Reproductive Health Care on Voters Minds Ahead of  Ohio Gubernatorial Debate

PLANNED PARENTHOOD VOTES OHIO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, September 19, 2018
CONTACT: Sarah Inskeep, 614-390-4164, [email protected]

Reproductive Health Care on Voters Minds Ahead of  Ohio Gubernatorial Debate
Ohioans Deserve Answers on Access to Health Care, Including Safe and Legal Abortion

COLUMBUS, OH – Ahead of the first gubernatorial debate, Planned Parenthood Votes Ohio is urging voters who care about access to health care  including access to safe and legal abortion to submit questions to the Ohio Debate Commission.

This first debate is an opportunity for Ohioans to hear directly from the candidates about where they stand on  critical issues like reproductive rights and access to birth control, cancer screenings, and other preventive care at Planned Parenthood. Voters deserve to know how each candidate, if elected, plans to use their position and office to implement policies and create the change they promise on the campaign trail.

Health caree and access to safe and legal abortion are issues that resonate deeply with Ohio voters – and Mike DeWine and Richard Cordray’s stances on these issues couldn’t be more opposite. In fact, young women voters 18-44 years of age -- who are most impacted by reproductive health care policies -- are three times more likely to vote this midterm cycle.

GOP candidate, Mike DeWine, is staunchly anti-abortion and touts his “100%” voting record. As Attorney General, he used his power and influence to enforce policies that have resulted in restricted access to abortion services.

DeWine has tried to “defund” Planned Parenthood, which has costed taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars and would strip access from more than 80,000 Ohioans who rely on Planned Parenthood health centers for life-saving preventive care. Furthermore, with the balance of the Supreme Court in jeopardy, if elected, DeWine will pursue his ideological crusade and completely ban abortion in the state. He supports overturning Roe v. Wade, which he calls “poorly decided,” and supports outlawing abortion. DeWine’s record is clear: he is an extreme politician who poses a grave danger to Ohioans’ basic rights and access to health care. 

The 65 percent of Ohioans want to protect preventive services at Planned Parenthood and access to safe and legal abortion. That is why Ohio needs a reliable backstop like reproductive rights champion Richard Cordray.

Ohioans have felt the devastating consequences of the 20 abortion restrictions passed by the state legislature. Corday has pledged to lead Ohio forward by putting an end to the “erosion of abortion rights in Ohio”.

With health care and access to safe and legal abortion on the line, Planned Parenthood Votes Ohio is calling on the tens of thousands statewide supporters to submit the following questions to the Ohio Debate Commission:

1. Access to health care including safe, legal abortion is on the line in this election. Ohio is one of 20 states poised to ban abortion if Roe v. Wade falls. With the balance of the Supreme Court in jeopardy, the next governor could decide whether Ohioans have the right to access safe, legal abortion. If Roe is overturned, states could be the last line of defense for abortion access. Will you protect a woman's right to access safe and legal abortion in Ohio?
2. There have been several attempts to “defund” Planned Parenthood over the years -- which simply put: blocks Medicaid patients from accessing birth control, cancer screenings and other preventive health care at Planned Parenthood. “Defunding” attempts have only cost Ohio taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars. Will you protect the over 80,000 patients who rely on Planned Parenthood for care and ensure health center doors stay open?

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Planned Parenthood Votes Ohio is an independent expenditure political committee registered with the Federal Election Commission.