ICYMI: Cosmo Lists the Ohio Supreme Court Race as One of the Top Five Most Important Races to Watch on Abortion Rights
October 12, 2022
Columbus, OH — In case you missed it, Cosmopolitan Magazine listed the Ohio Supreme Court race as one of the top five most important races in the nation when it comes to protecting abortion rights. Ohio is the only state in the country with the opportunity to flip its Supreme Court from Republican control to Democratic. And Republicans in the legislature have made it clear they plan to pass a comprehensive ban on abortion, with no exceptions for rape or incest, and come after birth control after that. A Democratic-controlled Supreme Court would serve as an important check on the Republican attacks on women’s freedoms and their abortion rights.
“Over the past decade, we’ve seen efforts to pass approximately a bajillion abortion bans in Ohio, including ‘heartbeat bills,’ but it wasn’t until the Supreme Court overturned Roe in June that the bill Governor Mike DeWine had signed in 2019 officially went into effect. Overnight, he effectively banned all abortions in the state. Thankfully, Ohio does have one ~saving grace~ to keep a check on all this madness: its judiciary. Its courts have repeatedly challenged 6-week bans, including putting a temporary halt on DeWine’s latest attempt just a few weeks ago,” writes Cosmopolitan.
“Abortion rights are on the ballot this November. While Republicans have made clear that they’re ready to rip away Ohioans’ reproductive freedoms, Ohio Democrats are committed to protecting reproductive rights and keeping politicians and judges out of Ohioans’ personal medical decisions,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Keyes.
Read more from Cosmo HERE and below.
- Ohio has always been a purple state, with the big cities (hiii, Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, ILY) consistently showing up to vote for progressive candidates while rural areas remain staunchly conservative.
- Over the past decade, we’ve seen efforts to pass approximately a bajillion abortion bans in Ohio, including “heartbeat bills,” but it wasn’t until the Supreme Court overturned Roe in June that the bill Governor Mike DeWine had signed in 2019 officially went into effect. Overnight, he effectively banned all abortions in the state.
- Thankfully, Ohio does have one ~saving grace~ to keep a check on all this madness: its judiciary. Its courts have repeatedly challenged 6-week bans, including putting a temporary halt on DeWine’s latest attempt just a few weeks ago.
- We know, we know, the Supreme Court is part of the reason we’re even in this mess, but the state’s Supreme Court is a bit different: Ohio has seven justices (not nine), with term limits of six years and an age limit of 70 (!!). As of 2021, justices can have party affiliations listed on the ballot and even make public political statements—more on that in just a bit!
- Perhaps most importantly, Ohio citizens can actually vote for every single one of these justices. They’re elected “by large,” meaning voters don’t just choose one person representing their circuit or region—everybody gets to choose them all.
- “In recent weeks, we’ve been fortunate enough to have Ohio’s statewide ban on abortion temporarily blocked,” notes Iris E. Harvey, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio. “However, a long-term solution is needed, and that begins with electing leaders that our patients and supporters can count on. It is imperative that we elect justices to the court who will protect a person’s individual right to choose what is best for them.”
- Judge Jennifer Brunner, who was elected to the court just last year but is now running for chief justice, and Judge Marilyn Zayas and Judge Terri Jamison, who are running as first-time justices. If they win, Zayas would be the first Latina to ever serve on the high court, and Jamison would be the third Black woman in Ohio state Supreme Court history.
- The Democrats will gain control of the court if either Zayas or Jamison wins, which will come in handy if (or really, when) Governor DeWine and the Republican-controlled state legislature try to push more abortion restrictions through.
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