Some conservative Ohio lawmakers are sponsoring a bill to require public school students to watch three-minute-long videos about fetal development, starting in the third grade and every year until graduation.
Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) said the bill would require schools to provide scientifically accurate information on fetal development to students, through a video developed by an anti-abortion organization or a high-definition ultrasound video showing early fetal development.
"We should do everything that we can do to provide the most accurate, engaging information available to ensure that they are prepared when they are faced with a life-changing decision. Preparation and knowledge are key," Miller said. "House Bill 45 aims to ensure students receive accurate age-appropriate information about the biological processes of life in classes discussing human growth, development or sexuality.”
Miller unveiled her bill at a press conference with representatives from the Center for Christian Virtue and Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio, and showed a clip of "Meet Baby Olivia", a video that's mentioned in her bill. This video, produced by the anti-abortion group Live Action, features detailed animations or ultrasound imagery showing the early stages of human development during pregnancy starting with conception as "the moment that life begins."
Miller noted similar bills have been enacted in Idaho, Kansas, North Dakota, Tennessee, Iowa and Indiana.
The bill also mentions that the video "shall not be connected in any way to any individual, entity, or organization that provides, promotes, counsels, or makes referrals for abortion or abortion-related services."
Parents would be permitted to opt out of allowing their children to see the video.
But activists who helped pass a constitutional amendment to guarantee reproductive rights and abortion access are frustrated.
Kellie Copeland, executive director of Abortion Forward, said this is just one more way abortion opponents are trying to push their propaganda. She said it is easy to do since Ohio is the only state in the country that does not have a statewide health education standard that includes medically-based, sex education curriculum.
“This is what we get in return. We have anti-abortion politicians pushing what are essentially propaganda videos being produced by their extremist organizations to be shoved in the face of public-school students,” Copeland said.
Ohio law demands schools teach abstinence-only sex education. Copeland said students should be taught about human reproduction but in a different context that also includes how to prevent pregnancy.
“It should be comprehensive," Copeland said. "It should be information that encourages teens to delay the start of sexual activity until later in life. It should give them the tools to prevent unintended pregnancy and teach how to start a family when they are able to do so but the propaganda that they are pushing here is full of misinformation and it does the absolute opposite of that."
HB 485 was introduced on Monday with seven Republican co-sponsors. It has yet to be assigned to a committee.
