The Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act, House Bill 370, points to the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states "no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws' to protect the life of preborn persons."

"This bill recognizes that we are a country and state governed by laws, and that our laws must be constitutional," Rep. Newman said in a press release. "Article I, Section 22 of Ohio's Constitution, which was adopted by popular vote in 2023, has created an obvious conflict between the Ohio Constitution and U.S. Constitution."

"We have a mandate from God to protect human life, which is of higher authority than any constitution," Newman said. "Proverbs 24:11 commands us to 'rescue those who are being carried off to death.' Proverbs 17:15 says it is an 'abomination' to God for those who are guilty of doing harm to be called innocent."

"Our legislation to provide equal protection This bill only does what the U.S. Constitution requires and what we are already doing in Ohio and across the country," Rep. Dean added. "In numerous cases where someone has been prosecuted for and convicted of killing a pregnant woman, the charges and conviction were for two counts of murder: one for the mother and one for her preborn child. Our laws and the courts do this because it is acknowledged that taking innocent life is wrong regardless of whether the victim is born or preborn."

End Abortion Ohio, which helped with the bill, celebrated the filing in a post on X.

"The Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act acknowledges the personhood of the preborn, and the sanctity of human life as created in the image of God," the post read. "In acknowledging the personhood of the preborn, this legislation extends to the preborn the same criminal and civil protections found within the Ohio Revised Code. These legal protections would be granted from the beginning of biological development, the moment of fertilization."

Pro-abortion activists crashed a rally announcing the bill, throwing papers and screaming at attendees before being removed by law enforcement.