To Oppose and Condemn the Enactment of the 133rd General Assembly’s Six-week Abortion Ban through Substitute Senate Bill 23
 
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WHEREAS, a six-week abortion ban will have profound negative impacts on the health of women in Columbus by effectively eliminating access to all legal abortion services, without exceptions for cases of rape and incest and with woefully inadequate protections for the life and health of the woman; and
 
WHEREAS, Substitute Senate Bill 23 negatively impacts the ability of Columbus to attract and retain qualified medical professionals by threatening doctors with prison time and fines for performing duties in their capacity as medical professionals; and
 
WHEREAS, access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare supports the health and wellbeing of women and families in Columbus by providing safe and healthy family planning options, preventing unintended pregnancies, increasing women’s participation in the labor force, and improving economic security for families; and
 
WHEREAS, abortion access is a key component of comprehensive health care access for women and eliminating abortion access works directly against the City of Columbus’s CelebrateOne initiative to reduce infant mortality and against the efforts of programs like Restoring Our Own Through Transformation to improve Black maternal and infant health, because research demonstrates that babies are more likely to live to their first birthday if their mothers have a lifetime of good health; and
 
WHEREAS, similar bans passed in other states have universally been ruled unconstitutional by courts throughout the United States; and
 
WHEREAS, as one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country, Substitute Senate Bill 23 negatively impacts efforts by the City of Columbus to attract businesses, young professionals, and entrepreneurs who help drive local economic activity and growth; and
 
WHEREAS, rather than implementing regressive and extreme policies like Substitute Senate Bill 23, policy makers should instead focus on supportive services to reduce unintended pregnancies and promote the success of all families by investing in comprehensive sex education, access to contraceptives, and quality affordable childcare; now, therefore
 
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby oppose the six-week abortion ban passed by the 133rd Ohio General Assembly through Substitute Senate Bill 23.
 
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