health is stepping up to provide the 'essential' health services lost in the closure, 'to ensure that patients do not fall through the cracks,' according to a Tuesday news release from the health department. Browns' dome deal done: New stadium ready by 2029 'No one should have to go without essential reproductive and preventive health services,' department Director Dr. David Margolius said in the release. 'Our team is committed to making sure that everyone — regardless of income, ZIP code or insurance status — has access to the health care they need.' The department's neighborhood-based clinics and mobile health units 'stand ready' to provide services including: Birth control and family planning STD testing and treatment Pregnancy testing and counseling Wellness exams Tuberculosis testing Immunizations HPV and Gardasil vaccinations Same-day appointments are available and patients can also walk in. Anyone affected by the Planned Parenthood closure is urged to call 216-624-2324 or visit to find a clinic or schedule a visit. What the state's new flat income tax will mean for Ohioans Title X Family Planning Program funding has been disbursed to family planning clinics like Planned Parenthood for more than 50 years, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services website. But in March 2025, President Donald Trump's administration ordered that funding to be reduced or withheld entirely from providers in 23 states, including Ohio. 'While political decisions in Washington continue to threaten public health infrastructure, CDPH remains steadfast in our mission: to protect and promote the health and well-being of every Cleveland resident,' the release said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio lawmakers seek to ban abortions in the state, treat the procedure as homicide
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A pair of Ohio lawmakers are attempting to ban and criminalize abortion, in a move that directly challenges voters' decision to enshrine reproductive rights in the state constitution. Reps. Levi Dean (R-Xenia) and Jonathan Newman (R-Troy) introduced the 'Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act' on Wednesday, which would grant embryos and fetuses the same legal protections as citizens under state law from the moment of fertilization. Under the bill, having an abortion could lead to homicide charges. The proposed ban only grants exceptions for 'life-saving procedures' on pregnant women and spontaneous miscarriages. Sweeping property tax reform may save Ohioans $850 The legislation conflicts with a constitutional amendment that was passed by about 56% of voters in 2023, which protects Ohioans' right to make decisions about abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care and pregnancy. A nonprofit working with the lawmakers, End Abortion Ohio, announced the bill in a news release on Tuesday. The organization claimed Ohio's constitutional amendment protecting abortion should be 'treated as null' because it violates the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution by denying 'preborn persons' the right to life. 'In the Holy Scriptures, All men are created equal, being made in the image of God,' the news release states. 'We must obey God rather than men, and we call upon our governing authorities to follow in that obedience.' Dan Kobil, a professor at Capital University Law School, said that any 'rational court' would rule the legislation unconstitutional if it were to pass the Statehouse. Ohio State lost $29 million in three months through DOGE grant cuts 'The problem for the legislators is that they are bound by the Ohio constitution and cannot enact laws that are contrary to the Ohio constitution,' Kobil said. 'Given how directly this violates the Ohio constitution, this appears to be little more than a publicity stunt.' Kobil further said the organization's argument regarding the U.S. Constitution would not hold up, as the state legislature does not have the authority to 'finally enact' laws under the 14th Amendment. 'If Congress did enact a law saying something like this, then that could override the Ohio constitution, so federal laws do override state constitutions,' Kobil said. 'However, their problem is they're attempting to make a state law that overrides Ohio's constitution, and they've simply not got the authority to do that.' The reproductive rights group Abortion Forward criticized the lawmakers for introducing a bill that directly contradicts voters' choice to enshrine reproductive rights, and stated the effort would strip Ohioans of their ability to make their own healthcare decisions. 'These out-of-touch anti-abortion extremists want to give legal rights to fertilized eggs, embryos and fetuses,' Executive Director Kellie Copeland said in a statement. 'Bills like this embolden law enforcement to surveil and investigate people for their actions during pregnancy – families and loved ones could be targeted by law enforcement for helping someone access an abortion, miscarriage care, or even IVF.' Columbus among most bedbug-infested cities in the country, recent analysis finds While Ohio lawmakers have introduced numerous abortion restriction bills over the years, the new act marks the first one that would provide equal protection to embryos and fetuses under the law, according to the news release. Ohio Right to Life, a nonprofit that has long lobbied for abortion restrictions, told NBC4 it does not support the proposed legislation. 'At no time have we supported criminalizing birth mothers who abort their children,' President Mike Gonidokis said. 