ORTL Late-Term Abortion Ban Advances in the House and Senate
Bill to save hundreds of unborn babies progresses through both chambers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Rachel Schlater
DATE: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 PHONE:(614) 547-0099 ext. 309
(COLUMBUS, OH) –This afternoon, Ohio made a giant stride on its path towards abolishing abortion. Ohio Right to Life’s H.B. 78, the Late-Term Abortion Ban, was voted out of the Ohio House Health and Aging Committee. The bill passed with bipartisan support out of the committee, defeating attempts to include pro-abortion amendments along the way. Both sponsors and proponents of its companion bill, S.B. 72, also gave compelling testimony today in the Senate Health Committee.
“We are trying to make sure that no child dies from a brutal and painful death through a late-term abortion, and that and no woman has to confront the trauma and medical problems they cause,” said Mike Gonidakis, Executive Director at Ohio Right to Life.
The Late-Term Abortion Ban would require physicians to test the viability of an unborn child if the mother were seeking an abortion at 20 weeks or later into her pregnancy. If the child is found to be able to live outside the mother’s womb, the abortion cannot be performed, except in circumstances where the pregnancy is a threat to the mother’s health.
H.B. 78, sponsored by Rep. Joe Uecker (R -Loveland) and Rep. Kristina Roegner (R-Cuyahoga Falls) and S.B. 72, sponsored by Senator Peggy Lehner (R – Dayton) and 16 additional co-sponsors, would save countless lives every year in the state of Ohio, and would be the most important piece of pro-life legislation Ohio has passed in years.
Ohio Right to Life expresses its sincere gratitude to Chairman Lynn Wachtmann (R- Napoleon) and the members of the Health and Aging Committee. We also thank Senator Peggy Lehner and those who offered testimony to ensure these pro-life advancements. This legislation marks a new day in the future of Ohio, and we hope H.B. 78 will move to the House Floor soon.
Click HERE to find contact information for your Representatives and urge them to pass these monumental pieces of pro-life legislation.