Explanation
On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade declaring that the constitutional right to
abortion, no longer exists. As a result,
abortion rights have been rolled back in nearly half of the states immediately, with more restrictions likely to follow. For all practical purposes,
abortion will not be available in large swaths of the country. On July 11, 2019, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed into law S.B. 23, criminalizing
abortion with no exception for rape or incest after the detection of a fetal heartbeat at the felony level with a sentence of up to one year in prison. This law took effect shortly after the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
An
abortion ban at the detection of a fetal heartbeat will have profound negative impacts on the health of women in Columbus by effectively eliminating access to all legal
abortion services, without exceptions for cases of rape and incest and with woefully inadequate protections for the life and health of the woman. Senate Bill 23 negatively impacts the ability of Columbus to attract and retain qualified medical professionals by threatening doctors with loss of license, civil liability and prison time and fines for performing duties in their capacity as medical professionals.
Access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare supports the health and wellbeing of women and families in Columbus by providing safe and healthy family planning options, preventing unintended pregnancies, increasing women’s participation in the labor force, and improving economic security for families. The City of Columbus is committed to de-prioritizing the enforcement of any laws banning actions that have been criminalized as a result of Roe v. Wade being overturned and S.B. 23 being implemented. The resources of the City must be dedicated to the health and wellbeing of its residents.
Title
To de-prioritize the enforcement of laws that criminalize access to safe reproductive healthcare procedur...
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