NIRH Decries Passage of Unconstitutional 6-Week Abortion Ban in Ohio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 11, 2019
Contact: Noah Gardy, [email protected], 201-218-6310

The bill follows similar legislation passed in Georgia, Kentucky, and Mississippi and under consideration in several other states

OHIO  – Andrea Miller, President of the National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH), released the following statement denouncing the passage of legislation in Ohio today that bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected by an ultrasound. The legislation, which would effectively eliminate abortion access in Ohio after six weeks, comes on the heels of bills passed in Georgia, Kentucky, and Mississippi and under consideration in a number of other states. Previous attempts to pass similar legislation were vetoed by the anti-choice former Governor of Ohio John Kasich.

“This legislation is a cynical and insidious political attack on a woman’s right to control her own body, life, and future,” said Andrea Miller, President of the National Institute for Reproductive Health. “And while this bill may have started in Ohio, it’s part of a larger, concerted effort by anti-abortion extremists to upend access across the nation. The National Institute for Reproductive Health condemns this callous effort to put women’s lives and health at risk for cheap political gain. We remain steadfast in supporting access to abortion care and will continue to push proactive legislation that gives women the freedom to make their own decisions with regard to their bodies and lives.”

For more than a decade, NIRH has been a leader in the fight to advance reproductive freedom across the country. Recently, they were integral to the successful effort to repeal an outdated criminal abortion ban in Massachusetts, and they led the fight to pass New York’s landmark Reproductive Health Act. Earlier this year, NIRH published a report tracking the passage of more than 100 bills to advance reproductive health, rights, and justice in 27 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.).

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The National Institute for Reproductive Health builds power at the state and local level to change public policy, galvanize public support, and normalize women’s decisions about abortion and contraception.

Using a partnership model, NIRH provides state and local advocates with strategic guidance, hands-on support, and funding to create national change from the ground up. We form strategic partnerships with a wide range of organizations to directly impact the reproductive health and lives of women across the country. Each year, NIRH works in at least 20 states and more than a dozen localities; to date, NIRH has partnered with more than 170 reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations in 43 states and 64 localities across the country.