Lebanon town in Ohio has declared itself to be a “sanctuary city for the unborn”.
On May 25, Tuesday night, after four hours of public debate, the council has passed a new local ordinance banning abortion unanimously in the town.
The town is the first in the state to declare itself a “sanctuary city for the unborn” with abortion punishable with six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. But one of a growing number of similar towns and cities that have moved to pass ultra-strict local abortion laws over recent months.
According to the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn initiative, Lebanon has a population of roughly 20,000, and there are currently no abortion clinics in the town. It is also the first city in Ohio to become such a city.
Ohio currently bans abortion after 20 weeks. In 2016, former governor John Kasich approved that law but vetoed a measure that would have banned abortions after six weeks.
In 2019, Governor Mike DeWine signed the “heartbeat bill” legislation that would have banned abortion as early as six weeks, but it was later blocked from taking effect by a judge.
Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio have signed bills in recent months that ban abortions if an embryonic heartbeat can be detected.
Abortion has long been known as a somewhat “taboo” topic, with women historically being forced to risk their lives to terminate their unwanted pregnancies.
A 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade, affirmed that a woman’s access to safe and legal abortion is a constitutional human right.
On May 14, 2019, Alabama legislators passed a bill banning abortions. The passing of this bill has triggered an outcry across the world, with millions standing forward in support of women’s rights.
“The bill stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God,” Republican Governor Kay Ivey said after signing the bill.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio is planning to challenge the local ordinance legally to invalidate the ban, which undermines both federal and state laws on abortion in Ohio.
“Tonight, Lebanon City Council will hold a vote on a dangerous city ordinance that would ban abortion and make it illegal to aid someone in obtaining the procedure by declaring the city a ‘sanctuary for the unborn,'” the group tweeted. “We are prepared to mount a legal challenge. #SeeYouInCourt.”
“Unanimously, the Lebanon City Council just voted in support of this unconstitutional ordinance,” the group added. “This hyper-local strategy is another attempt by anti-choice politicians to stigmatize and ban abortion in Ohio, by whatever means necessary. We’re reviewing the next steps.”
There have been other movements on the anti-abortion front in recent weeks.
“Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn” is an extreme anti-abortion movement originating in Texas, where 23 small towns passed legislation making abortion punishable by a $2,000 fine, The Guardian reported.
Lebanon’s new laws take things a step further, by introducing the threat of jail time for doctors who perform the procedure, as well as anyone who provides access or transportation to, or information about, abortion services.
While it is now legal in many countries across the world like Tunisia, Denmark, France, Sweden, and New Zealand, there’s no doubt that abortion remains a taboo topic, with the right to a safe and legal abortion facing numerous challenges.
However, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer, the law includes exemptions for medical reasons, but not in cases of rape or incest. It bears similarity to state restrictions passed in Texas earlier this month, which allow private citizens to sue anyone they believe has abetted an abortion.
“Abortion services are already extremely difficult to access for people in Ohio, but these efforts are part of an aggressive, nationwide anti-abortion agenda to do one thing, ban abortion outright,” Kersha Deibel, president, and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio said.point 364 |
“We will do everything we can to continue to provide safe, legal abortion to the people of Ohio who need it.point 90 | ”point 93 | 1
The Supreme Court has announced last week that they would hear a Mississippi case that could potentially make a way for invalidating the constitutional right to abortion established by Roe in 1973.