Columbus, Ohio – This week, Ohio lawmakers introduced House Bill 480, a total abortion ban modeled after Texas Senate Bill 8, but even more extreme and dangerous. Like the Texas law, HB 480 would be enforced by private citizens who would have the right to sue an abortion provider or individual who helps another person obtain an abortion.
The following statement is from Elizabeth Brown, Executive Director of the Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network:
“The states have long been a battleground for abortion restrictions, particularly in the South and the Midwest. Yesterday, Ohio lawmakers took another step towards outlawing abortion access with the introduction of House Bill 480, a copycat version of the Texas near-total abortion ban with even more dangerous and extreme provisions.
“Similar to the Texas ban, the Ohio law would be enforced through private citizens motivated by a settlement of at least $10,000 if they sue a provider or person they suspect of aiding an abortion.
“Plain and simple: This legislation is state-sanctioned surveillance and vigilantism. It would disproportionately target Black women who have long faced unwarranted policing of their bodies and reproduction stemming back to Jim Crow era policies and enslavement.
“The bill is part of a coordinated and intentional effort by anti-abortion lawmakers to cut off all abortion access for Ohioans. Since 2011, there have been nearly 25 restrictions to reproductive health care and abortion care signed into law in the state. Just last week, a Statehouse committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 123, the abortion ‘trigger ban,’ which would automatically outlaw all abortions in Ohio if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
“With the passage of each new limitation, lawmakers have interfered directly with Ohioans’ health care decisions, put women’s health and lives at risk, and stigmatized abortion and the medical professionals who provide that care. House Bill 480 is no different. It would directly undermine the health, well-being, and economic stability of women and pregnant people in our state, and it must be stopped. ”
Despite these dangerous and cruel attacks, abortion care is still legal in the state of Ohio. Find the full list using a resource from our partners at NARAL ProChoice Ohio: www.prochoiceohio.org/clinics
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The Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network is a coalition of nearly 40 organizations working collaboratively to advocate for public policy solutions that build economic opportunity for women and families. We are united by a shared vision: an Ohio in which all women – particularly women of color and low-income women – have the resources to thrive and opportunity to lead economically secure, safe, and healthy lives.
