The Today in Ohio podcast called foul on what an Ohio lawmaker portrays as an innocuous tax proposal but could have far-reaching implications for reproductive rights in Ohio.

Republican Ohio House member Gary Klick has reintroduced his Stork Act — ” Strategic Tax Opportunities for Raising Kids — which would add “conceived children” to Ohio’s tax code as dependents eligible for exemptions up to $2,400. The proposal would also make baby items like clothing, pacifiers, and breast pumps tax-free.

But the Today in Ohio panel wasn’t buying the family-friendly packaging.

“This is kind of a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” said Lisa Garvin on the podcast. “On the surface it looks great and probably if a Democrat had introduced it, it might have gotten more support. But yeah, it’s about personhood.”

The timing hasn’t escaped notice. Coming more than a year after Ohioans decisively voted to protect abortion rights with an amendment to the Ohio constitution, the panel viewed the legislation as a backdoor attempt to establish fetal personhood—a legal concept that could be used to challenge abortion as homicide.

Said Chris Quinn: “Look, if he were serious about helping parents, we would be well beyond the child care support that we talked about for two years… This is pure nonsense from somebody seeking to outlaw abortion again, even though the voters have made clear that’s not going to happen.”

Quinn pointed out that childcare costs dwarf the expenses of cribs and baby clothes, yet Republicans have failed to advance meaningful childcare legislation.

“It’s more red herring nonsense from Republicans in the legislature who don’t really care about Ohio. They’re just pushing their silly dogma,” Quinn added.

Laura Johnston noted that despite the bill’s previous failure, its chances might be better with the current Republican supermajority.

The podcast discussion highlighted a pattern that many progressive critics have identified in Republican-led legislatures: intense focus on pregnancy and birth, followed by minimal support after children are born.

“These lawmakers are great about getting the kids to the point of being born and then they don’t care about them after that,” Quinn said. “They need to show that they care post birth, not just before they’re born.”

The bill had its first hearing on March 26, and while its future remains uncertain, the Today in Ohio team’s consensus was clear: this legislation is less about financial relief for expectant parents and more about establishing groundwork to challenge abortion rights.

Listen to the full episode for analysis of the proposal and how it plays into the battle over reproductive rights. Today in Ohio is a news analysis discussion by editors at cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer

Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from Today in Ohio, a news podcast discussion by cleveland.com editors. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.

Listen to full “Today in Ohio” episodes where Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with impact editor Leila Atassi and content director Laura Johnston.