Suing 'deadbeat dads' in Ohio? Christian lobbyists announce support for Democratic bill
A Democratic proposal to force "deadbeat dads" to pay for unintended pregnancies just got a boost from an unexpected source: Christian lobbyists.
Senate Bill 226 would allow those who are pregnant to sue those who caused the pregnancy, regardless of the circumstances. A judge could award at least $5,000.
Sen. Tina Maharath, D-Columbus, said this bill is particularly important after Roe v. Wade was overturned, forcing people either to leave the state for abortions or deliver babies from unintended pregnancies.
Ohio law now bans abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected, which is about six weeks into a pregnancy. At that point, many don't yet realize they are pregnant. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.
The average cost of childbirth in Ohio is $15,000, Maharath said. "Too often, this cost is solely the mother’s to bear, especially in the case of an unintended pregnancy. However, the father shares equal responsibility for the pregnancy and it is only right that he pays equally for it."
On Friday, Center for Christian Virtue President Aaron Baer announced that his organization agrees.
“Senator Tina Maharath’s legislation is an innovative approach to combat the hook-up culture that has led to broken lives, hurting women, and abandoned children," Baer said in a statement. "It’s time we hold these deadbeat dads accountable."
Maharath's bill has just one co-sponsor, a fellow Democrat, and has yet to receive hearings in the Ohio Senate, where Republicans hold a veto-proof majority. Lawmakers will return later this year to pass bills, including a ban on nearly all abortions.
Maharath said she was pleased to see that the Center for Christian Virtue supports her bill, which is intended as an immediate solution to a much larger problem: access to abortion in Ohio. "We just have to have something for individuals right now."
But everyone isn't on board. Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis called the bill a "gimmick" with "a zero percent chance of passing."
“Instead of wasting our time and tax-payer resources, abortion supporters should work with Ohio Right to Life to provide actual solutions that protect women and children or simply walk away from the statehouse," Gonidakis said.
Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Akron Beacon Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Christian lobbyists back Democratic bill to sue 'deadbeat dads'
