COLUMBUS, Ohio, December 16, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – After discovering that Planned Parenthood in Ohio dumps its aborted babies in with landfill garbage, state House Republicans are planning to propose a law to require abortion facilities to either bury or cremate the babies they “terminate.”
The legislation is expected to be introduced in January, when state legislators return from Christmas break.
Ohio law states that the remains of aborted babies must be reposed “in a humane manner.” Republican lawmakers, led by pro0life Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, say dumping the babies in a landfill is not humane at all.
Lawmakers say legislation is needed to clarify the meaning of “humane” for disposing aborted babies. “There needs to be a respectful way (to dispose of the baby) once [an abortion has] occurred,” State Rep. Barbara Sears (Toledo) explained.
“While the move to provide proper burial for children who die as a result of abortion must be achieved immediately, it is crystal-clear that Planned Parenthood is again breaking the law, and yet continues to be funded with tax payer money,” Cleveland Right to Life President Molly Smith commented to LifeSiteNews.
Ms. Smith added, “Governor Kasich could end such funding immediately, by simply signing an executive order, as was requested several weeks ago by over one hundred Ohio pro-life leaders.”
Smith also pointed out that the “fetal tissue” is in fact the remains of aborted children and should be referred to as such. “The words we use have a profound impact on the messages we send,” Smith noted. “We should never forget that abortion ends the life of a child, and it is children that are being dumped in landfills.”
Planned Parenthood's Stephanie Kight did not deny that their aborted babies were disposed of in landfills. She defended the practice, saying the babies are dumped “respectfully.”
Kight said the landfill is specifically licensed for medical material, and their disposal follows Ohio law.
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DeWine had promised to file an injunction to stop Planned Parenthood from dumping babies in landfills, but Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit first. The Planned Parenthood lawsuit accuses Ohio Health Director Richard Hodges of changing the interpretation of the state fetal tissue disposal law. The suit also sought to block DeWine and/or Hodges from filing an injunction and allow the abortion business to “sort out issues” on humane disposal.
Federal Judge Edmund Sargus, Jr. on Monday granted Planned Parenthood's request and temporarily blocked Ohio officials from taking legal action to enforce aborted baby disposal laws. Sargus's restraining order is in effect until January 11, and he has set a January 4 date for hearing the dispute.
Representative Barbara Sears says this bill is not politically motivated. “The idea of respectfully treating the remains of an infant who has been aborted, I think is critical,” Sears said.
“I think that you can see how we treat our own childhood pets when we are disposing of them in a respectful way,” Sears explained. “I don't think that it matters whether you are Republican or Democrat or independent or oblivious to politics altogether.”
Gabriel Mann of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio says the promised legislation is unnecessary and is proposed only because “they want to try to harass abortion providers and harass women.”
Georgia requires burial or cremation of aborted babies. Tennessee requires abortionists to document how babies' remains are disposed of. Wisconsin is currently considering legislation that would clarify disposal options.
A previous Ohio House proposal was to ask women getting an abortion whether they wanted their babies buried or cremated. If the mother doesn't respond, the previous House proposal left the decision to the abortionist.
A similar bill has been introduced in the state Senate.
