Ohio Senate Passes Strong Pro-Life Budget
Senators Affirm Multiple Pro-Life Laws
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Mike Gonidakis
DATE: Thursday, June 6, 2013 PHONE: (614) 565-5522
COLUMBUS Ohio- Today, the pro-life Ohio Senate voted in favor of one of the strongest pro-life budgets in Ohio history. Led by pro-life Senators Tom Patton, Peggy Lehner, Shannon Jones, Joe Uecker and Randy Gardner, the Senate approved a budget containing the following Ohio Right to Life initiatives:
- Reprioritization of Family Planning Funds Away From Planned Parenthood
- Establishment of New Funding for Pregnancy Centers
- Ban on Public Hospitals From Entering Into Transfer Agreements With Abortion Clinics
- Strengthening of Abortion Clinic Regulations
“Elections have consequences, and this budget will save lives–both mother and her child,” said President of Ohio Right to Life Mike Gonidakis. “The Senate is proving its commitment to Ohio women and children by boldly ensuring that health and safety is a top priority and that poor women are moved to the front of the line to receive family planning health care,” said Gonidakis.
The Reprioritization of Family Planning Funds will ensure that the first to receive these funds are the 180 Community Health Center clinics throughout the state and that abortion provider Planned Parenthood is last to receive them. The Ohio Parenting and Pregnancy Support Act funds crisis pregnancy centers, reimbursing the centers on a fee-for-service basis for non-medical services. The Strengthening of Abortion Clinic Regulations will ensure that abortion clinics are being held accountable for standards of cleanliness.
The Ban on Public Hospitals from Entering Into Transfer Agreements With Abortion Clinics protects the conscience rights of pro-life taxpayers, ensuring that their dollars are not supporting the existence of abortion clinics through the consent of their public hospitals.”Planned Parenthood is hiding the facts from Ohio’s women regarding the dangers posed to them at abortion clinics,” said Gonidakis. “Just in the last 60 days, multiple abortion clinics have been cited for numerous health and safety violations by the Ohio Health Department. If abortion is really about women’s health, why are pro-choice groups lying to women and opposing initiatives that ensure clinics are operating safely and legally?”