Bob Hall / Wikimedia Commons
CV NEWS FEED // In an effort to “stop the funding of death,” Ohio state lawmakers are preparing to introduce legislation aimed at abolishing the death penalty while simultaneously reaffirming restrictions on state funding for abortion and physician-assisted suicide.
The bill, which is yet to be officially filed, aims to eliminate capital punishment in Ohio and includes a provision to prevent state funds from being used for abortion services or physician-assisted suicide, the Statehouse News Bureau reported Jan. 28.
State Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) are leading the House sponsorship of the bipartisan bill, while Senate leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood), are supporting it in the Senate.
Mathews noted the interconnected nature of the issues, stating that the legislation includes a non-severability clause. This means that if any part of the bill is legally challenged, the entire measure would be put on hold.
“We cannot and we will not separate these issues because they are united by that single truth, that the state should not put its thumb on the scale by using taxpayer dollars to subsidize death,” Mathews said, according to the Statehouse News Bureau.
Although prohibiting federal funding for abortions, the bill won’t prevent women from getting the procedure, according to Schmidt.
“Our bill does not change anyone’s ability to have an abortion, but state dollars should never be used in that process,” he said.
Antonio noted that the death penalty needlessly draws out the process for the victim’s families and raises concerns over wrongful convictions.
“It’s been found to be expensive, impractical, unjust, inhumane and erroneous,” she added, according to ABC News 5.
The Catholic Conference of Ohio, the state’s Catholic lobbying organization, has expressed strong support for the bill.
“The Catholic Conference of Ohio fully supports this unique and urgent answer to the moral dangers facing our state and its fiscal consequences,” said Brian Hickey, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Ohio. “Our taxpayer dollars should be used for the common good, not in a way that takes life and is opposed by more than half of Ohioans.”
Currently, more than 100 individuals are on death row in Ohio. Governor Mike DeWine, who assumed office in 2021, has indicated that no executions will take place during his tenure, ABC News 5 reported.
“The Catholic faith teaches us that every life is a gift, created in the image and likeness of God,” Hickey added. “This belief compels us to act with courage and compassion, especially when facing suffering. This legislation exemplifies that courage, offering a consistent and holistic affirmation of life that transcends partisanship by denying the state the ability to fund death.”
