As the Republican National Convention begins, the party's official platform seems to be softer on abortion. Many of those opposed to abortion, including some Republican candidates, have said they had hoped for a national ban on abortion after 15 weeks.
But a draft of the platform that will be finalized by delegates at the RNC doesn’t include such a proposal. In fact, there's only one mention of the word "abortion".
Gabriel Mann of Abortion Forward, formerly Pro-Choice Ohio, said he thinks many Republicans realized they were on the losing side of that hot-button issue, especially after 57% of Ohio voters approved an amendment to protect reproductive rights last year.
“They see this record from Ohio voters – voters who approved abortion access. Now they are starting to change their tune because they are realizing that voters approve abortion access. They know that abortion is health care. And their Republican line is not as popular so they are trying to appear to soften," Mann said. "But we know their true record. They do not support abortion access."
But Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue, wanted a national abortion ban.
“It’s disappointing that they weakened the language and the commitment to protecting the most vulnerable, the commitment to life,” Baer said.
Baer said former President Trump won in 2016 with a strong anti-abortion platform and policies. And Baer said a national ban would have prevented some abortions now allowed in Ohio, which permits the procedure until viability, usually around 20 weeks.
Baer added it’s now time for Ohioans to talk about limits on abortion.
"And whether folks agree with us on things like the 'heartbeat bill' or things like that, that’s one question. But there’s a whole other conversation about later term abortion," Baer said. "And there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to convince voters about the dangers and harms of late-term abortion. And then one day, we hope to have that debate and vote again in Ohio."
Late-term abortion is very rare. The so-called "heartbeat bill", which bans abortion after six weeks, is still in court. A Hamilton County judge is expected to rule on its constitutionality following the passage of the reproductive rights amendment last fall.
Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life, said the RNC platform still reaffirms a commitment to life through the 14th amendment. And he said he doesn’t think voters who oppose abortion are going to be dissuaded from voting Republican because of the change. After all, Gonidakis said the proposed 15-week national ban would still have allowed many abortions in Ohio.
“You know we have called into question the purpose of a 15-week abortion ban because at 15 weeks, 95 to 98 percent of abortions have already occurred or whatever that number is,” Gonidakis said.
The most recent Ohio Abortion Report from 2022 shows about 90% of abortions performed were done before 13 weeks, and 99% happened by the end of 18 weeks. More than two-thirds of abortions are conducted by the end of nine weeks.
Gonidakis, a delegate to the RNC, said he didn’t hear any debate over IVF or birth control – two controversial issues that have come up in discussions on abortion bans. But for the first time in recent years, C-SPAN was not allowed to cover the actual draft session for the platform.
Gonidakis said Ohio’s limits on abortion still apply, even with the new amendment in place. Because Ohio's Republican-dominated legislature has not changed any abortion-related laws following the approval of the amendment last year, advocates for abortion rights are suing over those laws. Mann agreed the courts have and will play a pivotal role in abortion in the future.
“Donald Trump packed the Supreme Court for the purpose of overturning Roe,” Mann said.
Both sides in the abortion debate said who sits on courts will be a top priority this fall as jurists, not politicians, will play a key role in the future of legal abortion in Ohio and elsewhere.
