Ohio House Bill 347 is a legislative bill, also known as the “SHE WINS Act,” passed in the House on March 25, requiring pregnant individuals to meet with a physician at least 24 hours before receiving an abortion.
The bill states that by meeting with their physician, people seeking an abortion can receive informed consent about the medical procedure they wish to undergo.
Democratic Representative Michele Grim of District 43, which surrounds Toledo, voted against the bill in committee and on the House floor.
“The voters have already decided, in 2023, to put Reproductive Freedoms in the constitution, and this is a clear violation of what the voters voted on in 2023,” Grim said regarding her opposition to the bill.
“The right to reproductive freedom with protections for health and safety” amendment to Ohio’s constitution, which passed in 2023, enshrines the right of decisions regarding contraceptives, fertility treatment, continuing one’s pregnancy, miscarriage care and abortion to individuals.
The amendment came in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 with the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The case decided abortion is not enshrined in the Constitution and gave the right of abortion legislation back to the states.
In 2024, an Ohio judge overturned several Ohio laws, including a 24-hour waiting period where a person requesting an abortion must have an in-person visit to get state-mandated information about abortions. The judge cited the Ohio Reproductive Freedom Amendment as proof that the law is unconstitutional, according to the ACLU.
Democratic Representative Karen Brownlee of District 28, which occupies the Hamilton County area, also opposed HB 347. She cited issues with both the bill’s unconstitutionality and the restriction on medical practitioners.
“We should not be bullying the medical community and medical practitioners,” Brownlee said. “That seems to be an ongoing issue between our elected officials and the medical community. In this particular situation, I think it creates a breeding ground where doctors and other medical providers don’t even want to provide care in the state anymore if they are going to be subject to constantly changing rules and concerns about practicing evidence-based medical care.”
The lack of available physicians in Ohio is a growing problem. The Cicero Institute reported 57 of Ohio’s 88 counties are in a physician shortage. The Robert Graham Center reported Ohio will need an 8% growth of physicians by 2030 to maintain the shortages.
Clare Mulvay, a junior studying communications and English, is the co-president of Bobcats for Life, a secular club that works to highlight the value of life for all people, “from womb to tomb,” with a focus on unborn children.
"I think having another person there to essentially counsel you and be like, ‘Okay, your only option isn’t abortion,’” Mulvay said. “... I think that a woman having a meeting with her doctor would open up more of an opportunity for that.”
Mulvay’s comment echoed the sentiment expressed in the bill, which states people seeking an abortion must meet with a physician to discuss the implications and alternative options.
However, Grim offers a different perspective than the required physician visit in the bill. She claims requiring people to see a physician before receiving an abortion will create harmful financial burdens, making it harder for pregnant individuals to receive the care they want, especially if travel and childcare are involved.
With over half the state having a physician shortage, the Cicero Institute reported over 20% of Appalachian residents have to travel over 20 miles to receive healthcare. A study published in 2013 found 29% of women cited the need to focus on caring for other children as the reason for receiving an abortion.
HB 347 passed in the Ohio House of Representatives on March 25. It was introduced to the Senate on March 26 and has not been assigned to a committee yet.
