Columbus, Ohio – A pro-life Democrat has introduced a bill in Ohio that would ban abortions after 24 weeks, or 22 weeks if tests determine that the pre-born baby is viable. This bill, introduced by Rep. Lorraine Fende of Willowick, could have serious repercussions on one of the nation’s most prominent late-term abortionists, Martin Haskell.
Haskell boasts of having invented the partial-birth abortion, a grisly method of killing a partially delivered baby that was outlawed by the Federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. Haskell then adopted a modified version of the procedure that circumvents the ban by killing the baby in utero with a fatal injection to the heart prior to the onset of labor.
Haskell operates late-term abortion clinics in Dayton and Sharonville. Haskell’s relocation of his Cincinnati office to Sharonville last year sparked a wave of protest from pediatricians who share the medical complex with him.
The late-term abortion ban, known as House Bill 7, was among the first bills to be introduced in Ohio and indicates that House leadership considers the bill to be of a high priority. It is the first attempt to pass such legislation since 1997.
The bill differs from historic legislation passed in Nebraska last year in that it focuses on fetal viability, or when the baby can survive outside the womb, not when the baby can feel pain. The bill contains an exception if the mother suffers “serious” physical health issues, but does not contain a “mental health” exception.
“Haskell not only has been aborting babies for three decades, he has been experimenting and inventing new ghoulish ways to take the lives of innocent babies who could survive if they were birthed rather than aborted. It’s high time his macabre practices were outlawed,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.
Late-term abortions are extremely lucrative for abortionists who will do them. If Haskell’s late-term abortion business is taken away, it is doubtful that his clinics would remain profitable, especially since abortion numbers continue to decline in Ohio. Records show that about 700 post-viability abortions occur in Ohio each year, nearly all at Haskell clinics.
“While we would have preferred to see a late-term abortion ban with no exceptions, we are encouraged that this bill is going forward. Anytime a bill has the potential to save lives and close abortion clinics, we are supportive of it,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.
Over 80% of Americans oppose late-term abortions, according to recent surveys.
Other states considering tighter restrictions on late-term abortions are Iowa, Indiana, Maryland, and Kansas, all states where Haskell’s fellow late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart has tried to expand. Missouri also has introduced legislation to restrict late-term abortions.
Read Operation Rescue’s 3-part exposé on Haskell’s late-term abortion business
