Stay engaged, involved, and up-to-date: 11/06/2017 Week in Review
Saturday, November 11th, 2017
Stay engaged, involved, and up-to-date: In the weekly reviews from the Women’s Public Policy Network, we look back on last week’s highlights from the WPPN, share updates on bills affecting women that are moving at the Statehouse, showcase weekly news clips, and provide calls to action on bills pending in the Legislature. Sign up for our emails to receive these updates in your inbox every week!
THE GOP TAX PLAN
The U.S. House and Senate recently put out their tax plans, and experts have begun to look at the ins and outs of the bills. The GOP tax plans will have an immense affect on the economic stability of Ohio women and their families so it’s important to understand the impact of the bills. Here are a few resources to better understand what is in the tax bills and how it impacts women:
- The National Women’s Law Center took an in-depth look at the House and Senate tax plans, and found that it was a bad deal for women and families. Read the full analysis here.
- Our partners at Policy Matters Ohio discussed how the tax plans redistribute wealth upwards. Read the full release here.
- And our partners at Innovation Ohio Education Fund put out an analysis of how childcare is impacted as a result of the House tax plan (hint: it does not provide the support to working- and middle-class families that we were promised). Read that post here.
WHAT’S NEW IN THE NEWS FROM THIS WEEK
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Healthcare for 200,000 Ohio children waits for funding, caught in political web
Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 8, 2017
Governing magazine, November 8, 2017
Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 8, 2017
A Middle-Class Tax Cut? It Depends Who and Where You Are The New York Times, November 9, 2017
Ohio Could Implement Controversial Medicaid Provision WKSU 89.7, November 9, 2017
Pace of Sign-Ups Under Affordable Care Act Blows Past Prior Years The New York Times, November 9, 2017
CNN, November 9, 2017
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LOOKING AHEAD: PARTNER EVENTS THIS UPCOMING WEEK
Monday, November 13th
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Newark City Schools’ District Office
621 Mt. Vernon Rd., Newark, OH 43055
Are you passionate about policies facing women and ready to take the next step in advocating for these issues? The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio and Strong Voices Rising in Licking County will help identify the issues that matter most to you and discuss the importance of advocating locally. You will leave with the tools to be an effective advocate, organize at a grassroots level, and understand the importance of coalitions. This will be a panel discussion moderated by Monica Cerrezuela, Advocacy & Community Outreach manager at The Women’s Fund. Panelists include:
- Erin Ryan, Women’s Public Policy Network Manager, Innovation Ohio
- Sarah Inskeep, Regional Field Manager, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio
- Corissa Spence, Organizer, Working America
Find out more and register online, here.
Tuesday, November 14th – Wednesday November 15th
Starts at 1:30 PM on Tuesday*
The Ohio Statehouse
1 Capitol Square, Columbus, OH 43215*
Ohio legislators are busy trying to push through abortion bans before they break for the holidays. Out of touch republicans continue to chip away a person’s right to choose and it’s UNACCEPTABLE. We need our supporters to join us in solidarity in committee and Senate floor to remind them that Ohioans are watching and will continue to hold them accountable for their voting.
There are two committee hearings on Tuesday and a LIKELY floor vote on Wednesday. Please be aware that the schedule is tentative and at the will of the legislators. We will do our best to notify you here if times change and if there’s cancellations. *Click here for the full time schedule and hearing room locations*
Visit our Partner Events Calendar for more details on future events hosted by our coalition partners across the state.
STOP THE BANS
Wednesday of this week was a busy day at the Ohio Statehouse for advocates fighting for reproductive rights. The Ohio House passed the Down syndrome abortion ban (HB214) by a 63-30 vote, advancing the bill on to the Senate. This legislation not only intrudes on the doctor-patient relationship, but also stands in the way of a personal health care decision during a time when women and their families are facing a complex prenatal diagnosis.
That same day, the Ohio House Health Committee held a first hearing for the six-week abortion ban (HB258), a bill that would ban abortions before many women even know that they are pregnant. Some positive, proactive legislation did get some action later that afternoon as the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee held a first hearing for sponsor testimony on the Clinic Protection Act (HB234).
Get more information and find out how you can take action to stand up against these harmful attacks on reproductive health care access by reading our action alert here.
#OHLEG ALERT
We are tracking the progress of any state bills affecting women in the Ohio Legislature for the 132nd General Assembly. Here’s a quick overview of some key highlights from last week and looking ahead to this upcoming week:
- SB 207 (Kunze) –Strangulation: This bill expands the offense of felonious assault to include the acts of strangulation or suffocation. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a first hearing on the bill for sponsor testimony on Tuesday, November 14. The Committee will meet at 10:15 AM in the North Hearing Room of the Statehouse.
- SB 145 (Huffman, Wilson) – Abortion Method Ban: Bans the safest and most common procedure for abortions in the second trimester. It has already passed out of the Senate chamber by a 24-9 vote in the full Senate. The House Criminal Justice Committee will hold a first hearing on the bill on Tuesday, November 14. The Committee will meet at 1:30 PM in Statehouse Room 114.
- SB 164 (LaRose) – Down Syndrome Abortion Ban: This bill would charge a doctor with a fourth degree felony if they performed an abortion procedure for a woman if the reason for seeking to terminate the pregnancy is in part due to a Down syndrome diagnosis. A similar bill has already passed through the House chamber and awaits hearings in the Senate. The Senate Health, Human Services & Medicaid Committee will hold a fourth hearing with a possible vote on this bill on Tuesday, November 14. The Committee will meet at 3:15 PM in the South Hearing Room of the Statehouse.
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SB 171 (Hottinger) –Protection Orders: Increases the penalty for violating a protection order under certain circumstances. The bill would then require those that have violated their protection orders to be electronically monitored by probation agencies. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a second hearing on the bill on Tuesday, November 14. The Committee will meet at 10:15 AM in the North Hearing Room of the Statehouse.
We will keep tracking any new updates and will be sharing timely legislative updates on these and other women-centric legislation on Twitter using the #OHLeg hashtag. Follow us to stay up-to-date on what’s happening at the Statehouse.
RAISE YOUR VOICE TO STOP THE BANS
The Ohio legislature has continued to advance abortion bans, making it more difficult and costly – and sometimes completely impossible – to access reproductive health care. This upcoming week, the legislature will take up two abortion ban bills: the Senate version of the Down syndrome abortion ban (SB164) and the abortion method ban (SB145).
TAKE ACTION: It’s time for the legislature to stop the bans! You can take action in a few different ways:
- Show up: Attend the StopTheBans Statehouse Day(s) hosted by our partners at NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio starting at 1:30 PM on Tuesday, November 14. Get the full details and schedule here.
- Contact your representative: Find and contact your state legislators here. Urge them to end attacks on abortion access, including the Down syndrome abortion bans (SB164 and HB214) and the abortion method ban (SB145)
- Get active on social media: Use the hashtag #StopTheBans to add your voice to the conversation
