Bill would ban abortion in Ohio if U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A bill that would ban abortions in Ohio if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade had its first hearing in the Ohio House of Representatives this week.

House Bill 598, also called the Human Life Protection Act, does not include exemptions for rape or incest. The only exemption under the bill, introduced by Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland), is when the mother’s life is in immediate danger. Two doctors who aren’t affiliated with each other would have to sign off on an abortion.

The bill is a “trigger ban,” meaning it would go into effect immediately following a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court that overturns Roe v. Wade. The court is expected to rule on Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization this summer.

13 other states have passed similar “trigger ban” legislation, according to Schmidt’s office.

Groups including Pro-Choice Ohio and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio came out against the bill. Representatives from those organizations, along with Ohio Right to Life, which supports the bill, spoke with 13abc on Action News Now to share their thoughts in the video below.

Kellie Copeland, executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio, Aileen Day, communications director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, and Elizabeth Whitmarsh, director of communications for Ohio Right to Life, speak about the efforts to ban abortion in Ohio.

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