Ohio Legislature Budget Set to Pass Reckless Funding for Fake Women’s Clinics

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio
Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Contact: [email protected]

Ohio Legislature Budget Set to Pass Reckless Funding for Fake Women’s Clinics

Columbus, Ohio – Today, the Ohio legislature is anticipated to vote and pass the bicentennial operating budget, which includes a $7,500,000 allocation for so-called Crisis Pregnancy Centers, otherwise known as fake women’s health clinics. During late night close-door negotiations yesterday, legislators snuck in an additional $2,500,000 to the already reckless funding increase for organizations that pose as medical professionals, intentionally deceive patients, and lie about available pregnancy options, specifically, safe and legal abortion. This is an alarming increase is $6,500,000 more than previous state operating budgets.

It’s important to note that the state budget is 17 days overdue from its legal deadline. With a GOP super majority in both the Ohio House and Ohio Senate, it is clear that as a result of political infighting and time wasted earlier this year passing a near-total abortion ban prevented the legislature from passing a timely budget.

Statement from Iris E. Harvey, President and CEO for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio:

“This is not about politics, it’s about providing Ohioans’ and their families with the resources and care they need to live healthy and full lives. The reckless funding increase is a waste of our precious tax dollars, and is indicative of our state governments’ failure to invest in solutions that actually help our most vulnerable communities.

“Anti-reproductive health politicians like Governor DeWine want to block patients’ access to comprehensive, evidence-based health care information, which includes the choice to have a safe and timely abortion in Ohio, at every turn.

“It’s time we call a spade a spade. So-called Crisis Pregnancy Centers are fake women’s clinics. The politicians that supported this in the budget are the same politicians that led efforts to strip Planned Parenthood and other quality reproductive health care providers of resources. This is deceptive and wrong for Ohio.”

Quote from Kersha Deibel, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region:

“This addition to the budget is just further proof that the state of Ohio does not value health care. So-called crisis pregnancy centers are not medical providers. Ohio politicians are already funding fake clinics at an excessive rate; adding more money in the budget to fund these deceptive practices is both appalling and dangerous.

“Public funding should ensure that individuals in Ohio can get the health care they need, regardless of their income or zip code. It should never go to groups that intentionally deceive women about their health. People who are pregnant, or think they might be, deserve timely, comprehensive, medically-accurate information, not deception, fraud and delay.”

This budget allocation follows the movement of a string of bills in the Ohio Legislature that are aimed at spreading misinformation, anti-abortion propaganda, and impose medically-unnecessary requirements on patients seeking abortion care. This continues to be a dangerous pattern from the Ohio Legislature.

In Ohio, there are approximately 149 fake women’s health clinics. Many organizations have investigated and unveiled the manipulative and coercive practices of so-called Crisis Pregnancy Centers, including NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, National Abortion Federation, and Expose Fake Clinics.

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Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio supports advocacy for women’s reproductive health and women’s rights, including grassroots organizing, community education, and lobbying.www.ppao.org.