'Now is not the time to target pregnant women with misguided legislation, but to embrace the fact that women need real choices and life-affirming help to have a healthy child and raise them in Ohio. This legislation does not meet this standard.' Since the beginning of this year, Republican lawmakers in 10 other states have introduced bills that aim to charge pregnant women with homicide if they receive an abortion. Currently, no state legally defines abortion as homicide. The sponsors of Ohio's incoming bill did not immediately answer a request for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Ohio Bill Seeks to Ban and Criminalize Abortion: What We Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Republican lawmakers in Ohio have introduced a bill that seeks to ban almost all abortions in the state and criminalize the procedure. State Representatives Levi Dean and Johnathan Newman introduced the Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act on Wednesday. The bill would grant legal protections from the moment of fertilization, meaning abortion would be treated as homicide, in a challenge to an abortion rights amendment to the State Constitution that voters approved in 2023. Newsweek reached out to Dean and Newman for comment via email. Why It Matters Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, anti-abortion activists have been pushing measures to enshrine the rights of fetuses in a bid to end abortion nationwide. Ohio voters enshrined abortion protections in 2023, prompting judges to strike down abortion bans in the state. Abortion is legal up to 20 weeks from fertilization in Ohio. While Republicans in Ohio have historically passed abortion restrictions and bans, legislation in the past has been aimed at penalizing abortion providers rather than the people who have them. But the new bill, if enacted, would change that. It could also affect in vitro fertilization (IVF) and some forms of contraception. Demonstrators gather in front of the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices hear arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health on December 1, 2021. Demonstrators gather in front of the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices hear arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health on December 1, To Know End Abortion Ohio, which collaborated with Dean and Newman to draft the bill, says the constitutional amendment approved in 2023 violates the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection Clause. Austin Beigel, the president of End Abortion Ohio, told Newsweek the bill is "a very, very simple piece of legislation" that "grants personhood to all human beings." The bill would ensure that "from the moment of fertilization, when you have a new, distinct living organism, you have personhood rights, and you have the equal protection of the law," he said. "So the same laws that protect a born infant will protect that same person inside their mother's womb." Beigel added that while the bill does not explicitly mention IVF, the "natural consequence of personhood rights for all human beings includes those currently living in petri dishes and cryochambers across our country and our state." Abortion rights advocates say the bill goes against the will of Ohio voters. "Ohioans spoke loud and clear that we want our access to reproductive healthcare protected, not attacked when we passed the Ohio Reproductive Freedom Amendment in 2023," Kellie Copeland, the executive director of Abortion Forward, which worked to pass the amendment, said in a statement to Newsweek. Beigel said that his organization is not concerned about going against what voters want because "the will of the majority of voters was for something evil." "They were asking for the right to murder another so we are proud to stand against evil, even when evil is the majority," he added. Other groups that support abortion bans—Ohio Right to Life and Citizens for Christian—do not support the legislation, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. What People Are Saying Abortion Forward executive director Kellie Copeland, in a statement to Newsweek: "Voters in Ohio sent a clear message in 2023 we must be free to make our own decisions, define our own path in life, and safely care for our families and communities. Deciding if, when, or how to become a parent is one of the most important decisions we make. These decisions should be up to each individual Ohioan, not government. "These out-of-touch anti-abortion extremists want to give legal rights to fertilized eggs, embryos and fetuses. This would strip Ohioans' ability to make decisions for our lives, health, and well-being, including banning all abortion care, banning some types of birth control, and denying IVF treatment that helps people build their families. "Bills like this embolden law enforcement to surveil and investigate people for their actions during pregnancy – families and loved ones could be targeted by law enforcement for helping someone access an abortion, miscarriage care, or even IVF. Black people, other people of color and immigrants are most likely to be targeted, questioned, and harmed by policies like this." End Abortion Ohio, in a statement: "Ohio's pro-abortion constitutional amendment should be treated as null and void because it flagrantly violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by denying preborn persons the right to life. In appealing to the 14th Amendment, the Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act appeals to a higher law; the U.S. Constitution. "But even so, we appeal to the highest law; the law of God. In the Holy Scriptures, All men are created equal, being made in the image of God." Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis told The Cincinnati Enquirer: "We have never supported criminalizing a woman for having an abortion, and we never will. It's completely out of bounds and inappropriate." Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin, in a statement: "Mere days after an anti-abortion fanatic targeted and killed reproductive rights advocates, Republicans in the Ohio legislature have decided that women who receive abortions are the actual threat. Ohio Republicans intend to charge women who receive abortions with homicide, ban IVF, and even some forms of contraception, as they proudly go against the people of Ohio. Nearly three years ago, Donald Trump opened the door to these extreme anti-choice policies through the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Now, with Trump's blessing, the far-right has declared war on women's rights." What Happens Next Beigel said the legislation has garnered seven co-sponsors so far. But while Republicans control both chambers of the Ohio Legislature, it remains to be seen whether the bill will have enough support to pass. Republican House Speaker Matt Huffman told the Enquirer it's too early to know where House Republicans stand on the bill.
