COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday that, if signed, would become the 20th attack on reproductive health approved in the state since Gov. John Kasich took office.

The Ohio Senate, on a non-party line vote, approved HB 214, which bans abortions after a fetal diagnosis of Down syndrome. Ohio Right to Life and other supporters say the bill will prevent discrimination based on genetic make-up.

But Jamie Miracle, deputy director at NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, countered that the measure is simply unconstitutional.

"This bill really prevents women from having honest conversations about her options with her physician following a complicated medical diagnosis,” Miracle said. "This legislation callously disregards the unique circumstances that surround each woman's pregnancy."

Under the legislation, a doctor who is found to have violated the ban would be charged with a fourth degree felony and could lose his or her medical license. Miracle said that would have a chilling effect on the medical community and could lead to a shortage of gynecologists willing to practice in Ohio.

Both North Dakota and Indiana have passed similar laws, although the Indiana measure was blocked by a U.S. District Court judge in September. Here in Ohio, Miracle said the attacks on reproductive health care need to stop.

"This is another example of Ohio legislators ignoring the fact that they are passing an unconstitutional ban that could cost our state hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars to defend in court."

Those in the disability community have been divided on the issue, with some saying the bill suggests certain disabilities are more worthy of life than others.

This collaboration is produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded by the George Gund Foundation.


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SILVER SPRING, Md. -- As the Biden administration challenges a Texas law restricting abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, Planned Parenthood for Maryland, Virginia and D.C. residents is launching a program focused on patients accessing care at home.

Dr. Serina Floyd, medical director for Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, said the Texas near-total ban on abortions highlights a need for expanded services, from telehealth to prescriptions by mail for medical abortions. Her group is only the second Planned Parenthood location in the U.S. to offer the service, following St. Louis's lead.

Floyd thinks the approach will become more common as abortion rights are challenged.

"Whether we're talking about those who no longer have access to it in Texas, and who are having to travel out of the state, and for those who are in surrounding areas, depending on how licensing is set up, individuals from anywhere in the country can provide this care to individuals," Floyd outlined.

This week, the Biden administration filed an emergency request to a federal judge in Austin, to block enforcement of the Texas abortion ban, which makes no exceptions for rape, sexual abuse or incest.

Wednesday, Maryland and Virginia attorneys general joined others across the nation to file a legal brief supporting the Justice Department's challenge of the Texas ban, calling it "unconstitutional."

Floyd describes the law as "devastating," for letting private citizens file civil lawsuits against anyone who helps a Texan terminate a pregnancy.

"This is empowering private citizens to enforce an abortion ban," Floyd observed. "It could be a family member, an abusive partner, even a stranger from out of state can sue a provider or a support person. That could be anything from someone who's helping from a financial standpoint, to even someone who's driving a patient."

Floyd thinks the Texas law might spur changes in medication abortion rules. According to the Guttmacher Institute, abortion-inducing medicines made up one-third of all U.S. abortions in 2017. However, 19 states require a clinician to be physically present when the medication is taken.

AUSTIN, Texas -- President Joe Biden stepped into the abortion battle in Texas Thursday, tasking federal agencies to see what steps can be taken to, in his words, "ensure that women in Texas have access to safe and legal abortions."

The law, which took effect Wednesday, bans most abortions after six weeks, before most women know they are pregnant.

Brandi Collins-Calhoun, senior movement engagement associate at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, which assists people and communities with the least wealth and opportunity, noted the law also allows private citizens to sue anyone providing help to an abortion patient.

"With this ban, it comes with a $10,000 bounty on anybody who assists people in obtaining an abortion," Collins-Calhoun explained. "That could be the providers, clergy, friends."

The White House response came hours after the U.S. Supreme Court, in a five-to-four vote, declined to block the Texas law from taking effect.

Biden argued the court's move unleashes "constitutional chaos," and said the White House would enlist the Department of Health and Human Services and the Justice Department to address the issue.

Stephanie Peng, senior associate for movement research at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, said if the Texas law is allowed to stand, she fears other state lawmakers who oppose abortion will follow suit.

She noted Texans now seeking an abortion will need to travel 20 times the distance they did before the law took effect.

"From 12 miles to 248 miles," Peng observed. "I think that that is really the drastic difference, and will be prohibitively long for many patients trying to get that service."

The Supreme Court decision comes ahead of its fall term, when Justices are expected to decide a separate case, which could overturn Roe v. Wade, the case that established a constitutional right to an abortion.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she plans to bring up legislation to codify the landmark 1973 decision when the House returns from recess this month.

MS. MAGAZINE COLLABORATION
By Katie Fleischer for Ms. Magazine
Broadcast version by Lily Böhlke for North Carolina News Service/Public News Service

While the pandemic didn't start economic inequalities in the United States, it's certainly responsible for exacerbating them, including race and gender disparities in unemployment, working conditions and poverty levels. Almost two-thirds of Americans have been living paycheck to paycheck during the pandemic, and women have been forced to bear the brunt of additional challenges like child care and other domestic work that limit their ability to work outside the home.

In order to help Americans recover from the pandemic's economic fallout, feminists are calling for new federal policies that would help working moms, low-income women and women of color in particular. By offering the flexibility and efficiency that come with unrestricted cash, policies like the child tax credit and guaranteed income seek to create an economy that works for everyone, including marginalized communities.

President Joe Biden has already taken an important step towards making a more equitable economy a reality: His American Rescue Plan includes a child tax credit (CTC) that now provides monthly payments of up to $250 per child ages 6-17 and $300 per child under 6 for the 88% of families with kids that qualify. Already, struggling families say these payments have been life-changing.

"To get the child tax credit payments that started coming last month has been a huge help," wrote one mom, I'esha (last name withheld), in an essay for Ms. "I was able to use the first payment in July to get prepared and buy my children their school things-there's so much to get. The clothes, the shoes, the school supplies. I swear that list gets longer every year."

However, Biden's expansion of the CTC is not permanent (although a majority of voters want it to continue): The monthly payments started in July and will end in December, and parents will get the other half of their annual amount when they file their 2021 taxes. In response, moms across the country are calling for Biden to push for a more permanent policy to support all low-income families.

"If I could talk to President Biden, I would tell him that he should make the child tax credit permanent, because so many people are still unemployed and the pandemic is not over," wrote I'esha. "And people need help even without a pandemic going on."

Following a similar strategy, economic justice organizations like the Magnolia Mother's Trust (MMT) say another policy would help low-income mothers, particularly women of color: guaranteed income. Guaranteed income involves payments directed to specific groups, like women living in poverty, in order to address economic inequities. By focusing on marginalized communities, guaranteed income can help address economic issues caused by systemic racism and sexism, and can give struggling Americans a way to meet their basic needs.

MMT is one example of how federal economic policies could have a huge impact on marginalized people. By providing Black mothers living in extreme poverty $1,000 per month for a year, MMT demonstrates that unrestricted financial benefits can have extremely powerful effects. For example: