State funds can't go to organizations that provide abortions - including Planned Parenthood and other health care providers. But a new Republican-backed bill would penalize communities that use their money to pay for childcare and transportation services for low-income women seeking those services.
Director of Legislative Affairs for Ohio Right to Life Emma Martinez said a few big cities are indirectly funding abortions by giving dollars to certain charities. House Bill 475 would reallocate those dollars to anti-abortion pregnancy resource centers.
“The city of Columbus as well as Cleveland skirt the current law and dedicate taxpayer dollars to pay for abortion and abortion-related services," Martinez said.
Gabe Mann with Abortion Forward said the funds in question don't pay for abortions, but go to entities that support low-income women.
“The funds normally are provided to charities to nonprofits for the purposes of childcare or transportation any sort of practical support that goes along with somebody seeking reproductive health care, including abortion care," Mann said.
But Will Kuehnle, Associate Director of the Catholic Conference of Ohio, said women who decide to carry a pregnancy to term need those dollars for child care, transportation and to pursue an education instead.
"In no circumstances, even by subsidy, should state dollars bring about the termination of human life," Kuehnle said.
Jaime Miracle with Abortion Forward said HB 475 clearly violates the Reproductive Rights Amendment that was approved by Ohio voters last year.
"The amendment reads (in part) 'The State shall not, directly or indirectly, burden, penalize, prohibit, interfere with, or discriminate against either an individual’s voluntary exercise of this right or a person or entity that assists the individual exercising this right'," Miracle said.
Miracle said the legislation discriminates against and punishes local governments assisting the individual exercising their right to abortion and builds upon multiple funding bans that already exist.
But the bill's sponsor, Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania), said in committee testimony earlier this year that the bill is about transparency.
"Citizens have a right to know how their hard-earned money is allocated. I firmly believe in the responsible use of public funds. HB 475 establishes a robust mechanism for tracking and controlling state allocations to local governments," Williams said.
The bill has the backing of about a dozen Republican House members.
