[Ohio Executive Brach] Gov. Ted Strickland Vetos Ban on Taxpayer Funding of Human Cloning
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
June 12, 2008
Columbus, OH (LifeNews.com) -- The Ohio legislature sent Gov. Ted Strickland a biotech bill that doesn't contain a ban on human cloning the way pro-life advocates wanted. The measure has only a more modest ban on forcing taxpayers to fund human cloning but Strickland won't allow that protection for state residents.
Instead, Strickland used his line-item veto Thursday to axe the section of the $1.3 billion funding bill banning state funds for cloning human beings.
At the end of May, the Ohio Senate voted 21-11 to ban the use of funds from the state's Biomedical Development Program for any activities involving human cloning.
Sen. Steve Buehrer, a Republican, offered the amendment to HB 554, an economic stimulus bill that would fund grants, loans and loan guarantees for biotech research and medical products from it.
Mike Gonidakis, the director of Ohio Right to Life, told LifeNews.com, âBy vetoing a ban on using taxpayer funds for human cloning, Ted Strickland has demonstrated that he supports treating human life as a commodity."
"Most Ohioans donât share Governor Stricklandâs cavalier disregard for the value of human life and they should not be forced to pay for its creation, exploitation and destruction in cloning research,â Gonidakis said.
The amendment ensures new money generated from new jobs under the bill will not be used for research and experimentation that creates and destroy human life.
The funding ban only applies to the economic stimulus bill and only for new money generated from it.
Ohio Right to Life had supported the cloning funding ban and was concerned the bill was on a fast track in the Ohio General Assembly and that it could ultimately lead to taxpayers funding either reproductive or research-based human cloning.
ORTL president Tracie Johnson said her group was concerned that HB 554 would become an "open invitation: to use tax dollars to fund the creation and destruction of human life."
"While Ohio's biotech industry obviously views ethical restrictions on their research as an unnecessary inconvenience, millions of Ohio taxpayers do not share their cavalier disregard for human life," she added. "Those taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize the creation and destruction of human life through cloning."
Use the form at http://governor.ohio.gov/Assistance/ContacttheGovernor/tabid/448/Default.aspx to contact Governor Strickland and tell him you oppose his decision to remove the ban on taxpayer funding of human cloning from the biotech bill.
Related web sites:
Ohio Governor - http://governor.ohio.gov
Ohio Legislature - http://www.legislature.state.oh.us
Ohio Senate - http://www.senate.state.oh.us
Ohio Right to Life - http://www.ohiolife.org
[Ohio House] Ohio House Approves Legislation to stop pressured, forced Abortions
Columbus, OH (LifeNews.com) -- The Ohio House on Wednesday, May 29th, approved a bill that will help stop women from being pressured or forced into a decision to have an abortion. The legislative chamber
approved the pro-life bill on an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote and it now heads to the Ohio Senate.
Rep. Michelle Schneider is the lead sponsor of H.B. 280, the Protecting Pregnant Women from Coercion & Violence Bill, that the House backed 89-7.
The measure would require abortion facilities to display a poster in their waiting rooms making it clear to women that no one can coerce or pressure them into having an abortion they really don't want.
This notice would indicate that, under Ohio law, an abortion can only be performed if the woman signs a consent form indicating she is consenting voluntarily and without coercion, Mike Gonidakis, director of Ohio Right to Life, told LifeNews.com.
It would also inform the woman that, if she is coerced into having an abortion, she should not sign a consent form and should inform abortion center employees.
"We are delighted that the Ohio House of Representatives has acted to protect pregnant women," Gonidakis said. "All Americans should join in opposing coerced abortion and violence against pregnant women."
The measure would also increase penalties for domestic violence against a woman in an attempt to get her to have an abortion, as long as the offender knew the woman was pregnant at the time of the assault.
The measure is similar to legislation in Missouri, that the Missouri House voted for on a lopsided bipartisan vote. However, abortion advocates have attacked the bill and the Senate never voted on it.
Contact your member of the Ohio Senate and urge strong support for HB 280. You can determine your legislator with your zip code by going to http://www.senate.state.oh.us.
Related web sites:
Ohio House - http://www.house.state.oh.us
Ohio Right to Life - http://www.ohiolife.org
[Ohio Senate] Ohio Senate Passes Amendment to Ban Taxpayer-Funding of Human Cloning - 5/29/08
Columbus, OH (LifeNews.com) -- The Ohio Senate on Wednesday approved an amendment to a biotech funding bill that prohibits taxpayer-funding of human cloning. The Senate voted 21-11 to ban the use of funds from the state's Biomedical Development Program for any activities involving human cloning.
Sen. Steve Buehrer, a Republican, offered the amendment to HB 554 an economic stimulus bill that would fund grants, loans and loan guarantees for biotech research and medical products from it.
With a bill to ban both forms of human cloning held up in committee, this is a way to limit the practice to make sure state residents don't have their tax dollars used.
The adopted amendment ensures new money generated from new jobs under the bill will not be used for research and experimentation that creates and destroy human life.
The funding ban only applies to the economic stimulus bill and only for new money generated from it.
Ohio Right to Life told LifeNews.com is appreciated the vote and thanked Senator Buehrer along with Senator Tim Grendell and Senate President Bill Harris "for their role in this pro-life victory."
