Four state lawmakers said Tuesday they are preparing to introduce identical bipartisan bills that deal with what they call end-of-life procedures.
Their proposal would abolish the death penalty in Ohio—a perennial but historically standalone piece of legislation—and also reaffirm bans on state funds going toward physician-assisted suicide or abortion. Under the Ohio Revised Code right now, physician-assisted suicide can be criminally punishable, and abortion clinics already can’t receive state funds.
Though the legislative language has not yet been filed, Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) said it includes a provision on non-severability, meaning if part of the bill is challenged, the other parts are put on pause, too.
“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.
Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) and Mathews are sponsoring the House version, while Sens. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City) are sponsoring the Senate version. The four lawmakers—joined at a press conference by Sen. Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus)—argued it’s an exercise in finding middle ground.
The Catholic Conference of Ohio, the church’s statewide lobbying arm, is backing the bill.
It’s already gotten grief from abortion advocates, who said it leaves a bad taste in their mouths, particularly after voters ratified constitutional protections for access to procedures in 2023.
In an email statement, Kellie Copeland, executive director of Abortion Forward, said it was “dishonest trickery” to pair these provisions.
“This bill is why people don't trust politicians,” Copeland said. “It is a wildly insulting and stigmatizing attack on the tens of thousands of patients who have abortions each year in Ohio.”
House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said Tuesday her caucus wouldn’t cede ground on abortion rights—pointing out that House Democrats were not put on that bill.
A growing contingent of Republican lawmakers oppose the death penalty in practice, but House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said late last year he believes it’s far from most members. When asked Tuesday, Huffman declined comment.
Among the many arguments for and against the death penalty, abolition advocates say innocent Ohioans could be executed, pointing to powerful stories from death row exonerees. Opponents often say it’s a crime deterrent reserved for “the worst of the worst.”
More than 100 men and one woman are incarcerated on death row in Ohio, according to Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections data. The state has not gone through with an execution since July 2018, closing in on six years and extending the entirety of Gov. Mike DeWine’s tenure.
The standstill is due, in part, to pharmaceutical companies’ opposition to use of their products in the drug concoction that creates a lethal injection. But prosecutors and other backers of the death penalty have said that is an excuse, with some last session eyeing possible alternative procedures like the use of nitrogen gas.
Antonio sees DeWine as an ally in her efforts, she said.
“There's no guarantees about who will be our next governor, but I do believe there's a sense of urgency in the state of Ohio, because we know where this governor sits on this issue,” Antonio said.
