This month, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio said parental consent and notification laws “should not be enforced” if Ohio voters successfully pass a sweeping anti-parental, pro-abortion amendment in the November election.
Jessie Hill, a law professor who works with the ACLU of Ohio and Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom, told the Cleveland outlet Public media Ideastream that adopting the amendment “would mean that laws contrary to it cannot and should not be enforced.”
In an interview with “Cincinnati Enquirer”, Hill said that “[r]”Right now we have extremist politicians who want to reinstate a hazardous six-week abortion ban and who want to go even further to restrict Ohioans’ reproductive freedoms.”
“These decisions rightfully belong to patients and doctors, and that is why we are bringing this issue before society,” she added.
To recap, Sarah noted this month that Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, has endorsed a petition for a proposed amendment to ensure abortion rights in the state. The amendment states that “every individual has the right to make and pursue their own reproductive decisions, including, but not circumscribed to, decisions regarding: 1. contraception; 2. Infertility treatment; 3. Continuing your own pregnancy; 4. Miscarriage care; and 5. Abortion.”
Additionally, the amendment states that the state shall not “directly or indirectly burden, punish, prohibit, interfere with, or discriminate against: 1. the voluntary exercise by an individual of this right, or 2. a person or entity assisting an individual in the exercise of this right.”
Molly Smith, a board member of Protect Women Ohio, a pro-life and pro-parenting coalition, said courts have in the past invoked these legal terms to invalidate laws requiring parental notification and consent for abortions and other procedures that Spencer discussed . PWO recently launched a multimillion-dollar campaign to warn voters against the sweeping abortion amendment right after its supporters cleared the first hurdle needed to continue collecting signatures before placing it on the ballot in November.
“If this passes, moms and dads will be cut off from the most important and life-changing decisions in their child’s life,” Smith said. “This extreme amendment eliminates any current or future protection for minors requiring parental notification and consent before their child undergoes a procedure such as abortion or gender reassignment surgery.”
“Ohioans must vote no on this dangerous proposal,” she added. “The ACLU and the abortion industry have a long history of working to end parental rights, and now they bring this anti-parent campaign to our state, hoping to enshrine their hostile political agenda in our state constitution.”
On Twitter, the PWO noted that the ACLU has long been working to end parental rights.
.@acluohio Attorney Jessie Hill had already admitted that the aim was to repeal existing laws when she said that adopting the amendment “would mean that laws contrary to it cannot be enforced and should not be enforced.” https://t.co/JnWNoumvtc
— Protect Ohio Women (@ProtectWomenOH) March 16, 2023
The @ACLU has a long history of fighting for parental rights.
They have a whole page on their website describing their opposition to parental consent and even notification laws.https://t.co/wtqeF3WjeS
— Protect Ohio Women (@ProtectWomenOH) March 16, 2023
In 2017, they joined a lawsuit against the Indiana Department of Health, arguing that parental consent placed an “undue burden on emancipated minors.” pic.twitter.com/zpRnu2zJtZ
— Protect Ohio Women (@ProtectWomenOH) March 16, 2023
Protect Women Ohio fights to protect parental rights. We believe that parents are best equipped to support their children make life-changing decisions.
That’s why we fight. Join us.https://t.co/pgoe8bJZP6pic.twitter.com/GGYCFey9Gy
— Protect Ohio Women (@ProtectWomenOH) March 16, 2023
Other pro-life organizations raised the alarm about the amendment.
“No matter your views on abortion, everyone should be concerned about this radical ballot measure that eliminates basic health care provisions and provides no protections for women’s safety,” Sue Liebel, SBA Pro’s director of state affairs, said of the amendment -Life in America. “It is extremely disturbing that this would strike out Ohio’s parental consent law and prohibit mothers and fathers from having any say or knowledge if their daughter seeks an abortion.”
Cincinnati Inquirer reported that Ohio pro-life groups have asked the state Supreme Court to order the Ohio Board of Elections to reconvene and split the amendment into multiple issues.
“The legal complaint argues that abortion and continuing a pregnancy are inherently different from decisions about contraception, infertility treatment and miscarriage care, but the proposed amendment to Ohio’s constitution lumps them together as ‘reproductive decisions,’” the report says.
