Gov. Kasich signs incredibly restrictive abortion ban, worsening reproductive rights in Ohio

Daily Kos Staff

Saturday December 22, 2018 · 1:16 PM PST

2018/12/22 · 13:16

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 30: Republican presidential candidate Governor John Kasich speaks at a press conference on March 30, 2016 in New York City. The Ohio governor held the press conference to address recent comments by Donald Trump. (Photo by Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images)

Governor John Kasich (R) banned one of the most common abortion procedures in the entire state of Ohio on Friday, when he signed Senate Bill 145 into law. The bill referred to abortions that typically take place in the second trimester (which is often the earliest pregnant people are able to access an abortion, for any number of reasons). Specifically, the bill makes D&E (dilation and evacuation) abortions illegal in the state.

And for physicians, performing this abortion now means committing a fourth-degree felony. That means possible fines and prison time.

There is one—one—exception to this horrendous law. That exception is if the person carrying the fetus is at risk of losing their life by carrying to term. Disturbingly, the law does not make exceptions even in cases of rape or incest, which is a new low, even for conservatives.

Kasich, notably, purported to support exceptions made for instances of rape and incest in the past. NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland called him out for this hypocritical, dangerous change in behavior in a news statement:

“John Kasich's word means nothing. It is clear this is just a political talking point for Kasich and in no way a sincerely held moral conviction," she stated.

Now, it’s important to discuss the anti-abortion law Kasich did veto. At first, it might seem like a small victory or compromise, but it isn’t. Here’s what happened: When Kasich made SB 145 law, he vetoed House Bill 258. Bill 258 would have banned abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy, based on when a physician could detect a heartbeat in the fetus.

Obviously, that’s restrictive in that many, many people don’t even realize they’re pregnant at six weeks. Much less the question of paying for an abortion, scheduling the appointment, and so on within that miniscule timeframe.

And Bill 258 wouldn’t just punish those getting the abortion, either. It would also have made it a fifth-degree felony for a physician to go ahead and perform an abortion anyway.

But did Kasich veto Bill 258 because he finally has a conscience and cares about reproductive health? Nope. In his veto message, he basically said he thought the bill wouldn’t survive the courts.

He said:

“The central provision of [the bill], that an abortion cannot be performed if a heartbeat has been detected in the unborn child, is contrary to the Supreme Court of the United States' current rulings on abortion. Because the lower federal courts are bound to follow the U.S. Supreme Court's precedents on abortion, [the bill] will likely be struck down as unconstitutional."

So yes, Kasich is still very, very anti-choice and very, very anti-reproductive rights. And in 2016, he made a similarly slimy move; he vetoed a heartbeat law at the same time he signed a law making abortions after 20-weeks illegal.

What will it take for the GOP to support reproductive rights?

Gov. Kasich signs incredibly restrictive abortion ban, worsening reproductive rights in Ohio

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