Legal fight over ‘unborn child’ term in Ohio abortion amendment.
Anti-abortion Advocates Condemn Lawsuit Over “Unborn Child” Phrase in Ohio Abortion Amendment
Ohio is currently embroiled in a heated debate over an abortion amendment ballot question, with anti-abortion advocates expressing their strong opposition to a lawsuit filed by abortion-rights proponents. The lawsuit objects to the use of the phrase “unborn child” in the proposed amendment, sparking a fierce battle between the two sides.
“The radical abortion lobby will stop at nothing, including denying science, to push abortion on demand until birth,” says SBA Pro-Life America Vice President of State Affairs Stephen Billy. “Now more than ever, we have a window into the womb through advanced ultrasound technology, showing the developing child through all stages of pregnancy. As science develops, it is impossible to deny that abortion brutally ends the life of a baby in the womb.”
Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights File Lawsuit
Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, a group advocating for abortion rights, has filed a lawsuit against the Republican-led Ohio Ballot Board. The lawsuit challenges the use of the phrase “unborn child” in the summary of the amendment that Ohioans will vote on in November.
The amendment itself grants citizens the right to make their own reproductive decisions, including the option of abortion. While the amendment allows the legislature to prohibit abortion after viability, it also ensures that abortion cannot be prohibited if it is deemed necessary to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who is running for Ohio’s open Senate seat in 2024, proposed the language used in the ballot summary. This language includes the phrase “unborn child” four times, specifically when describing the conditions under which a physician can determine that an abortion should be performed past viability.
The lawsuit argues that the use of the phrase “unborn child” introduces an ethical judgment that goes beyond the scope of the measure and creates disagreement among Ohioans about when a zygote, embryo, or fetus becomes a “child.”
In response to the lawsuit, Stephen Billy states, “Abortion activists want to gatekeep voters from reading the truth and making an educated decision for themselves on what this extreme amendment does. It is simply too extreme for Ohioans.”
Earlier this month, Ohioans voted against a measure that would have made it more difficult to pass petition-initiated amendments, requiring a 60% majority. SBA Pro-Life America clarifies that this vote was not a referendum on abortion itself but on state constitutional change. The organization remains committed to fighting against the abortion amendment until November.
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