Ohio Democratic Party Statement on the 39th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

COLUMBUS – Ohio Democratic Women’s Caucus Director Lauren Harmon released the following statement today on the thirty-ninth anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade:

“Thirty-nine years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, affirming the right to choose for women throughout America. We honor this landmark decision for women’s rights and women’s health, which rightfully leaves decisions of reproductive rights in the hands of a woman and her doctor.

“After campaigning on a promise to create jobs, Ohio Republicans have waged an onslaught of attacks on women’s rights over the past year. But Democrats have stood our ground. We worked to defeat Issue 2, John Kasich’s attack on workers’ rights that would have disproportionately impacted women. We also worked with pro-choice groups to block the Josh Mandel-backed attempt to pass the so-called “Heartbeat Bill,” a draconian measure which would have been the most extreme anti-choice law in the country. This bill would have taken away a woman’s right to choose before many women know they are pregnant, making no exceptions for cases of rape, incest or when the health of the mother is at risk.

“Now, Republicans like Mitt Romney are supporting a so-called “Personhood” amendment to Ohio’s constitution. This amendment is dangerous for Ohio families because it would ban forms of hormonal birth control, end in-vitro fertilization as we know it and open women who miscarry to potential criminal investigation and prosecution. If this extreme measure were to appear before voters, we as Democrats will mobilize to educate Ohio voters and defeat it.

“Democrats in Ohio and across the nation are committed to continuing the fight to protect women’s rights and women’s health. And in 2012, the Ohio Democratic Party and the Ohio Democratic Women’s Caucus are committed to electing and re-electing candidates up and down the ticket who will preserve and protect a woman’s right to choose.”