Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio Condemns Inclusion of Anti-Sex Ed, Anti-Abortion Language in Ohio Budget

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio

For Immediate Release – June 8, 2021

Contact: Laurel Powell, Director of Media Relations, [email protected]

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio Condemns Inclusion of Anti-Sex Ed, Anti-Abortion Language in Ohio Budget

COLUMBUS, OH — As radical anti-abortion Republicans in the Ohio legislature move to undercut evidence-based, LGBTQ-inclusive sex ed and long-standing rules around variances issued to abortion providers across the state, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio is calling for transparency in the budget process and an end to the era of using the state’s budget as a backdoor for radical, far-right policies.

“Year in and year out, the budget is used as a personal vehicle for legislators to pack in their personal priorities, instead of facing an up-or-down vote” said Lauren Blauvelt-Copelin, Vice President of Government Affairs & Public Advocacy for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio. “So much of this budget is out of step with everyday Ohioans. Parents across the state want their kids to have the best possible sexual health education, and this budget threatens that. The majority of Ohioans support access to abortion, and the budget threatens that too. This is all on top of millions of dollars of funding for fake abortion clinics that lie to people about their options. We won’t let this happen without a fight.”

Amendments currently in the Senate’s version of the budget include a change to variance agreements, which place several of the state’s abortion providers in jeopardy, and new restrictions on sexual health education that would require parents to opt-in rather than offering it to all students.

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Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio supports advocacy for reproductive health and reproductive rights, including grassroots organizing, community education, and lobbying.