Many people are winding down at work during the holidays. Unfortunately for the people of Ohio, the anti-choice Republicans’ obsession with uteruses continues at full throttle. Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) just signed a new abortion ban into law, adding to a long list of reproductive freedom restrictions he’s supported during his tenure. Cleveland.com reports:
Ohio on Friday became the fourth state to ban abortions performed after a prenatal test shows the fetus has or might have Down syndrome.
Gov. John Kasich signed into law House Bill 214, the 20th abortion restriction passed since he took office in 2011, and 14 other bills Friday morning.
Under the law, doctors who know of a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis and perform an abortion could be charged with a fourth-degree felony, punishable by up to 18 months in prison. There is no punishment for the woman who seeks the abortion.
The ban seems reasonable enough at first glance, but this sort of selective ban is a common tactic used by anti-abortion advocates who want to make any legal abortion a thing of the past. A similar ban from Indiana was struck down by a judge, according to BuzzFeed.
“When a woman receives a diagnosis of Down syndrome during her pregnancy, the last thing she needs is Governor Kasich barging in to tell her what’s best for her family," said NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland in a statement. "This law shames women and will have a chilling effect on the conversations between doctors and patients because of the criminal penalties that doctors will face."
In Indiana, a federal judge blocked the law on grounds that the state does not have the right to limit women’s reasons for terminating a pregnancy.
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio argues the new law signed by Kasich is unconstitutional on the same grounds.
"The law does nothing to support families taking care of loved ones with Down syndrome," Copeland said. "And instead exploits them as part of a larger anti-choice strategy to systematically make all abortion care illegal.”