Ohio Senate budget includes provision to restrict abortions

The House of Representatives previously adopted its version of the budget, which does not include the abortion measure.Members from both chambers will likely meet in conference committee sometime next week to iron out the final budget.That spending proposal will go to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who must sign it by June 30.Ohio is one of several states across the country whose legislators are pushing measures to limit access to abortions or ban them outright.More than 500 measures restricting abortions were introduced across the United States in the first three months of this year, compared with about 300 in the same period of 2019, according to a Planned Parenthood report.If the Ohio Senate's version of the budget is adopted, a "medical practitioner, health care institution or health care payer" could decline to perform or pay for any service that violates their "conscience as informed by the moral, ethical, or religious beliefs or principles," according to language added to the bill.“It’s a breath of fresh air knowing that Ohio passed a law protecting people’s religious beliefs,” Ohio Right to Life President Michael Gonidakis said.