Columbus, Ohio–The following statement was issued today by Dr. Marcela Azevedo, Dr. Lauren Beene, Dr. Nancy Li, and Dr. Aziza Wahby, executive leadership of Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights regarding the Ohio Senate’s passage of SJR 2.
“By shutting down debate, denying concerned Ohioans the right to voice their objections to HJR1 and SJR2, and ramming the resolutions through House and Senate committees, anti-abortion lobbyists and their allies in the General Assembly sent a clear message: If we can’t win fair and square, we’ll change the rules after the game begins.
“The outrageous political maneuvers used today are obviously desperate attempts to stop the reproductive rights amendment by attacking our democracy and Ohio’s proud tradition of normal majority rule.
“Their proposal to raise the threshold for amending the constitution to 60% and schedule a costly multi-million dollar special election in August is a shameful power play intended to thwart the will of the vast majority of Ohioans who want to keep the government out of their most personal health care decisions.
“We are pleased that 225 respected organizations, including the League of Women Voters, are actively opposing this appalling scheme and we are confident it will be soundly rejected by the voters.
“And as we have said repeatedly, the underhanded and unjust tactics employed by anti-abortion extremists energize our non-partisan grassroots campaign, reinforce our determination to gather the signatures we need to qualify for the ballot, and strengthen our resolve to restores and protect reproductive rights and abortion access by prevailing in the General Election.”
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About Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights and Protect Choice Ohio
Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights (OPRR) and its grassroots network, Protect Choice Ohio, is a coalition of more than 2,000 Ohio physicians, allied medical professionals, business leaders, and other non-partisan advocates that are mobilizing to ensure patients throughout Ohio have access to safe, legal, equitable, and comprehensive reproductive medical care including abortion for all Ohioans and to protect the doctor-patient relationship from government interference so that people can make their own reproductive health care decisions. Visit ProtectChoiceOhio.com for more information.