2011 has been a brutal year for abortion access in Ohio. One of the most controversial pieces of legislation, the so-called “Heartbeat Bill,” is being considered by the Ohio Senate. Here are 5 things you should know about it:

One of the many inspiring features on the Feminists for Choice website is “Feminist Conversations,” a series of small interviews that gives pro-choice feminists the opportunity to talk about their connections to the movement, and what feminism means to them. Today, Feminists for Choice featured someone near and dear to WHO/O: our fearless leader, Nancy Pitts. From acting as our chairperson to serving on the NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Board to acting as the Ohio Regional Coordinator for Raising Women’s Voices, Nancy never stops her efforts to make sure that every woman in Ohio has the ability to access the medical care that they need. In this  piece, Nancy talks about where she finds the motivation to be such an active member of the pro-choice community:

The Repeal Hyde art project lets women speak out about the Hyde Amendment. You can participate at http://repealhydeartproject.org.

On September 30, the Hyde Amendment celebrated its 35th year of preventing low-income women from accessing abortion. The Hyde Amendment bans federal dollars from being used to pay for abortion except in the case of rape, incest, or life endangerment of the mother. The way this legislation is enforced varies from state to state, but in most states it creates a significant barrier between women and the services they need.

For the second year, Women Have Options participated in the National Abortion Access Bowl-a-Thon organized by the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF). Our event this year was a resounding success and exceeded everyone’s expectations. We raised more than $13,300, representing a nearly 50% increase over last year’s fundraising total.