The leader of the Ohio Democratic Party is criticizing a bill to give tax credits to people who donate to non-profit pregnancy crisis centers that steer women away from abortion. A co-sponsor of the bill operates one of the more than 100 centers around the state.
The bill would give people fully-refundable tax credits for the amount they give to crisis centers. Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper says Republican Representative Candice Keller is the paid, full-time director of a pregnancy resource center in Middletown and her involvement in backing this bill is a case of self-dealing.
“You know, in the world of ethics and good government, it raises a lot of flags," Pepper says.
In a written statement, Keller says the opposition is simply trying to create a diversion to tarnish her reputation. But she says she has decided to abstain from further participation in this bill as it makes its way through the legislative process.
Copyright 2019 The Statehouse News Bureau
