Posted on December 14, 2016
Update: Kasich vetoes extreme abortion ban, signs 20-week ban.
In the last few days, CREDO members made hundreds of calls to Gov. Kasich’s office urging him to keep abortion safe and legal in Ohio.
On Tuesday, Gov. Kasich vetoed a bill that would have almost completely banned abortion for Ohio women. House Bill 493 would have outlawed abortion as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks into a pregnancy – long before most women even know they are pregnant. But he signed Senate Bill 127, an unconstitutional bill that bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest.
Our pressure helped make sure that Gov. Kasich did not completely outlaw abortion in Ohio, but his signature on SB 127 not only puts women’s lives at risk, it also helps anti-woman extremists continue their assault on Roe v. Wade.
Twenty week abortion bans are a cornerstone of the Republican-led anti-woman agenda to outlaw abortion. Lawmakers in 18 states have been outspoken about using court challenges to 20-week abortion bans as a tool to chip away at Roe v Wade. And with Trump’s promise to appoint anti-choice Supreme Court justices, these bans set a dangerous precedent and could be used to overturn Roe v. Wade all together.
It’s important to remember that abortion is healthcare. Most abortions occur before 20 weeks of pregnancy. When they’re needed later in pregnancy, it’s often in very complex and sometimes dangerous medical circumstances.
Gov. Kasich, who tries to claim he is a moderate Republican, has just signed a bill into law that will take away medical options from women and their doctors. There’s nothing “moderate” about forcing women to carry pregnancies to term when there’s no chance of survival or a high risk of severe pain and suffering for their child.
Trump’s agenda of misogyny and bigotry has emboldened anti-choice right-wing extremists across the country, so there’s no doubt state legislatures will continue their assault on women’s rights and access to reproductive health care.
CREDO is committed to fighting for abortion rights wherever and whenever they’re challenged. We hope we can count on you to stand with us in the long fight ahead.
Thank you for all you do.