A bill to defund Planned Parenthood passed the state house of representatives Tuesday.
When the Ohio state legislature passed its own version of a bill that would defund Planned Parenthood on Tuesday, Brittany Kasturiarachi, an Ohio University second-year graduate student studying osteopathic medicine, said she was disappointed but not surprised.
Kasturiarachi, the president of the American Medical Student Association at OU, was one of more than a dozen speakers chosen by NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio to testify against the bill at the General Assembly on Nov. 4.
"I felt good about testifying," she said. "It was powerful that people could share their own stories with Planned Parenthood, but I sort of saw this coming."
The bill, which cuts tax dollars to any entity offering abortions not resulting from rape, incest or threat to the woman's health if the child is carried full-term, passed by a vote of 62 to 30. Currently, no state money is used to fund such abortions. However, the state money is used for other services at Planned Parenthood such as cervical cancer screenings and referring patients to places where they can receive mammograms.
Last month, the Senate also passed a bill that would defund Planned Parenthood by a vote of 23 to 10.
Now, the Senate and House Joint Committee will meet in order to determine which bill to push ahead.
Gabriel Mann, spokesman of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, said if that happens, Ohio Gov. John Kasich is sure to sign it, especially since he is currently vying for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
"He’s eagerly going to sign this legislation to have it in his trophy case," Mann said. "He doesn't care that women will lose out."
In a news release Tuesday, Stephanie Krider, the executive director of Ohio Right to Life, endorsed defunding Planned Parenthood, saying that Ohio was "one step closer to saving precious lives." She added that two-thirds of Ohioans support defunding Planned Parenthood.
"As the abortion giant's PR team scrambles to pull the pink curtain back around their dirty business, the pro-life movement is experiencing a reawakening, and pro-choicers are questioning their allegiance to Planned Parenthood," she said.
The House bill was introduced at the end of July, shortly after a viral video emerged on the Internet that allegedly showed a Planned Parenthood worker negotiating to sell fetal tissue. The selling of fetal tissue is illegal in Ohio.
State Rep. Bill Patmon, R-Cleveland, and state Rep. Margaret Conditt, R-Liberty Township introduced the bill.
In her testimony, Kasturiarachi argued that defunding the health clinic would have an adverse effect on the economy because the establishment offers women tools and strategies to prevent pregnancy in the first place.
She said such preventative measures cost less in the long run.
"The way I see Planned Parenthood, they're here for prevention and education and providing birth control," she said.
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State Rep. Debbie Phillips, D-Albany, said Tuesday was "not one of the better days" at the Statehouse.
She said if Planned Parenthood is defunded, it would make it harder for women to have access to services like cervical cancer screenings.
The Planned Parenthood in Athens on East State Street currently does not perform abortions.
"What the majority was saying was that there are other health clinics that can provide those services," Phillips said. "If Planned Parenthood receives those dollars currently, it's because they provide the most amount of services for the least amount of money. Other clinics can’t provide as many of those services. I'm very concerned that we may lose access to them."
Kasturiarachi said she still thought her testimony had an impact, despite the fact that the bill was passed.
"If we can affect something now by just talking to one of the representatives, it's still something," she said. "It's a small step, but it makes people realize that this issue is important."
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