Ohio Governor John Kasich, who signed a restrictive abortion ban.
*Image taken from https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/22/1821078/-Gov-Kasich-signs-incredibly-restrictive-abortion-ban-worsening-women-s-rights-in-Ohio
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio is a combination of Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio, Planned Parenthood of Central Ohio, and Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio. They have 19 health centers included in the state.
According to “Recent Case: Planned Parenthood v. Hodges” written by the Harvard Law Review Blog, there was a recent decision resulting in Ohio banning abortions at 6 weeks. The court threatened the funding provided for abortions under Planned Parenthood. “The funds at issue in Hodges supported programs to prevent STDs and teen pregnancy, provide for HIV testing and education, screen for breast and cervical cancer, reduce infant mortality, and prevent sexual violence.” In Planned Parenthood vs. Hodges (2016), Planned Parenthood claimed taking away the fund was unconstitutional, because it happened to violate the first amendment. Hodges is a Republican politician from Ohio. He was formerly the Director of the Ohio Department of Health for three years. According to the Washington Post, “Two Planned Parenthood affiliates challenged the statute, claiming that it imposes an unconstitutional condition on public funding in violation of the Due Process Clause.” After a second hearing, Judge Sutton disagreed that this violated the first amendment.
Members of the court started questioning what the Constitution was meant to protect, and where abortion fell under it. Some argued that the government supporting abortions offends the Constitution. “Because the state could not, under the Due Process Clause, prohibit Planned Parenthood from providing abortions or, under the First Amendment, prohibit the organization from promoting or affiliating with those who promote or provide abortions, neither could the state attempt to accomplish these ends by denying Planned Parenthood government funding.” The state did not have the power to stop Planned Parenthood from supplying the ability to have an abortion.
While the government is not required to fund abortion services, they may not deny a citizen’s constitutional rights. Washington post states, “Case after case establishes that a government may refuse to subsidize abortion services,” while also stating, “By contrast, the State may not condition a benefit by requiring the recipients to sacrifice their constitutional rights.” Ohio has laws against abortion that have been questioned whether or not they violate women’s rights, including healthcare and privacy. The complaint and motion for preliminary injunction were filed September 1st, 2015. “Original Defendants were now-ex-Ohio Department of Health Director Richard Hodges in his official capacity, plus the University of Cincinnati Medical Center (“UCMC”), and UC Health.” The case concluded in Planned Parenthood’s favor.
According to Planned Parenthood, in 2016, a law was signed by former Governor John Kasich “defunding Planned Parenthood and blocking access to health care and education provided by Planned Parenthood in Ohio.” In 2018, the law was ruled unconstitutional. Taking away the healthcare of women is one problem on its own. Taking away the sexual education provided to children is an entirely different story; without the most accurate and thorough sexual education, children will grow to be naive, and make many more mistakes than if they had been taught properly. This law takes away “70,000 free STD and HIV tests, cancer screenings, domestic violence education through the Violence Against Women Act, and Planned Parenthood’s Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies program to reduce infant mortality.” Accidental pregnancies would become more common if people are not taught how to use contraceptives. STDs will spread quicker if we are not taught the signs or provided the tests. Planned Parenthood states, “Ohio has the 5th and 6th highest number of gonorrhea and chlamydia diagnoses in the country, respectively, and was ranked 12th nationwide in the number of HIV diagnoses.” Taking away sexual education would cause the removal of Planned Parenthood funds to backfire, resulting in more reasons to legalize abortion.
In December of 2019, Senate Bill 145 was passed in Ohio by anti-abortion politicians and former Governor John Kasich. The Legislature of Ohio website states the law in summary as “criminalizing and creating civil action for dismemberment abortion.” According to Planned Parenthood, the bill “bans a safe and medically-preferred method of second-trimester abortion, and therefore would block doctors from being able to make medical decisions based on what is best for their patients.” Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit to stop the legislation. Blocking doctors from making the most beneficial medical decision would cause health hazards. ACLU summarizes the bill as “doctors who perform an abortion using dilation & evacuation (D&E), a safe and medically-proven procedure, would be guilty of a fourth degree felony.” The only way to perform the procedure legally would be to save a woman’s life or protect her from physical harm. Situations unprotected involve incest, rape, or mental health. In this situation, physical health is valued more than mental health.
In Ohio, Planned Parenthood has had its fair share of controversy. According to “Planned Parenthood v. Public Opinion: How Alternative Dispute Resolution Techniques Created a Crisis Response Strategy” written by Brooks Boron from the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution, “Political adversaries have accused the healthcare provider of being “far more lethal than the Ku Klux Klan,” “a criminal enterprise,” and “similar to a heroin dealer.”” Though Planned Parenthood is viewed in a negative light by many, there are plenty others, mainly progressives, that believe they provide benefits to society.
by Elizabeth Sherlock
English 1102 Blog Cycle 