Reproductive Freedom

02.05.20

Ohioans might have been confused about abortion laws. Not anymore.

By Sarah Khan-Williamson

In 2019, I moved to Columbus from Arizona four days after Senate Bill 23 was introduced in late February.

Before I had even gotten to unpack the last of my items, the bill, which was dubbed by anti-choice groups as the “Heartbeat Bill”, was signed into law in early April.

12.19.19

Here’s how Anti-Choice Lawmakers Waged War against Abortion in Ohio in 2019

By Sarah Khan-Williamson

If you have social media and a way to get the latest news, chances are you have heard of two abortion bans (SB 23 and HB 413) – one of which was signed into law while the other was introduced to the Ohio Statehouse this year.

06.11.19

Pregnancy Termination Saved My Life

By Celina Coming

All in one day, I found out both that I was pregnant and that I had cancer.

In December 2018, I had a few very large and dark purple bruises on my legs that weren’t going away. Since my husband of 7 months and I were actively trying to conceive, I asked my doctor to order some blood tests.

06.04.19

House Bill 90 – Opponent Testimony

By Celina Coming

Below is our Chief Lobbyist Gary Daniels’ opponent testimony on House Bill 90. This was delivered to the House Health Committee Committee on June 4, 2019.

To Chairman Merrin, Vice Chair Manning, Ranking Member Boyd, and members of the House Health Committee, thank you for this opportunity to present opponent testimony on Amended Substitute House Bill 90.

01.18.19

Why this gay man cares passionately about protecting Roe v. Wade

By Dan Rogan

A reflection to commemorate the 46th anniversary of “Roe”

Every civil libertarian I’ve met, it seems, has their own personal story about why protecting essential freedoms is deeply personal. I am no different.

Since my earliest days as an activist, two issues – LGBTQ rights and abortion rights – have resonated strongly with me.

06.14.18

Young Americans Support Abortion Rights, Ohio Legislators Couldn’t Care Less

By Celina Coming

Recently, the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), a nonpartisan, independent research organization, released a poll that shows younger Americans are more supportive of abortion rights than older Americans, and more importantly, that their views are becoming more supportive over time.

But certain members of the Ohio Legislature do not seem to care about what young people want from their elected officials.

02.16.18

Down syndrome Abortion Ban – A Parent’s Perspective

By Celina Coming

My name is Emily Chesnut and this my daughter Nora, who will be seven at the end of the month. I am here to speak on behalf of my family and many friends who also love someone with Down syndrome. I am especially thankful to Dr.

01.22.18

Roe v. Wade Decision Celebrates 45th Anniversary!

By Lisa Wurm

Although today marks the 45^th anniversary of the monumental Roe v. Wade decision, a woman’s right to choose when, or if, to become a mother continues to be challenged and restricted. In fact, exactly one month before the 45^th anniversary of Roe v.

06.16.17

Authors D.A. Dirks and Patricia A. Relf on Reproductive Rights, Then and Now

By James Kosmatka

In anticipation of the ACLU of Ohio’s spring event series, I sat down with authors D. A. Dirks and Patricia A. Relf to discuss their latest work, To Offer Compassion: A History of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion. The authors deconstruct one of the deepest misunderstandings within the pro-life versus pro-choice debate—that it is synonymous with religious belief versus secular humanism.

12.09.16

After Two Unconstitutional Anti-Abortion Bills Pass, We Have to Ask: What’s the Matter With Ohio’s Lame Duck Legislature?

By Lisa Wurm

It’s lame duck season in the state of Ohio and this year seems like the “super special” version. During the lame duck session, the legislature has just a few short weeks to pass laws before all bills have to start over from scratch in the new year.

12.02.16

When Legislators Play Doctor, Women Pay the Price: Sheva’s Story

By Katrice Williams

On December 13, Governor John Kasich signed the 20-week abortion ban into law. SB127 is Ohio’s most recent attempt to close all clinics and make abortion care completely inaccessible for women who need it. This ban will impact women such as Sheva Guy, who, after receiving heartbreaking news about her pregnancy, was forced to travel 300 miles for the medical care she required.

10.13.16

Look No Further than the Midwest for a Champion of Reproductive Freedom

By Dan Rogan

Illinois sets the stage for abortion access in America

Two years before the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, the ACLU of Illinois won a court victory recognizing the right to abortion. Every year since then, they have fought off attacks on reproductive freedom and, because of the ACLU of Illinois, there has been relatively unimpeded abortion laws in the state.

12.14.15

When Protecting Liberty Means Defending Your Enemy

By Ellen Kubit

“What if someone were to kill you!”

This is one of the more common threats yelled at me and my fellow clinic escorts when we volunteer at Cleveland’s Preterm Abortion Clinic. Such terrorizing phrases come from a group of self-identified “pro-life” protesters, who wait outside the clinic daily to voice their dissension towards and disrespect for the clinic’s staff, volunteers, security guards, patients and women in general.

10.09.15

Ohio Should Not Use People with Down Syndrome in Political Fight About Abortion

By Adrienne Gavula

The ACLU supports a woman’s access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion, by working to ensure that every woman can make the best decision for herself and her family without undue political interference. We also strive for an America free of discrimination against people with disabilities.

09.18.15

Ohio Women’s Reproductive Rights Are in Jeopardy

By Steve David

Legislation introduced in the Ohio Statehouse will tighten the regulations on abortion in an attempt to circumvent the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision Roe v. Wade (1973) that the outright banning of abortion is unconstitutional. If passed, these laws would make Ohio second only to Texas in abortion regulation.

