CCV to Toledo: Abortion Buffer Zone Ordinance Will Bring Lawsuit
Center for Christian Virtue: Proposed Toledo “Buffer-Zone” Ordinance Clearly Violates the First Amendment
COLUMBUS—In a letter sent to the Toledo City Council today, Center for Christian Virtue (formally Citizens for Community Values, CCV) notified Toledo City Council that legal action will be taken if they pass the “Patient Safety Ordinance,” which aims to create a buffer zone outside abortion facilities that would prevent sidewalk counselors from interacting with women as they enter the facility.
The ordinance, introduced by Councilmember Nick Komives, states that, within 100 feet of the abortion facility premises, no person shall be allowed to “approach or follow another person within eight 8 feet of such person, unless such other person consents, for the purpose of passing a leaflet or handbill to, displaying a sign, or engaging in oral protest, education, or counseling with such other person in the public way or sidewalk area.”
“Stifled speech is not free speech,” writes CCV President Aaron Baer in the letter. “This ordinance violates the First Amendment and restricts the distribution of life-saving education in the form of leaflets and literature.” If Toledo City Council is successful in passing the ordinance, they will be sued to the full extent of the law.
The ordinance can also be read here.
The one and only abortion facility which would be impacted by this ordinance is Capital Care of Toledo, whose surgical license was confiscated by the Ohio Department of Health in 2019 due to failure of routine health inspections which revealed un-sterile surgical instruments and an exam table that was held together by duct tape.
If the ordinance passes, anyone who attempts to warn a woman entering the facility of the clinic’s dangerous practices or to counsel women on their options or support services available to them could be charged with up to a year in prison.
Earlier this month, Center for Christian Virtue, along with other pro-life organizations such as Foundation for Life, urged citizens to contact the council to reject the ordinance. You can read that Action Alert here.
For more information, contact CCV at 513-733-5775 or info@ccv.org.
As Ohio’s largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel.
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