Senate Bill 157 could shut down all abortion providers in SW Ohio
For Immediate Release: Dec. 6, 2021
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, December 6, 2021
Contact: Aileen Day [email protected]
Senate Bill 157 could shut down all abortion providers in SW Ohio
Columbus, Ohio — Senate Bill 157, a bill that could shut down all abortion providers in Southwest Ohio, was scheduled for its 3rd hearing and a possible vote. If this bill passes, it will be headed to Gov. DeWine's desk to be signed into law. SB 157 was originally a stigmatizing bill that sets out to create a law that already exists before an amendment was added, a TRAP law that would shut down abortion providers.
Statement from Lauren Blauvelt-Copelin Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Advocacy:
"We're at a crisis point for abortion access in Ohio and across the country. The bill's sole purpose is to stigmatize essential health care, criminalize doctors, and eliminate abortion access. The law that SB 157 purports to create already exists in our state. But lawmakers are using it as a trojan horse to hide the true, insidious intent of the bill: A last-minute, targeted restriction on abortion providers (TRAP law), that would allow the Department of Health to revoke ambulatory surgical licenses, shutting down health centers and fully eliminating abortion access in Southwest Ohio."
If this bill is passed, it is likely that the Planned Parenthood in Southwest Ohio and Women's Med of Dayton would be forced to close and would push health care out of reach for thousands in that area. This legislation will be especially harmful to Black and Brown communities who already struggle to access basic health care in Ohio's public health institutions, including abortion, because of racist policies and systemic inequity. Selectively eliminating ties between certain public and private health care providers only segregates care and creates inequality. This could have lasting effects on our health system and patients for years to come.
There is no medical need for such an agreement. There is also no medical justification for disallowing qualified, experienced physicians from agreeing to provide backup coverage for abortion providers under a variance. In fact, if the state was genuinely concerned for patient safety, such physicians would be ideal. Instead, this provision is only meant to make it more challenging for abortion providers to remain licensed and operational.
###
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio supports advocacy for reproductive health and reproductive rights, including grassroots organizing, community education, and lobbying. www.ppao.org