Politics & Government

Pro-Choice, -Life Ohioans Talking about Ohio Budget with New Abortion Restrictions

Doctors must now give women seeking abortions information on adoptions and alternative family planning options.

Pro-life and pro-choice Ohioans are talking about the $62 billion state budget that Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed because of new abortion requirements and changes in funding for organizations like Planned Parenthood. 

The provisions in Ohio that Kasich signed will make it more difficult for family planning groups to receive funding for preventive care, require ultrasounds for anyone seeking an abortion and limit abortion providers’ ability to get transfer agreements with public hospitals, reports the Washington Post


The new law requires doctors to do an trans-abdominal (external) ultrasound on women who want an abortion and the doctor should tell the patient if a fetal heartbeat is found. It does not, however, prevent the doctor from performing the procedure, according to our partners at NewsNet5.com

Also in the budget, Planned Parenthood was placed last on the list of family-planning dollars, which essentially cuts off $1.4 million in federal funding, The Columbus Dispatch reported. 

The Huffington Post reports that opponents of the changes believe three clinics in Ohio would likely close because of the measure. Rape crisis clinics could also lose their public funding, Reuters reported. The bill does provide funding for "crisis pregnancy centers," which commonly do not offer abortion referral services. 

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