- Ohio’s legislature is considering a “trigger law” that would ban abortion if the Supreme Court overturns Rowe v. Wade.
- The bill makes abortion a fourth-degree felony and imposes new restrictions on doctors.
- An Ohio lawmaker said a rape pregnancy could be an “opportunity” for the victim.
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An Ohio lawmaker says rape pregnancy could be a “possibility” for the person who was attacked during a hearing on a bill that would ban abortions in the state if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Rowe v. Wade this summer .
In a legislative hearing Wednesday, the bill’s proponent, Republican State Representative Jean Schmidt, defended the lack of a legal exception for rape victims.
“It’s unfortunate that this is happening, but there is an opportunity for this woman, no matter how young or old, to decide what she will do to help this life be a productive human being,” Schmid said.
The lawmaker was answering a question from Democrat Richard Brown, who asked Schmidt about a hypothetical scenario in which a 13-year-old girl became pregnant due to rape.
“If a 13-year-old girl is raped by a serial rapist … this bill will require this 13-year-old child to bear the fruit of this offender by term, regardless of the emotional or psychological damage or trauma that this 13-year-old may inflict.” girl, “Brown said.
In response, Schmidt said that “rape is a difficult issue”, but continued that “if a baby is created, it is human life and whether this mother terminates the pregnancy or not, the scars will not disappear, period.”
The long-standing federal precedent set by Rowe v. Wade guarantees a constitutional right to abortion to the point of fetal viability, or about 23-25 weeks of pregnancy. Both proponents and opponents of abortion are closely watching a case before the Conservative-controlled Supreme Court, which opposes the standard and whether judges will undermine or overturn Rowe’s precedent.
If HB 598, which has not yet been passed by any chamber of the Ohio legislature, becomes law, it will not come into force unless the Supreme Court overturns the precedent set by Rowe v. Wade.
The bill makes abortion a fourth-degree crime and criminalizes the use of medical abortions. The proposed legislation also stipulates that two doctors who do not work together must sign an abortion unless it is determined that the mother is at risk of death and injury.
Doctors can perform abortions only when the mother’s life is in danger, but the bill does not define these circumstances, which worries Democrats that language would lead to confusion about when a doctor can provide life-saving care.
Democratic MP Beth Liston asked Schmidt if the bill would prevent doctors from providing care for dangerous pregnancy-related conditions, such as ectopic pregnancy, a condition in which a fertilized egg is implanted outside the uterus.
“When looking at an ectopic pregnancy or other problem, it’s usually not immediate, as you can’t have 24-hour notice to prepare for it, because the individual must be emotionally ready to lose their child, the possibility of losing their child.” says Schmid.
Ectopic pregnancy does not result in a viable pregnancy, and if it ruptures, potential bleeding can result in injury or death to the pregnant woman if not treated immediately.
In 2019, another Republican lawmaker in Ohio introduced a non-existent bill that requires doctors to “reimplant” an ectopic pregnancy. The bill has come under intense criticism from medical professionals, and the treatments they say require “science fiction,” Daniel Grossman, obstetrician / gynecologist and director of New Reproductive Health Standards at the University of California, San Diego, told Daniel Grossman. Francisco. Washington Post.
That same year, Ohio passed an unconstitutional “heart rate law” banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The law was quickly blocked by a federal judge.
Schmid’s office did not immediately return Insider’s request for comment.
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