News & Commentary

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. Thursday morning, the committee rapidly heard testimony on the bill. Later the same afternoon, it was voted out of committee, entirely along party lines. This extremely invasive and controversial bill aims to ban abortions in Ohio once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks. The bill contains no exceptions for survivors of sexual violence or incest. The bill also claims there is an exception to prevent the death or serious harm of the pregnant woman, but this exception still subjects the woman and the physician performing the abortion to government authority and review.

“…Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Part Three – Politics Over Health:

Part Two – Losing Access:

Part One – The Bureaucratic Smoke Screen:

I was unpacking my literature bag at the sign-in table when a man approached me and shook my hand.

This is the seventh in a series of posts focusing on issues we will be tackling at the 2014 ACLU of Ohio biennial conference, Resist. Reclaim. Restore Your Rights!

Most lawmakers are smart, passionate people who must focus on a multitude of issues on our behalf. But what happens when that passion becomes an obsession with one issue?