Bill would outlaw abortion 

Bill would outlaw abortion

What she terms ``an extreme piece of legislation' -- another hot button issue popping up in the middle of this election year -- is scheduled for a Tuesday hearing in the Ohio House. and it has the full attention of the executive director of Planned Parenthood of Summit. Portage and Medina Counties.
House Bill 228. as proposed by State Rep. Tom Brinkman. would criminalize all abortion -- whether to save the life of the woman or to end pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.
Taylor and Widowfield have not responded to numerous requests for comment. but state Rep. Chris Redfern. D-Catawba Island -- the state Democratic chairman -- was quick to offer an explanation as to why an abortion ban is about to become a hot Ohio issue.
``They (the Ohio House Republicans) are doing it for the exact same reason as President Bush... using hot button issues to motivate the Republican right.' Redfern said.
With Bush's poll approval ratings at an all-time low. the president weighed in on the immigration issue and began urging the U.S. Senate to pass a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage -- moves that prompted critics to claim the president is creating domestic issues to divert public attention from the war in Iraq.
And according to Redfern. the GOP on both the national and state level is seeking to rouse its conservative base for what is shaping up to be an extremely competitive election season.
``Think about it.' Redfern said. ``(Gov. Bob) Taft considers himself to be a supporterof right to life. For 16 years the Republicans have controlled the statehouse and have controlled the legislature for 12 years. If they had wanted to pass an abortion ban they would have... Every two years they roll out these old ideas to motivate the Republican right.'
``A year ago we didn't have the vacancies on the U.S. Supreme Court.' Brinkman said. Since then two Bush nominees were named to the court. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. And with those appointments. conservatives believe they now have a court that is positioned to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision.
While Redfern dismisses Brinkman's effort as political posturing and gives the bill little chance of making it out of committee. the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio.' she said. Copeland said supporters of H.B. 228 are intentionally trying to enact legislation that is ``clearly unconstitutional' as a way to push an extremist agenda all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1973 the Court with its Roe ruling recognized a right of a woman to terminate a pregnancy.
``South Dakota legislators launched an attack on a woman's right to choose.' Copeland said. ``Will Ohio lawmakers now follow them down this path with an even more extreme ban?000-person group along with dozens of abortion rights advocates from across the state will show up in Columbus for Tuesday's hearing to fight the bill.
Ironically. which has more than 70 chapters and some 50. is not taking an official position on the bill.
``Because it is prohibiting abortion we are certainly supportive of the underlying principle.' Mackura said. But the bill as it is currently written. fails to safeguard some measures that anti-abortion advocates have fought to get into law -- such as informed consent that requires a minimum 24-hour waiting period for any woman seeking an abortion and parental consent for minors.
As written. the bill would not only ban abortion. but would also require the repeal of all laws that regulate or restrict abortion. The fear among anti-abortion activists is that if the bill became law and was challenged and reversed by the courts. the statutes eliminated by the legislation would not automatically be reinstated.
``The problem with this kind of law (H.B. 228) is that the lower courts will immediately strike it down.' said Mackura. She said the likelihood of the U.S. Supreme Court coming behind a lower court to take up the case would be highly improbable.
``Most people don't know anything about it. The ban hasn't gotten a lot of press. adding that the best way to end ``this political interference' with individual. private medical decisions is through elections.
``We not only have to show up at this hearing on June 13 to fight against this ban. but Ohio's pro-choice majority must show up at the ballot box on Nov. 7th to elect leaders who share our values.'





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