Ohio Right to Life Supports a Pathway Forward for Ohio’s Heartbeat Legislation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jamieson Gordon
DATE: Thursday, December 27, 2018 PHONE: 614-547-0099 ext. 304
The following statement may be attributed to Marshal Pitchford, Chairman of the Ohio Right to Life Board of Trustees:
Ohio Right to Life’s life-saving legislative strategy has always embraced the incremental approach which has lead to the shuttering of over half of the abortion clinics in Ohio and the number of reported abortions reduced to historic lows. Our partnership with the pro-life legislature and our pro-life Governor has resulted in 21 life-saving initiatives being enacted during the past eight years.
Last week, our Governor signed into law S.B. 145, the Dismemberment Abortion Ban. This legislation was part of the national strategy to not only end such a gruesome procedure, but set in motion yet another attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade and save millions of unborn babies.
As we look forward, Ohio Right to Life believes that it is now time to embrace the heartbeat bill as the next incremental approach to end abortion in Ohio. While we have been neutral on the current legislation before the General Assembly while our dismemberment legislation worked its way to the Governor, we are now prepared to support our partners in Ohio’s pro-life movement to enact the heartbeat bill. With the additions of Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court we believe this is the most pro-life court we have seen in generations. Now is the time to pursue this approach.
If the current General Assembly does not override the Governor’s veto today, Ohio Right to Life is prepared to support the current pro-life organizations working tirelessly to pass the heartbeat bill during the next General Assembly in 2019. We will partner with Greater Toledo Right to Life, Cleveland Right to Life, Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati and others to get the heartbeat bill to Governor-elect Mike DeWine’s desk. We make this public commitment today.
Founded in 1967, Ohio Right to Life, with more than 45 chapters and local affiliates, is Ohio’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement in Ohio, ORTL works through legislation and education to promote and defend innocent human life from conception to natural death.
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