Irish Independent
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Ohio Republicans to introduce bill that would treat abortion as homicide and ban all procedures in the state
©UK Independent Today at 03:28 Ohio Republicans are introducing a bill to ban all abortions in the state by classifying the procedure as homicide. Representatives Levi Dean and Johnathan Newman are set to introduce the "Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act' on Wednesday, which would classify abortion as homicide. Austin Beigel, founder of End Abortion Ohio, told The Independent the bill will 'make a positive affirmation of the personhood of the pre-born.'
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio Republicans to introduce bill that would treat abortion as homicide and ban all procedures in the state
Ohio Republicans are introducing a bill to ban all abortions in the state by classifying the procedure as homicide. Representatives Levi Dean and Johnathan Newman are set to introduce the "Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act' on Wednesday, which would classify abortion as homicide. Austin Beigel, founder of End Abortion Ohio, told The Independent the bill will 'make a positive affirmation of the personhood of the pre-born.' In 2023, Ohio residents voted to enshrine abortion access in the state Constitution. Since then, judges have struck down legislation that seeks to limit or ban abortion access despite the amendment. The legislation will almost certainly face legal challenges if it passes. Beigel told The Independent the goal of the bill is to 'create an immediate conflict between our state's the U.S. Constitution, which declares that no state may deprive a person of life, liberty or property without due process of the law.' Beigel hopes legal challenges to the bill could rise as far as the Supreme Court. The bill could also end in vitro fertilization in the state and ban some forms of contraception, including IUDs, The Columbus Dispatch reports. Beigel said IVF clinics 'will not be able to operate the way they are right now' under the legislation, but noted the bill does not mention contraception. Several abortion rights advocates — and even some anti-abortion activists — have come out against the bill. Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis said his organization doesn't support the bill. 'We have never supported criminalizing a woman for having an abortion, and we never will,' Gonidakis told the Dispatch. 'It's completely out of bounds and inappropriate.' "This isn't even a Hail Mary," he added. "It's a strategy that won't be successful at the legislative level and it's a strategy that won't be successful at the judicial level." Beigel said End Abortion Ohio doesn't align with Ohio Right to Life: 'We do not have the same goals, because Ohio Right to Life does not want to abolish abortion, they want to regulate abortion.' Kellie Copeland, executive director of the advocacy group Abortion Forward, called the bill's supporters 'out-of-touch anti-abortion extremists.' "This would strip Ohioans' ability to make decisions for our lives, health and well-being, including banning all abortion care, banning some types of birth control, and denying IVF treatment that helps people build their families,' Copeland told the Dispatch. The Supreme Court enshrined abortion access as a Constitutional right in the 1973 case Roe v Wade. But the nation's highest court overturned the ruling in 2022 with its 6-3 decision on Dobbs v Jackson. Since then, abortion has been banned in 12 states, while six states have instituted a gestational limit between six and 12 weeks. But most people don't know they're pregnant until their first missed period, which means many don't find out until after six weeks. Georgia is one of the states which bans abortion after six weeks. There, Atlanta resident Adriana Smith was kept alive on life support for months after doctors declared her brain dead so she could carry out her pregnancy. Her family says doctors kept her on life support due to the gestational limit law. The 30-year-old was two months pregnant when she was declared brain-dead in February. Her family said she gave birth via C-section on June 13 to a baby boy. The Independent has contacted End Abortion Ohio, Dean and Newman for comment.
