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State
Representative Jim Buchy
Two
Years of
Steps Forward in the Pro-Life Movement
The
issue of
life remains paramount in this state. Governor Kasich and
state leaders
have made protecting and enhancing life an emphasis during the past two
years. While our team worked to balance a budget that
included an $8
billion hole and put Ohioans back to work, we continued to provide a
focus on
the issue of life concurrently. That focus was driven by the
pro-life
community, which has played a major role in Ohio government for the
past two
years.
Since
2000, when
I left the Ohio Legislature because of term limits, the number of
abortions in this state has
decreased. In the coming years, we expect
our state to enter a “culture of life,” meaning the dramatic decrease
of
abortions in Ohio.
Over
the past
two years, victories for Ohio’s unborn stacked up as we shortened the
time and
decreased the ability to get an abortion with legislation that will
likely pass
the test of the U.S. Supreme Court. Three bills that are now
law are
House Bill 63, House Bill 78, and House Bill 79
House
Bill 63
became law on February 2nd of this 2012. It strengthens
Ohio’s law by
requiring a “clear and convincing evidence” standard. Judges
must
specifically inquire about a minor’s understanding of the possible
physical and
emotional complications of an abortion, and the judge must determine
how much
the minor has been prepared to respond to such questions.
House
Bill 78,
which is commonly called the Viable Infants Protection Act, became law
on
October 20, 2011. This bill prohibits abortion after 20
weeks, when the
child is proved to be viable and can live outside the womb.
House
Bill 79
was enacted March 22nd of 2012. This legislation would
exclude abortion
coverage from the state exchange created in the federal healthcare
reform
law. This responds to the provision in the federal health
care law for an
opt-out of abortion coverage.
Lately,
news
coverage of our pro-life efforts in Ohio has ignored the success of the
three
bills that we passed during this General Assembly. These are
major
accomplishments in the movement and show that our state legislature and
governor
are dedicated to the issue of life. There is no movement away
from this
important issue—one more important than ever. As leaders we
must make a
point to continue addressing the issue of life.
In
the next
General Assembly, I am interested in continuing work to save lives of
the
unborn. Two high-profile bills that did not become law in the
129th General
Assembly are House Bill 125, the
“Heartbeat Bill,” and House Bill 298, which would provide preference
for state
funding to health centers that do not promote abortions.
Both
bills have
drawn attention from the pro-life and pro-choice communities, because
they are
landmark movements and each one needs due consideration and proper
vetting in
the legislative process. I strongly support the
reintroduction of these
bills in this General Assembly. The pro-life community is
united behind
each of these measures and continues our work to make sure the
legislation is
accurate is important.
As
we close the
book on the 129thGeneral Assembly, members of the pro-life movement
should feel
accomplished. Their efforts have saved thousands of unborn
lives, and we
are in a position to save thousands more in the next two
years.
In
western Ohio,
we value life, we value family, and most of all we value
freedom. The
freedom of the unborn is of the utmost importance. We must continue to
stand up
for those without a voice. With
reapportionment
my office email has changed to rep84@ohiohouse.gov. Please follow this quick
URL to complete an
online survey and give me your thoughts to guide priorities for the
next
General Assembly: http://twelio.com/3cg0hb
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