COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio lawmakers from both chambers and both sides of the aisle announced Tuesday a measure to abolish the death penalty and prohibit any state funding from supporting abortion services or physician-assisted suicide, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.
The Ohio Capital Journal noted that, while Ohio law “already bars state funding from subsidizing abortion, and physician-assisted suicide isn’t legal in Ohio…sponsors described their three-part approach as a statement of values bridging the gap between two very different political outlooks” and “mirroring the Catholic church’s positioning on the idea.”
The Ohio Capital Journal added, “Sponsors placed their greatest emphasis on ending the death penalty, but outside groups are criticizing lawmakers for connecting three different policy questions and warning the bill could undermine access to abortion care.”
One of the bill’s sponsors, Republican State Rep. Jean Schmidt, supported the bill, stating, “Abortion, the death penalty, and assisted suicide all undermine the commitment to human dignity,” and to “be consistent with our pro-life principles, we must oppose all three,” wrote the Ohio Capital Journal.
Another sponsor across the aisle, Democrat Sen. Nickie Antonio, argued in support of the bill, stating, “Abolishing the death penalty is pragmatic,” and, “According to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, abolishing the practice could save the state between $128 and $384 million,” according to the Ohio Capital Journal
The Ohio Capital Journal added the bill still faces challenges to be passed, with Republican state representative Brian Stewart describing how “I don’t think there’s support in the state…or certainly in the Republican caucus, for eliminating the death penalty.”
The bill has also received pushback from Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, reported the Ohio Capital Journal.
According to the Ohio Capital Journal, Planned Parenthood Executive Director Lauren Blauvelt described the bill as “anti-democratic,” arguing “how low out of touch politicians will go to taint popular legislation with abortion stigma.”
The Ohio Capital Journal noted how the ACLU has also indicated its disdain, with ACLU of Ohio Legal Director Freda Levenson and Policy Director Jocelyn Rosnick “blasting the bill for ‘manipulatively interweav(ing)’ unrelated issues and expressed disappointment given what they see as progress building a coalition in opposition to the death penalty.”
