Yesterday the Ohio House Health committee held a hearing on House Bill 239.  This politically-motivated and dangerous bill would make it more difficult for Ohio women to obtain safe, legal abortion care by:
Eliminating funding for Medicaid and public employee health plans for abortion care for rape victims, and women whose health is at stake.
Banning public hospitals and employees from providing abortion care—except to save the life of the woman. 

This bill has no exceptions for victims of rape or incest, for women who are at risk of losing a major bodily function or organ, or in cases where there are severe fetal abnormalities that will likely result in stillbirth.

At the same time that the bill limits women's ability to exercise their legal right to choose, it doesn't provide a single penny of funding for prenatal or postnatal care that would promote healthy mothers and healthy babies.  This legislation is full of rhetoric, but does nothing to prevent unintended pregnancies or to promote healthy pregnancies.

Once again, Ohio politicians and anti-choice radicals are trying to practice medicine and intrude on the private decisions of Ohio families.

Contact the members of the House Health Committee and tell them that enough is enough.  Tell them to clean up their own house and stay out of yours!

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Ohio House Committee on Health (if you live in OH)
Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Oppose HB 239

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

I am writing today in opposition to House Bill 239 which is before you for consideration in the House Health Committee. I am opposed to this politically motivated legislation because it is bad for women's health. This bill will make it more difficult for women to obtain legal abortion care in Ohio by banning public funds from being used for any abortion unless it is necessary to save the life of the woman.

This bill is designed to limit access to abortion services for women whose pregnancies are the result of rape or incest and for women whose health is endangered. This seems unnecessarily cruel. Wouldn't it be better policy to support programs that prevent unintended pregnancies and protect Ohio women from rape and incest?

I think the public policy of our state should be to prevent unintended pregnancies in the first place and to promote healthy childbearing whenever a woman chooses to have a family.

Please vote no on House Bill 239 when it comes before the committee for a vote, and work on legislation that truly protects the health of Ohio women and their families!

Sincerely,
Your name

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