By Susan Tebben
The Ohio House passed a bill early Friday morning prohibiting medication abortions via telehealth. Minutes later, they moved to expand telehealth services in other ways.
With a vote of 54-30 along party lines, Senate Bill 260 passed, prohibiting the use of telemedicine in a medication abortion in the state.State Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, co-sponsored the bill.
The bill prohibits physicians from conducting abortions or providing abortion-inducing drugs to a pregnant woman unless a physician is physically present. A provider could be charged with a fourth-degree felony on the first offense and a third-degree felony for subsequent offenses, according to the bill.
The bill was passed without discussion, after state Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Green Township, moved to close debate on the measure before they’d even had any on the House floor.
However, those that wanted to debate the bill weren’t out yet, as the next bill up for a floor vote — Senate Bill 236 — included an amendment folding in another bill which expands telemedicine in other ways.
Speaking in support of increased access to telehealth, several Democrats remarked on the bipartisan support to this bill, but the rejection of the previous bill.
“We have a duty, again, with good access to telemedicine services, to make sure that all women in this state have access to safe and legal health care,” said state Rep. Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington. “Reproductive health care, the full spectrum of reproductive health care.”
State Rep. Erica Crawley, D-Columbus, brought up infant and maternal mortality as she has in previous opposition to abortion-related bills. Crawley said she has brought up many bills regarding mortality rates for children and women of color, and has received little interest on the GOP side.
“Women continue to die, infants continue to die…because they go into a health care system that does not treat them fairly and equitably,” Crawley said.
Senate Bill 260 passed the Ohio Senate earlier this year, but hadn’t seen a House committee until one week ago. The measure was passed in the House Health Committee earlier this week after only two hearings before the body.
Senate Bill 236, which included the telemedicine expansion (with the exception of abortions) passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.
***
Also from Ohio Capital Journal:
House passes ‘stand your ground’ expanding right to shoot to kill in self-defense
The Ohio House passed legislation late Thursday evening that removes a legal requirement that people try to retreat from a confrontation before shooting to kill in perceived self-defense.
The legislation, commonly referred to as “stand your ground,” passed in a 52-31 vote around 11:30 p.m.
If passed into law, it rescinds what’s known as the “duty to retreat” from a confrontation before using a firearm in self-defense. READ MORE
Ohio legislature votes to rescind health order limiting county fairs
Ohio lawmakers did not take a vote Thursday to override a gubernatorial veto on a health department pandemic authority bill.
But they did vote to void one health order in particular — one issued this past summer limiting county fairs held in the state.
Senate Bill 375 passed the Ohio House on a party line vote, with Republicans supporting the bill to rescind the county fair health order. It previously passed the Ohio Senate in November and now heads to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk.
DeWine has pledged to veto any bill targeting the Ohio Department of Health’s authority to issue health orders meant to slow the spread of COVID-19. READ MORE
