The Future of Reproductive Rights is on the Ballot in Ohio Supreme Court Races
July 6, 2022
For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Columbus, OH — After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, Republican politicians like Mike DeWine and Dave Yost wasted no time in working to rip away reproductive rights from millions of Ohio women. And with Mike DeWine promising to go “as far as we can” to strip away abortion rights, Ohioans can expect an onslaught of anti-choice attacks in the coming weeks and months.
With so much on the line, one of the few checks on extreme anti-choice Republicans is the Ohio Supreme Court. Ohioans expect their Supreme Court justices to rule fairly and impartially, upholding the rule of law. When it comes to a woman’s right to choose, however, the conservative justices on the Supreme Court have a long record of playing politics and doing the bidding of their political donors.
With so much at stake this November, reproductive rights are on the ballot, especially in the Supreme Court races.
Read more below:
Justices Kennedy, DeWine and Fischer All Voted to Close Toledo’s Only Remaining Abortion Clinic:
- Capital Care Network Of Toledo v. Department of Health – By a 5-2 split, the Court upheld the state’s decision to close Toledo’s only abortion clinic.
- In its ruling, the Court overturned a lower court ruling in the case, stating the Department of Health could revoke Capital Care’s facility license.
Sharon Kennedy Has Faced Multiple Ethics Complaints Over Her Conflicts of Interest in Abortion Cases:
- March 2017: Kennedy spoke at an anti-choice fundraiser in Toledo. The speech came just two days after the court agreed to hear the Capital Care Network case.
- July 2017: Kennedy faced two ethics complaints related to her fundraising appearance, citing the conflict created by Kennedy supporting an anti-choice organization while ruling on the future of an abortion clinic in Toledo. Kennedy refused to recuse herself from the case.
- 2020-2022: Since then, Kennedy has received at least $700 in campaign contributions from anti-choice organizations
Pat DeWine Shares His Dad’s Anti-Choice Record:
- January 2004: As a Cincinnati City Councilman, DeWine voted for a motion to insist future healthcare contracts exclude abortion coverage for city workers. The motion was ultimately rejected.
- October 2012: DeWine received a campaign donation from Cincinnati Right to Life PAC
Pat Fischer has a long history of taking campaign cash from anti-choice groups.
- October 2012: Fischer received a campaign donation from Cincinnati Right to Life PAC
- March 2022: Fischer endorsed by Ohio Right to Life PAC
“In races up and down the ballot, reproductive rights and abortion access are on the line this November. Justices Kennedy, DeWine and Fischer have shown Ohioans that they will eagerly rubber stamp efforts by extreme politicians to rip away our rights instead of doing their jobs and upholding the law fairly and impartially,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Keyes.
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