To the editor:
Even if you see abortion in Ohio as necessary, if you care about the women of our state, I urge you to vote against Issue 1. This proposed constitutional amendment on "reproductive freedom" goes far beyond ensuring abortion access. Not only would its passage not advance the rights of women but, predictably, empower those who exploit women for financial gain by lowering the standard of care, disempowering vulnerable groups, and protecting sexual abusers and irresponsible medical practitioners.
This amendment is not necessary to ensure abortion access. Abortion is legal now in Ohio up to 22 weeks, with restrictions comparable to much of the world. Moreover, Ohio laws explicitly allow abortion when necessary for the life or major physical impairment of the mother. These provisions would remain in place under the "heartbeat bill," currently under judicial review (which also does not "outlaw" abortion, but only requires that the procedure be used in an earlier stage of pregnancy).
This amendment would not help women in life-threatening situations because the law already sufficiently covers such cases, despite stories to the contrary.
This amendment has no impact on miscarriage care, which is and always has been legal in Ohio. There is no state in the U.S. that restricts care for miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy.
Legal protections for individual women is not achieved by this amendment. Individual women are not prosecuted for abortion in Ohio; current abortion regulations pertain to the medical industry, not individual women. The "rights" secured by the proposed amendment largely amount to constitutional protection for the abortion industry.
Constitutional immunity would be guaranteed to anyone who assists a woman in obtaining an abortion. Most empowered are those who stand to gain financially from abortion. A single doctor (who will make money off of doing so) would be permitted to recommend, perform and get paid for abortions at any stage of pregnancy. This amendment erodes options for women harmed by an abortion procedure by saying the State "shall not ... penalize" any person or entity who assists a woman in obtaining an abortion. The lip-service to "health and safety" of this amendment is nullified by such legal language. Moreover, our state, sadly, does have many cases of domestic abuse and human trafficking. Some women will be forced, coerced or persuaded to carry out abortions against their will. This amendment would be used by abusers to avoid prosecution for this.
Issue 1 is not about abortion rights -- it is about abortion-industry dominance at the expense of safety measures for women. Despite its name, it offers nothing that would actually improve safety and health outcomes for women. On the contrary, it would make all current or potential safety measures to protect women's health open to challenge as a "burden" and therefore unconstitutional. I hope Ohioans can agree that this proposed amendment falls far short of what is best for the women of our state. Women in Ohio deserve more consideration and better care than this. Vote no on Issue 1.
Bethany Shields
Carrollton