COLUMBUS—The ACLU of Ohio is urging members across the state to call on Rep. Timothy Ginter, the Chairman of the House Community & Family Services Committee, to prevent the passage of Senate Bill 127, also known as the 20 week abortion ban. SB 127, the bill designed to prohibit abortion after 20 weeks, must not advance out of committee as it grossly interferes in private and personal medical decisions. The bill already passed through the Ohio Senate in June of 2015, and Ohio Right to Life has vowed to make this ban a priority during the lame-duck session.
“It’s extremely callous for politicians to impose one rule on every person, regardless of circumstances,” said Lisa Wurm, Policy Manager at the ACLU of Ohio. “Families should be able to make decisions in consultation with those they trusts most,” added Wurm. “Politicians who chose to ignore the medical community’s recommendations should not be writing a one-size- fits-all law that will hurt Ohioans.”
SB 127 places additional hardships on women facing already complicated situations, such as the discovery of a genetic or fetal anomaly during a 20 week ultrasound. Currently, only one Ohio clinic performs abortion at this stage, and banning abortion at 20 weeks disproportionately affects women facing already complicated circumstances.
“We fear this extreme legislation could set a new standard, one that will trend towards more severe abortion limitations statewide,” said Wurm. “We will vigilantly monitor the status of SB 127 in committee and beyond to protect access to reproductive healthcare in Ohio.”
See the ACLU of Ohio’s Action Alert here: www.acluohio.org/action/20WeekBan
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