Abortion law would give fathers a say
State legislators propose change; opponents blast bill as ‘extreme’
By Mike Hixenbaugh
Record-Courier staff writer
Several Ohio state representatives who normally take an anti-abortion stance are now pushing pro-choice legislation – sort of.
Led by Rep. John Adams, a group of state legislators have submitted
a bill that would give fathers of unborn children a final say in
whether or not an abortion can take place.
It’s a measure that, supporters say, would finally give fathers a choice.
"This is important because there are always two parents and fathers
should have a say in the birth or the destruction of that child," said
Adams, a Republican from Sidney. "I didn’t bring it up to draw
attention to myself or to be controversial. In most cases, when a child
is born the father has financial responsibility for that child, so he
should have a say."
As written, the bill would ban women from seeking an abortion
without written consent from the father of the fetus. In cases where
the identity of the father is unknown, women would be required to
submit a list of possible fathers. The physician would be forced to
conduct a paternity test from the provided list and then seek paternal
permission to abort.
Claiming to not know the father’s identity is not a viable excuse,
according to the proposed legislation. Simply put: no father means no
abortion.
"I’m really pleased that this has been proposed for one reason – it
draws attention to the fact that many men are concerned and care for
their unborn children," said Denise Mackura, the director of the Ohio
Right to Life Society. "You have no idea how many men call telling me
about their girlfriends who plan to abort, asking what they can do to
help her. They do want to help and they should have a voice."
With the proposal, men would be guaranteed that voice under penalty
of law. First time violators would by tried for abortion fraud, a first
degree misdemeanor. The same would be the case for men who falsely
claim to be fathers and for medical workers who knowingly perform an
abortion without paternal consent.
In addition, women would be required to present a police report in order to prove a pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.
As is the case whenever abortion is the topic, sharp opposition has
come from members of the House, along with multiple activist groups.
The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Activist League and the
Ohio Right to Life Society have both spoken out against the legislation.
"This extreme bill shows just how far some of our state legislators
are willing to go to rally a far-right base that is frustrated with the
pro-choice gains made in the last election," said NARAL Pro-choice Ohio
executive director Kellie Copeland. "It is completely out of touch with
Ohio’s mainstream values. This measure is a clear attack on a woman’s
freedom and privacy."
The proposal came less than two weeks after Rep. Tom Brinkman
proposed legislation that would ban all abortions in Ohio. Brinkman, a
Republican from Cincinnati, was one of eight representatives to
co-sponsor Adams’ bill.
With the recent liberal swing in Ohio state government, neither bill
is likely to come to fruition. However, Adams’ less extreme proposal
has an outside chance of becoming law – a law that would have a major
impact in Portage County and surrounding areas.
Portage has been among the leading Ohio counties in
abortion-to-birth ratios since abortion was legalized in 1973. Since
1996, about 20 percent of Portage County pregnancies have been aborted
– the seventh highest percentage in the state according to information
from the Ohio Department of Health. The total comes to more than 4,300
abortions in 10 years.
Cuyahoga County has the highest abortion percentage with more than
30 percent of its residents’ pregnancies being terminated. Summit
County is also near the top of the list with a 21 percent termination
rate.
Mackura doesn’t think those numbers are likely to change anytime
soon, though. Precedent from the U.S. Supreme Court indicates that,
even if Adams’ bill passed, it would likely be ruled unconstitutional
by the courts.
"Simply taking a look at this as a possibility is a step in the
right direction," Mackura said. "Pregnancy is a unique human condition
and obviously a woman is affected differently than a man. As a woman, I
can sympathize. However, to completely take rights away from the father
is unfair.
"Currently, even in a marriage situation, a man has no right to even
be informed of an abortion. But if a woman doesn’t have an abortion,
men sure have a lot of responsibility then. It’s really not fair."
It i s interesting to see all the twists of the abortion laws and new ideas people have. This i snot much different from the guy who
sued because he wanted his GF to have an abortion and she would not. He did not have a choice so he felt like he should not be required to pay . He lost as did the girl who used Roe vs wade as a defense when she cut a baby out of the mother…what is next????
Reclaiming Our Children: A Blog About Healing After Abortion 
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