Navigating Ohio’s New Law: What It Means for Abortion Forward and Our Supporters
Blog | September 5, 2024
Ohio has recently passed a law that directly impacts organizations like Abortion Forward, Abortion Forward Alliance, and Abortion Forward PAC, making it more challenging to carry out our mission of advocating for abortion access for all. This new law, passed by the manufactured anti-abortion majority in the Ohio House and Senate and signed by Governor DeWine, specifically targets groups engaged in political and ballot work, and it imposes strict regulations on the sources of our donations. It also grants exclusive power to the Attorney General to conduct investigations that will amount to fishing expeditions into how organizations are complying with this politically motivated law.
This new Ohio law directly attacks progressive political activity, including our endorsement process, candidate support, ballot initiative work, and PAC donations and expenditures. It places unnecessary burdens on political organizations, limits the participation of immigrants who are not citizens or legal permanent residents, and empowers the state to scrutinize our every move. However, with your support and vigilance, we can navigate these challenges and continue to fight for the rights and freedoms that all Ohioans deserve.
What You Can Do
As a supporter, your understanding and action are crucial. Here’s how you can help:
1. Certify Your Contributions: When making a donation, please be sure to check the new box on our website donation forms to certify that your funds are from a U.S. citizen, national, or legal permanent resident (Green Card holder), or from an entity that is domestically organized and operates primarily within the U.S. This certification is now a legal requirement for us to use your donation in our Ohio political work.
2. Stay Informed: Learn more about this law and its implications for our work. Knowledge is power, and understanding the challenges we face helps you better support our continued effort to make abortion accessible for all.
3. Spread the Word: Share this information with others who might not be aware of the new law and its impact on organizations like ours. The more people who know, the stronger our collective response can be.
4. Get Involved: If you have questions or want to know more, please get in touch with Kel McConaughey at 614-221-2594 ext. 406 or give@abortionforward.org.
Your support in meeting these new compliance measures is more important than ever. Make a certified donation to support our political work now.
Learn more about how this law affects our collective efforts to protect and expand abortion access in Ohio.
What the Law Does
The law mandates that we verify the source of all donations, ensuring that only contributions from U.S. citizens, nationals, or legal permanent residents (Green Card holders) are used for ballot initiatives and other political activities. Foreign nationals, are prohibited from contributing to or spending on Ohio candidates or ballot measures. This law also applies to funding for electioneering communications and contributions to political entities involved in Ohio elections.
How It Impacts Our Work
For Abortion Forward and similar organizations, this law creates a substantial new and politically administrative burden. We are now required to implement rigorous verification processes to ensure compliance, diverting time and resources from our primary mission—fighting for reproductive freedom. The law also empowers Ohio Attorney General David Yost to investigate any organizations involved in political or ballot work, increasing the risk of legal challenges and scrutiny, particularly for those supporting progressive causes like ours.
Why This Law is Problematic
The new regulations are not just about ensuring transparency in donations; they are part of a broader strategy to stifle progressive political activity in Ohio. By targeting groups that have successfully used ballot initiatives to advance rights and freedoms, this law is designed to make it harder for us to continue our work. It unfairly penalizes and stigmatizes non-citizen or legal permanent resident (aka Green Card holder) immigrants, , by barring them from supporting organizations that share their values and engage in the political process—this is a political stunt, not a genuine or necessary effort to protect election integrity.
Note to Foreign Nationals
We are appalled by this politically motivated and stigmatizing law that has targeted you and your families. We warmly welcome foreign nationals to continue supporting our vital work in education, outreach, and abortion stigma-busting. While the new law restricts your ability to support our political activities, your contributions are still essential in many other areas of our mission. To explore how you can get involved and make a difference, please get in touch with Kel McConaughey at 614-221-2594 ext. 406 or give@abortionforward.org. Your support is invaluable as we continue to advocate for reproductive freedom.
