Ohio Republicans Are Coming for Abortion Rights
October 17, 2022
“If we’re not able to get everything we want to get done in lame duck, we will be right back on Jan. 1.”
Columbus, OH — In case you missed it, the Columbus Dispatch just outlined how anti-abortion activists are working behind the scenes to push Republicans to pass a near-total abortion ban during lame duck session. And they’re confident they have Republican support to do so, with Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis telling the Dispatch: “Based upon my conversations with Huffman and Cupp I am convinced that abortion will be addressed during lame duck.”
While Republican leaders are trying to tamp down their anti-abortion agenda ahead of November’s election, it’s clear that they’re telling anti-abortion activists behind the scenes that they’re ready to do their bidding – pushing for a ban on abortion that starts at conception, with no exceptions for rape or incest, once the election is over. These are the same extremists who Mike DeWine promised just months ago that he would “go as far as we can” to rip away reproductive rights.
“Twenty-one Republican legislators recently promised to ban abortion from the point of conception at an Oct. 5 anti-abortion rally at the Ohio Statehouse. And abortion opponents previously expressed optimism that 2022 was their year,” write Anna Staver and Jessie Balmert of the USA Today Network.
“Make no mistake: Ohio Republicans are coming for abortion rights in Ohio and the only way we can stop them is by electing Democrats up and down the ballot,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.
Read more from the Dispatch here and below:
- Twenty-one Republican legislators recently promised to ban abortion from the point of conception at an Oct. 5 anti-abortion rally at the Ohio Statehouse. And abortion opponents previously expressed optimism that 2022 was their year: “We are going to accomplish our goal and our mission to end abortion in 2022,” Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis said in June, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
- It’s also not clear what lines, if any, Gov. Mike DeWine will draw before signing another abortion ban.
- Kellie Copeland, executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio, said abortion rights advocates warned lawmakers that their restrictions would have consequences.
- “If they’re saying that after nine years of deliberation, they are going to somehow craft clearer exceptions that will in any way prevent people from being harmed by their policies, they are either lying or revealing how truly incompetent they are when it comes to understanding the complexities of pregnancies,” Copeland said.
- “The only way to protect Ohioans facing pregnancy complications, or the myriad of other nuanced and important reasons we may need access to abortion, is to not ban abortion in the first place.”
- And Gonidakis says Ohio Right to Life is pushing for that in the final weeks of the legislative session, which are often called “lame duck.”
- “Based upon my conversations with Huffman and Cupp I am convinced that abortion will be addressed during lame duck,” said Gonidakis, adding that he backs a comprehensive approach including DeWine’s proposals, improvements to adoption and more resources for children. “Ohio Right to Life will utilize all of its resources to ensure these topics are addressed.”
- “If we don’t get it done now,” Huffman said. “We will all be back here anyway.”
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