Ohio Senate Leaves Three Professional-Life Payments Behind as Abortion Tourism Grows

Nearly three years after Ohio voters approved Issue 1 and enshrined abortion rights into the Ohio Constitution, the consequences of that decision are becoming increasingly clear. Ohio has emerged as a destination state for abortion tourism, abortion numbers are climbing, and communities across the state are witnessing the erosion of protections once designed to safeguard women and unborn children.

Yet as the Ohio Senate heads into summer recess, three commonsense pro-life measures remain unfinished despite passing the Ohio House and receiving hearings before the Senate Health Committee.

House Bill 347, known as the SHE WINS Act, is a commonsense informed consent bill designed to ensure women receive critical information and have adequate time to consider their options before undergoing an abortion procedure. The legislation would restore Ohio’s 24-hour reflection period before an abortion. House Bill 324, the Patient Protection Act, would require in-person medical appointments before dispensing high-risk abortion-inducing drugs and limit mail-order distribution. House Bill 485, the Baby Olivia Act, would ensure that Ohio students receive medically accurate instruction on fetal development through age-appropriate educational videos.

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The Ohio Senate’s decision to break for the summer without acting on House Bills 347, 324, and 485 leaves key pro-life protections stalled despite Republicans controlling nearly three-quarters of the chamber’s seats. With a 24-9 Republican majority, many pro-life Ohioans are questioning why legislation designed to protect women, inform students about fetal development, and regulate dangerous abortion drugs remains unfinished while abortion tourism into Ohio continues to increase.

None of these bills would prohibit abortion. None would overturn Issue 1. Rather, each seeks to provide protections, transparency, education, and informed decision-making in a post-Issue 1 Ohio.

The SHE WINS Act acknowledges that abortion is a significant and often irreversible decision deserving of thoughtful consideration. Supporters say the legislation restores safeguards that existed in Ohio prior to Issue 1 and ensures women receive complete information before making a life-altering decision.

“The SHE WINS Act provides vital protections that ensure women are not rushed into life-altering decisions without standard medical care, including true informed consent,” said Emily Hoegler, J.D., Policy Counsel for Americans United for Life, the organization that drafted the original SHE WINS Act model legislation. “By creating a private cause of action, this legislation gives women the necessary legal tools to hold abortion providers accountable if their right to standard medical disclosures and informed consent is violated.”

Hoegler testified before the Ohio Senate Health Committee that the measure protects a woman’s right to informed consent while providing legal recourse when abortion providers fail to meet established standards of care.

Since the passage of Issue 1 in 2023, Ohio has increasingly become a regional abortion destination. Women are traveling from neighboring states, particularly Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, to obtain abortions in Ohio. On the sidewalks outside abortion facilities, volunteer advocates routinely encounter out-of-state license plates. In Cincinnati, sidewalk counselors report seeing vehicles from across the country, including Florida, on a regular basis.

The Cincinnati Planned Parenthood facility has become one of the highest-volume abortion centers in Ohio, second only to facilities located in Cuyahoga County. What was once presented to voters as a constitutional amendment protecting existing abortion access has instead accelerated Ohio’s transformation into a hub for abortion tourism throughout the Midwest.

The Senate’s failure to advance these measures before recess leaves important questions unanswered.

Should a woman considering abortion have at least 24 hours to receive information and reflect on her decision? Should powerful abortion drugs be prescribed through the mail without an in-person medical examination? Should students learn basic facts about human development before birth?

These are not radical proposals. They represent reasonable safeguards that recognize both the dignity of unborn children and the well-being of women facing difficult circumstances.

The Patient Protection Act responds to growing concerns surrounding chemical abortions and the risks associated with remote prescribing practices. The Baby Olivia Act seeks to educate future generations about the remarkable reality of human life in the womb.

For pro-life Ohioans, the Senate’s decision to leave Columbus without acting on these bills is disappointing. At best, it is a missed opportunity to enact commonsense protections for women and informed consent; at worst, it allows Ohio’s transformation into an abortion tourism destination to continue unchecked while lawmakers stand on the sidelines.While Issue 1 altered Ohio’s constitutional landscape, it did not eliminate the state’s responsibility to protect women, educate students, and promote a culture that values human life.

The debate over abortion in Ohio did not end in November 2023. If anything, the years since have demonstrated the urgent need for policies that provide greater protections and greater awareness of what abortion entails and what is at stake.

As lawmakers return later this year, Ohioans who believe every life has value will be watching closely. The question now is whether the Senate will finish the work the House has already begun.

For the sake of women, families, and the unborn children whose voices cannot be heard, these measures deserve more than a hearing. They deserve a vote.

LifeNews Note: Laura Strietmann is the former executive director of Cincinnati Right to Life.