Cleveland Heights Mayor Carol Roe and members of the city council have issued a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine to warn that “all options” are on the table in response to the controversial heartbeat bill.
The letter begins by expressing “concern and disappointment” with DeWine for signing the heartbeat bill, which bans abortions in the state after a fetal heartbeat is detectable in unborn children.
“This law, known as the ‘heartbeat bill,’ amounts to a virtual ban on abortion. As you know, this bill would go into effect prior to when most women realize they are pregnant,” the letter states.
The letter was signed by Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, and Council Members Craig Cobb, Michael Ungar, and Kahlil Seren. They argue that the restrictions imposed by the heartbeat bill wouldn’t allow “anywhere near a sufficient amount of time” to overcome the state’s current barriers to abortion, such as its “24 hour, two-visit requirement.”
“That is why this law is an effective ban on any safe and legal abortion in Ohio. This law’s intrusion into a person’s right to liberty, bodily autonomy, and privacy is unacceptable,” they write.
The letter takes issue with the heartbeat bill for not providing any exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or fetal abnormality, saying it bans Ohioans “from making deeply personal decisions about what is best for them and their families.”
“We believe that everyone has the constitutional and human right to control their bodies. If, as some have said, you signed SB 23 to challenge Roe v. Wade, then that itself is the wrong action for the Governor of our state,” it continues.
They concluded their letter by warning DeWine that “all options” are on the table, and threatened to join an amicus brief with other Ohio cities.
“We are considering all options as this unconstitutional law is challenged in court, including the possibility of joining with other municipalities in an amicus brief,” the letter says. “We stand proudly with millions of other Ohioans against this unconstitutional and unjust law.”
As The Ohio Star previously reported, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU immediately threatened to challenge the law in court after it was signed by DeWine.
“The essential function of government is to protect the most vulnerable among us, those who don’t have a voice,” DeWine said when signing the bill. “Government’s role should be to protect life from beginning to end.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Cleveland Heights” by Cleveland Heights.