08.07.15

Fired for Being Pregnant

By Steve David

It’s hard to believe that in this day and age women can be fired for becoming pregnant. A quick Google search for “pregnant and fired” brings up multiple headlines in the news documenting stories of women fired once their bosses learned of their pregnancy.

07.03.15

Abortion: People Versus Politicians

By Steve David

According to a recent Gallup poll, half of Americans now call themselves pro-choice. Looking at gender, 54 percent of women and 46 percent of men identify as that way.

The current numbers are the result of a trend of increasing identification with being pro-choice since 2012.

06.30.15

Summer Break at the Statehouse: A Review of the First Six Months

By Lisa Wurm

The Ohio General Assembly has now passed the state budget, and the first quarter of the two-year legislative session is over. As always, the ACLU of Ohio has been very active at the Statehouse in what was a very busy first six months.

05.20.15

Cuts to Medicaid Are Costly to Women’s Health…and to Taxpayers

By Shakyra Diaz

Every now and then politicians get it right, and so it was with Ohio’s Medicaid expansion.

Following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2013, Governor Kasich expanded Medicaid coverage to families earning up to about $40,000 a year for the typical family of three.

04.17.15

Ohio Poised to Censor Crucial Guardianship Information

By Shakyra Diaz

Almost a year ago, The Columbus Dispatch began a series covering alarming gaps and abuse in Ohio’s guardianship system. It didn’t take long for lawmakers to respond and soon we had legislation to help bring reform in Ohio.

Ohio House Bill (HB) 624, sponsored by Representative Dorothy Pelanda (R-District 86) during the 2013-2014 legislative session, would have allowed for the distribution of a ward’s “bill of rights,” and to require that a guardian receive the Ohio Guardianship Guide, prepared by the Ohio Attorney General, and acknowledge its receipt.

03.20.15

Acknowledging Activism for Women’s History Month

By Shakyra Diaz

“Remember the ladies.”

In March of 1776, before the laws of the land were finalized, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John Adams, to remind him the Constitution should not limit freedom to men. She cautioned if women were not included, “we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.” Her warning was ignored, birthing the fight for equality.

03.13.15

“Heartbeat Bill” Returns, Along With Our Promise to Sue

By Ellen Kubit

Last December, Ohio’s so-called “Heartbeat Bill” ultimately expired when a majority of members in the Ohio House of Representatives voted against it as the legislative session wound down.

However, Statehouse watchers knew to expect it back some time after the new session started in January.

02.27.15

The Reality for Ohio Women Today

By Ellen Kubit

Last week, the ACLU of Ohio reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed on behalf of a single mother, Jennifer Maudlin.

According to Maudlin, Inside Out, Inc., a Christian-based childcare facility, fired her under an unwritten company policy against non-marital sex after she informed them she was pregnant.

01.21.15

An Era of Reproductive Freedom, Thanks to Roe v. Wade

By Ellen Kubit

It has been 42 years since the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, which ruled that a woman’s decision to have an abortion is protected by the constitution.

Almost 20 years later, Roe was upheld but modified. Planned Parenthood v.

12.19.14

Sunset at the Statehouse

By Shakyra Diaz

As the end of the year approaches, what went on in the final days of the 130^th Ohio General Assembly?

When last I wrote about the Ohio legislature’s “lame duck” session, I provided updates on the so-called Heartbeat Bill and the lethal injection bill.

12.03.14

What Are Ohio Legislators Cooking Up Now?

By Shakyra Diaz

If you are a member of the ACLU of Ohio, you are no doubt used to hearing from us about our work. Perhaps it is no surprise an organization known for protecting the First Amendment often exercises its own right to free speech.

11.26.14

The So-Called “Heartbeat Bill” Gets Revived

By Ellen Kubit

Another day, another attempt to promote government intrusion into the lives of thousands of women and their doctors.

Last week, the Ohio House Health and Aging Committee snuck onto its agenda House Bill 248 (HB 248), often called the “Heartbeat Bill,” which restricts reproductive freedom and promotes poor health care practices and overreaching governance.

09.09.14

ACLU to Legislators: Stop Playing Games, Start Playing by Rules

By Mike Brickner

When I was a kid, one of my best friends had a knack for changing the rules to the game every time he was losing. If we were playing hide and seek and I found him, he’d come up with some new rule forcing me to count to 100 again.

08.27.14

Standing Between You & Your Rights: Is This Really Good Government? (Part Three)

By Adrienne Gavula

Part Three – Politics Over Health:

Following an accidental approval of Women’s Med Center that was quickly rescinded, state leaders launched an internal investigation that lead to firings and retirements. Roy Croy, one of those retired health department chiefs, said, “Someone had to pay…politics are politics.” The state investigation revealed that the Ohio Department of Health created a watch list of clinics, and data shows the state is treating abortion clinics differently than other surgical centers.

08.26.14

Standing Between You & Your Rights: Is This Really Good Government? (Part Two)

By Adrienne Gavula

Part Two – Losing Access:

The law does allow clinics to be granted an exception (known as a variance) to the transfer agreement requirement if they can prove that an alternative plan is in place for emergencies. However, HB59 also gave the Ohio Department of Health director wider scope to deny these exceptions than was previously granted.