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Ohio House passes bill to defund Planned Parenthood
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
The Ohio House gave final approval Wednesday to legislation blocking public funding of Planned Parenthood, over objections from Democrats and women’s health advocates.
The final vote was 59-32, with HB 294 heading to Gov. John Kasich’s desk for his expected signature and enactment. Protesters in the House chambers subsequently shouted “Shame!” before being escorted out.
Kasich will sign the bill. His spokesman, Joe Andrews, said in a released statement the “bill further reinforces Ohio’s policies.”
He added, “Since taking office, Gov. Kasich has worked with legislative leaders to ensure that public dollars are used to their best purpose. The Ohio Department of Health already had stopped awarding state dollars to Planned Parenthood, and they were kicked to the back of the line for the federal government’s family-planning grants that the department administers.”
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, condemned the Republican-dominated House for its action.
“This is not funding that would go to administering abortions,” Ryan said in a news release. “Current state and federal law already bars taxpayer dollars from going to those services. Instead, these lawmakers are defunding much-needed infant-mortality prevention for expectant mothers, women’s health exams, and life-saving cancer screenings – just to name a few.”
The legislation requires the ODH to ensure public funds are being used for their intended purpose – the legislation lists breast and cervical cancer, HIV/AIDS initiatives and other specific programs – and not for abortions.
Funds from the specified programs will be blocked for groups that perform abortions or have contracts or are affiliated with providers of such services.
Planned Parenthood received more than $1 million in public funding through the state health department in 2014.
Senators last month also added an amendment to the legislation earmarking $250,000 for efforts by the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers on smoking cessation, safe sleep and other initiatives aimed at combatting infant mortality.
HB 294 was introduced after video recordings released last year showed Planned Parenthood employees purportedly discussing the sale of body parts from aborted fetuses.
Opponents of the legislation said the video recordings were heavily edited and that Planned Parenthood did not sell or otherwise illegally transfer fetal tissue.
The individuals behind the recordings were indicted in Texas on a charge of tampering with a government record and another related to buying human tissue.
Proponents of the legislation said HB 294 will not cut funds for women’s health programs – money would be directed to health care centers that do not perform non-therapeutic abortions.
Rep. Barbara Sears, R-Toledo, called the legislation “the largest singular bill that will help women’s health issues that we’ll do in this general assembly. This bill allows us to provide additional access to women when it comes to their health care to over 250 additional facilities that they have the ability to use and to access for their health care needs.”
Opponents countered there are not sufficient locations around the state providing contraception and other health care services currently offered by Planned Parenthood.