Ohio Abortion Bill Would Guarantee a Man's Right to Choose

An Ohio state legislator has introduced a bill called "Father's Rights Regarding Abortion" that requires written permission from the sperm provider before a physician can perform an abortion.

The improbably named Rep. John Adams, from Sidney, Ohio, failed to get similar legislation passed in 2007 after protests from Planned Parenthood, but he has brought the bill back with modified language. The penalties to patient and physician for violating the measure, were it to become law, would be severe.

Aborting without permission or "providing a false biological father would be a first-degree misdemeanor . . . and [warrant] a maximum $1,000 fine," Adams explained. "On the second occasion, providing false information would be considered a fifth-degree felony."

If the identity of the man is unknown, the pregnant woman would be required to submit a list of possibilities, and her doctor would have to conduct paternity tests, then seek the man's permission to abort. In cases of rape or incest, the bill requires proof via a court document, police report or indictment.