FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       CONTACT: Elizabeth Marbach
DATE: Tuesday, June 27, 2023     PHONE: 614-547-0099 ext. 304

COLUMBUS, Ohio— Today, the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 5 and House Bill 34, which both serve to promote and support families throughout Ohio.

House Bill 5 (HB 5) modernizes the adoption process by streamlining it and removing unnecessary procedures for couples hoping to expand their families via adoption. House Bill 34 (HB34) excuses breastfeeding mothers from jury duty.

"It is often said that the law is a teacher, and what these two pieces of legislation teach Ohioans is that family matters greatly, and a bond between a mother and her child must come above all else—including jury duty," said Elizabeth Marbach, Ohio Right to Life Director of Communications. "Mothers should never be made to choose between nourishing their newborn child or fulfilling their civic duty."

Marbach continued, "Furthermore, couples that open their hearts and homes to adopting children deserve the state's full support and should not be prevented due to cost or out-of-date processes. We are proud to see overwhelming support from our elected officials on this very important topic and will continue to partner with them to build a culture of life."

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Founded in 1967, Ohio Right to Life, with more than 45 chapters and local affiliates, is Ohio's oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement in Ohio, ORTL works through legislation and education to promote and defend innocent human life from conception to natural death.