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Progress Ohio activists demonstrate in support of
Planned Parenthood and women’s right to healthcare and birth control. Photo: ProgressOhio | FlickrCC. |
Ohio Attorney General Mike
DeWine is seeking injunctions against three Planned Parenthood facilities in
that state, which he accused of violating state rules about the disposal of
fetal remains. He admitted that the facilities sent the remains to
unspecified companies, which disposed of them in landfills. He also admitted
that an earlier state investigation he had launched found no evidence that
these facilities were guilty of selling fetal tissue on the black market.
Those accusations arose across
the country earlier this year when videos, later proven to be false by abortion
opponents, allegedly showed Planned Parenthood employees negotiating prices to
sell fetal tissue. Planned Parenthood has shown over and over that no such
negotiations have taken place, and that abortions only make up about 3% of the
services they supply.
Furthermore, the facilities in
Ohio claim that they have, and continue, to follow state laws regarding the
disposal of fetal tissue, and that the injunctions sought by DeWine are
politically motivated and without base. A
judge temporarily blocked Ohio from pursuing legal action against Planned
Parenthood, following that group bringing a suit to court against the
state.
The state of Ohio also has
proposals within the state’s House of Representatives that will require
abortion clinics to bury or cremate fetal remains. Whether or not that would
preclude their use for scientific or medical purposes is unknown. However, the
proposals would also require women seeking abortion services to choose whether
they want the fetus to be buried or cremated.
Planned Parenthood has argued that
these proposals are not intended in any way to improve patient safety, and are
unnecessary considering existing disposal laws. They argue that they are
instead designed to make it harder for women to seek and receive abortions, a
common tactic in states with anti-abortion governments.
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