Mason City Council to vote on abortion ban in 2 weeks

WARREN COUNTY, Ohio (WXIX) - Mason City Council voted to introduce an abortion ban ordinance but did not vote to pass the ordinance as an emergency at its meeting Monday night, according to our media partner, the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The ordinance will now have a second reading at the next council meeting on Oct. 25 before the council votes, they report.

Council can vote again whether to pass the ordinance as an emergency at the second reading. If the ordinance is not passed as an emergency, it would take effect in 30 days and be subject to a referendum.

The first reading of the ordinance that city leaders may adopt drew protests and packed crowds to Monday night’s council meeting.

Public comment lasted three hours.

“Elected leaders have a legal and moral obligation to protect the vulnerable,” said one commenter, “and our most vulnerable are those who can not yet speak.”

Said another, “Let’s not pretend that this ordinance is about the best interest for Mason and its citizens. This is all political and it’s 100 percent about the best interest of [Mayor] Kathy Grossman.”

Councilwoman Diana Nelson said she was concerned no council members, nor the mayor, spoke to any local businesses about the ordinance to gauge their opinions.

There are no abortion clinics in Mason.

The proposal (read it here) would ban providers from performing abortions within city limits. It would also target those who might assist someone in seeking an abortion.

Violators would be subject to a year in prison and $2,500 in fines for each abortion performed.

A nonprofit group called Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn, funded by the Right to Life of East Texas, is assisting Mason City Council.

The group claims to have helped 38 cities with sanctuary ordinances.

A similar ordinance was passed in Lebanon earlier this year.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please include the title when you click here to report it.

Copyright 2021 WXIX. All rights reserved.