VERY IMPORTANT FOR OHIOANS:

"BREAKING NEWS – Legislative Update
November, 2008 Content:
I - Ohio Prevention First Act hearing scheduled
II - Abortion Veto Bill also to be heard at same committee
III - Ohio House Health Committee meeting info

I - Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio's request for a hearing for the Ohio Prevention First Act has been granted. Ohio House Health Committee Chairman Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon) has scheduled House Bill 251 for a hearing on Wednesday, November 19, 2008. More than 12,600 Planned Parenthood supporters signed a petition urging that a hearing on this landmark bill be scheduled.
Sponsored by Representatives Jon Peterson (R-Delaware) and Tyrone Yates (D-Cincinnati), HB 251 focuses on the prevention of unintended pregnancies through comprehensive sex education for teens, including abstinence, and affordable, accessible birth control.

Among the provisions of the Ohio Prevention First Act are to:

• ensure that Ohio's state funded sexual education programs provide young people with the information they need to make safe, informed, responsible choices;
• launch a teen pregnancy prevention grant program;
• ensure access to emergency contraception in all emergency rooms for sexual assault victims;
• require pharmacies to fill all in-stock legal prescriptions and to dispense all over-the-counter medications;
• require insurance plans that cover prescriptions to also cover birth control; and
  earmark existing state funds for family planning purposes.

II – Also being heard on November 19th is HB 287, sponsored by Representative John Adams (R-Sidney). House Bill 287 would require a woman to have the written informed consent of the prospective father of her fetus before being allowed to have an abortion. That's right...If the man says "No," there will be no abortion. Period!
HB 287 also requires that, if the identity of the prospective father is unknown, a paternity test must be performed to determine his identity so that his consent could be obtained prior to performing the abortion. The practical effect of the paternity test requirement would prevent some women from obtaining an abortion during the first trimester.

III - Planned Parenthood supporters are invited to attend. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 2:30PM or later depending on the length of the preceeding House voting session. Because of the session schedule, lengthy committee agenda, and seating capacity limitations, interested persons are encouraged to contact Stephanie Craddock of Planned Parenthood of Central Ohio at 614-358-8729 or advocacy@ppcoh.org for further details about the hearing."

--Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio

I hope for all Ohioans that the Ohio Prevention First Act is successful, and that HB287 is a failure! Good luck and if you want to attend the meeting you should contact Planned Parenthood as it says in the email I received from them above.