The pro-life group was concerned the bill was on a fast track in the Ohio General Assembly and that it could ultimately lead to taxpayers funding either reproductive of research-based human cloning.
"By their vigorous opposition to SB 174, a bill which would ban human cloning, the members of Ohio's biotech industry have demonstrated their total disregard for the most basic principle of ethical medical research -- do no harm," ORTL president Tracie Johnson told LifeNews.com before the vote.
Johnson said her group was concerned that HB 554 would become an "open invitation: to use tax dollars to fund the creation and destruction of human life.
'While Ohio's biotech industry obviously views ethical restrictions on their research as an unnecessary inconvenience, millions of Ohio taxpayers do not share their cavalier disregard for human life," she added. "Those taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize the creation and destruction of human life through cloning."
Ohio Senators voting the PRO-LIFE position FOR the Buehrer Amendment were: Ron Amstutz; Steve Austria; John Boccieri; Steve Buehrer; John Carey; Gary Cates; Kevin Coughlin; Keith Faber; Tim Grendell; Bill Harris; Jeff Jacobson; Larry Mumper; Tom Niehaus; Joy Padgett; Tim Schaffer; Robert Schuler; Kirk Schuring; Bill Seitz; Bob Spada; Steve Stivers; and Jason Wilson. (21)
Ohio Senators voting the ANTI-LIFE position AGAINST the Buehrer Amendment were: Capri Cafaro; Teresa Fedor; David Goodman; Eric Kearney; Lance Mason; Dale Miller; Ray Miller; Sue Morano; Tom Roberts; Tom Sawyer; and Shirley Smith. (11)
Senator Mark Wagoner was not present for the vote on the cloning amendment.
Contact your state senator and express your feelings about their vote on helping Ohio residents get out of funding human cloning. If you don't know who your Senator is or his or her contact information, you can find out by going to http://www.senate.state.oh.us/senators/SenateZipSearch.html
Related web sites:
Ohio Legislature - http://www.legislature.state.oh.us
Ohio Senate - http://www.senate.state.oh.us
Ohio Right to Life - http://www.ohiolife.org
[Ohio Senate] Tell your Ohio State Senator to support the amendment of H.B. 554 - 5/28/2008
Tell Your Ohio State Senator to say NO to Tax-Funded Human Cloning in Ohio!
May 22, 2008
[frc.org] The passage of Ohio's H.B. 554 in its present form would appropriate millions of state tax dollars for "biomedical" products and research. This includes human cloning - despite the availability of ethical alternatives such as adult stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Now on a "fast track" through the General Assembly, H.B. 554 is scheduled for a Senate vote on Wednesday May 28.
Though Ohio's biotech industry apparently views ethical restrictions on their "research" as an annoying inconvenience, the state's taxpayers do not. The only sure prevention of "human clone and kill" in Ohio is by the adoption of an amendment to H.B. 554. Let your voice be heard. Urge your state senator to amend H.B. 554 today!
Contact information:
Senate President Bill Harris: 614/466-8086 or SD19@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Carey: 614/466-8156 or sd17@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Resources:
Ohio State Senators
[Ohio Policy] Ohio Pro-Life Group Files Lawsuit to Protect Free Speech Political Rights
May 21, 2008 - Columbus, OH (LifeNews.com) -- A leading pro-life group in Ohio has filed a lawsuit to protect its free speech political rights when it comes to the organization's ability to engage in issue advocacy. During the critical days before the November general election, the Ohio Right to Life Society wants to be able to speak out on pro-life legislation.
Ohio Right to Life officials tell LifeNews.com that a ruling in its favor would free advocacy groups of all ideologies from government restriction that inhibits free speech rights prior to election day.
Specifically, the group has a problem with a state law that bars citizen organizations from paying for ads that mention the name of a political candidate within 30 days of an election.
The ads are prohibited even if they don't advocate the defeat or election of a candidate and simply discuss the elected officials voting record on issues like abortion or bioethics.
"Ohio Right to Life is presently not permitted to advocate for an issue when voters are most engaged - 30 days before an election," executive director Mike Gonidakis told LifeNews.com.
"Such a speech blackout period is entirely contrary to the First Amendment and harms grassroots organizations of all ideologies," he said.
Ohio lawmakers included the ad ban in a campaign finance bill the legislature approved in December 2004.
Represented by the law firm Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff and the Center for Competitive Politics, ORTL argued in court filings that the Ohio state law barring it from running advertisements mentioning candidates' names close to an election is impermissible in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision last summer in Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life.
In that case, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion that political speech can only be regulated if the advertisement contains "express advocacy" or "is susceptible of no reasonable interpretation other than as an appeal to vote for or against a specific candidate."
"Our mission is to promote life. We want the right to talk about life issues at anytime - regardless of when an election is scheduled," Gonidakis explained.
"The Supreme Court has recognized these rights at the federal level. We believe it is time for the Ohio Elections Commission to recognize our right to free speech," he added.
ORTL filed the suit in the U.S District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The Ohio Elections Commission and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner are named as defendants.
Related web sites:
Ohio Right to Life - http://www.ohiolife.org
"Despite the availability of ethical alternatives, such as induced pluripotent stem cells, they are intent on creating human life through cloning for the sole purpose of destroying it in research," she added.