Black Cleveland area Ohio legislators, all but Bill Patmon, oppose anti-abortion bills approved by Ohio legislators that now await Governor Kasich's possible signature to become law, including the controversial heartbeat bill that makes abortion illegal in Ohio once a fetal heartbeat is detected....By editor Kathy Wray Coleman of Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog
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| From left: Ohio Democratic State Representatives Bill Patmon (D-10), John Barnes Jr. (D-12) and Stephanie Howse (D-11), all of Cleveland, and Janine Boyd (D-9) of Cleveland Heights |
By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor and former biology teacher
CLEVELANDURBANNEWS.COM-CLEVELAND, Ohio-The Ohio House of Representatives, by a 62-27 vote, and after a 13-hour session that went on to nearly 1:30 am Friday morning, passed the fetal heartbeat bill, a controversial bill approved by the Ohio Senate 18-13 on Wednesday that bans abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected.
As was the vote earlier this week by the Senate, the House vote was largely along party lines.
House Bill 258 now heads to the desk of Gov. John Kasich for his possible signature to become law.
State Rep Bill Patmon (D-10) of Cleveland, who is Black and co-sponsored the bill, is the only Democratic state legislator out of Cuyahoga County who supports the bill, with the other Black area legislators, namely Stephanie Howse (D-11) and John Barnes Jr. (D-12) of Cleveland, and Janine Boyd (D-9) of Cleveland Heights, opposing the measure.
"Yes I voted against African-American women killing their babies," said Patmon, a former Cleveland councilman, and a conservative-leaning Democrat.
Abortion proponents argue that only potential life begins upon the union of the egg and the sperm and the creation of a zygote or fertilized egg.
They say the government, led by men, should quit meddling with womens' bodies.
"We know the fight for reproductive freedom will continue for many weeks, months and years to come," said Kellie Copeland, executive director of Naral Pro-Choice Ohio.
Patmon and Barnes are term limited and will be replaced next year in the House by Democrats Terrence Upchurch and Juanita Brent, both of Cleveland.
State Sen. Sandra Williams (D-21), a Cleveland Democrat and the only Black state senator from the greater Cleveland area, voted against the bill in the Senate
The likelihood of the bill becoming law before the end of the year and before the lame duck Kasich, who vetoed the heartbeat bill in 2016 and promises to do so again, leaves office in January, is slim to none, though his successor, Ohio Attorney General and governor-elect Mike DeWine, also a Republican, says he would sign such type of bill into law if and when it comes before him.
Senate Bill 145, which bans dilation and evacuation abortions, commonly known as D & E abortions, was also sent to Gov. Kasich for his possible signature, after passing the House and the Senate
It too is opposed by Cleveland area Black legislators, all but Patmon.
Legislators will now be called back, likely next week, for a vote to possibly override Kasich's expected veto, which simply will not happen, sources said Friday.
A three-fifths vote by both of the Republican controlled chambers, where the Senate has a super majority, is needed to override a veto by the governor.
As was the vote earlier this week by the Senate, the House vote was largely along party lines.
House Bill 258 now heads to the desk of Gov. John Kasich for his possible signature to become law.
The bill originated in the House but was amended this week when the Senate approved it and sent it back to the House for a vote on its amendments.
The original bill banned an abortion after nearly six weeks of pregnancy based on the use of trans vaginal ultrasounds that can detect a fetal heartbeat as early as six weeks and the amended bill extends that period to roughly 12 weeks by using other methods of heartbeat detection such as imaging technology.
State Rep Bill Patmon (D-10) of Cleveland, who is Black and co-sponsored the bill, is the only Democratic state legislator out of Cuyahoga County who supports the bill, with the other Black area legislators, namely Stephanie Howse (D-11) and John Barnes Jr. (D-12) of Cleveland, and Janine Boyd (D-9) of Cleveland Heights, opposing the measure.
"Yes I voted against African-American women killing their babies," said Patmon, a former Cleveland councilman, and a conservative-leaning Democrat.
Abortion proponents argue that only potential life begins upon the union of the egg and the sperm and the creation of a zygote or fertilized egg.
They say the government, led by men, should quit meddling with womens' bodies.
"We know the fight for reproductive freedom will continue for many weeks, months and years to come," said Kellie Copeland, executive director of Naral Pro-Choice Ohio.
Patmon and Barnes are term limited and will be replaced next year in the House by Democrats Terrence Upchurch and Juanita Brent, both of Cleveland.
State Sen. Sandra Williams (D-21), a Cleveland Democrat and the only Black state senator from the greater Cleveland area, voted against the bill in the Senate
The likelihood of the bill becoming law before the end of the year and before the lame duck Kasich, who vetoed the heartbeat bill in 2016 and promises to do so again, leaves office in January, is slim to none, though his successor, Ohio Attorney General and governor-elect Mike DeWine, also a Republican, says he would sign such type of bill into law if and when it comes before him.
Senate Bill 145, which bans dilation and evacuation abortions, commonly known as D & E abortions, was also sent to Gov. Kasich for his possible signature, after passing the House and the Senate
It too is opposed by Cleveland area Black legislators, all but Patmon.
Legislators will now be called back, likely next week, for a vote to possibly override Kasich's expected veto, which simply will not happen, sources said Friday.
A three-fifths vote by both of the Republican controlled chambers, where the Senate has a super majority, is needed to override a veto by the governor.
Abortion advocates such as NARAL Pro- Choice and Planned Parenthood have picketed at the statehouse in Columbus as late as this week over an abortion rights issue that has women's rights groups and other advocates up in arms.
Whether an Ohio law banning abortion that is contrary to Supreme Court rulings will pass constitutional muster remains to be seen.
Whether an Ohio law banning abortion that is contrary to Supreme Court rulings will pass constitutional muster remains to be seen.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog with some 5 million views on Google Plus alone.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.
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