Results tagged “Ohio” from Blog for Choice

When it comes to comprehensive sex education, anti-choice politicians - the same ones who want to ban access to safe abortion care - are fighting to block teens from receiving objective and complete information.

This year, anti-choice lawmakers are moving several anti-sex-education measures.

Politicians introduced measures to block groups that provide abortion, including Planned Parenthood, from teaching sex education in schools in Arkansas and North Dakota. And legislators are still considering similar language in Texas.

In Ohio, politicians tried to insert an amendment to the state budget bill that would effectively ban comprehensive sex education from schools and fine teachers thousands of dollars for endorsing "gateway sexual activity." Gateway sexual activity?

It's hard to believe the utter hypocrisy of these anti-choice politicians. They rail against abortion care, but want to withhold important information that young people need to learn how to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. The alternative that our opponents are peddling is, in short, dangerous.

In West Virginia, student Katelyn Campbell became suspicious when an "abstinence-only" assembly was scheduled at her high school. Katelyn educated herself about the speaker, and not only decided not to attend, but also to alert the local papers.

The principal at Katelyn's school threatened to call her future college and tell them that Katelyn is a "backstabber" with "bad character" for leading the charge against the assembly. Katelyn has since helped raise awareness about the many problems with "abstinence-only" programs in high schools today.

We know that the best way to reduce unintended pregnancy, and therefore the need for abortion, is to educate our young people on how to practice responsible, safe sex with accurate and comprehensive information - something anti-choice politicians and activists refuse to accept.

Voters sent a resounding pro-choice message this year when they rejected anti-choice politicians who opposed everything from birth-control coverage to abortion exceptions for rape survivors.

Unfortunately, some anti-choice politicians clearly didn't get the message.

In Texas, anti-choice politicians are pushing legislation that would make it more difficult for women to access medical abortion care, a safe way for women to terminate an early pregnancy. Anti-choice politicians and organizations also are trying to ban abortion late in a pregnancy, a tactic especially harmful to women who face heart-breaking complications.

The state is also continuing its fight in the courts to defund family-planning providers, including Planned Parenthood.

Fortunately, anti-choice politicians in two other states backtracked —for now— on their legislative attacks.

We celebrated a victory when Ohio Senate President Niehaus announced that the legislature would not vote on bills aiming to effectively ban abortion before most women even know they are pregnant and defund Planned Parenthood during the lame duck session.

And in Virginia, overwhelming opposition to a proposed "personhood" measure helped convince Sen. Steve Martin, Chairman of the Senate Education and Health Committee, to pull the bill from the committee's agenda. It's good news, but it's not the end. In fact, anti-choice politicians in that state have already pre-filed bills for 2013, including one that would slash insurance coverage of birth control.

Don't expect this to be the last thing we hear about choice in Ohio and Virginia. But, when politicians continue to push their extreme anti-choice agenda, pro-choice women and their allies will push back even harder.

Personal, private medical decisions should be made by a woman and her doctor - not by politicians.

Thanksgiving is one of those win-win holidays: your responsibilities are to eat, sleep, and enjoy family.

This year, the Thanksgiving conversation may focus on recent topics like...oh...let's say, the elections. Uncle Marvin can't help himself and he starts in on a few of your favorite lawmakers who defeated a few of his favorite candidates.

Fortunately, you know your stuff. You've checked out our info pages for the lowdown on how to talk about your pro-choice values in the face of "hostile interrogators."

Thanks to all our pro-choice supporters proudly talking about protecting women's access to birth control and abortion, we were able to defeat so many anti-choice candidates. You can tell Uncle Marvin about the anti-choice politicians who oppose abortion services even for survivors of rape or incest.

You can tell Uncle Marvin that voters broadly support the new contraceptive-coverage policy and don't want to see Planned Parenthood defunded.

You can let him know that on Election Day, voters rejected these extreme anti-choice positions. Not only did they re-elect our pro-choice president, they also voted 43 new pro-choice faces into Congress.

Also, you can let him know that pro-choice Americans still have some challenges ahead.

Anti-choice politicians in Ohio clearly didn't get the message, because they're pushing for legislation that could ban abortion services before a woman even knows she's pregnant.

And when a judge in the court case against Arizona's 20-week abortion ban asked about the tragic circumstances of a woman with a wanted pregnancy facing a severe fetal anomaly, the state's solicitor general showed his complete lack of compassion by saying, "With due respect, that's a woman's problem. She should have made that decision earlier."

Even if you and Uncle Marv have disagreed in the past, you never know...maybe you can share a point of view he hadn't considered before. And maybe your cousin in college, who overhears the discussion, will keep your conversation in mind and talk to her friends when she goes back to school.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!

The Senate race in Ohio could not be more important for choice.

The incumbent, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), is pro-choice and is endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC. He is being challenged by anti-choice state Treasurer Josh Mandel.

Sen. Brown and Josh Mandel debated for the very first time this week, and their positions on abortion were raised several times.

Sen. Brown effectively pointed out Mandel's true position:

"Mandel is even more extreme than Romney on abortion, and does not support exceptions for rape or incest victims."

Mandel even threatened the overturn of Roe v. Wade:

"I will take seriously my role to appoint Supreme Court Justices, and will only approve of ones that are pro-life."

Mandel is endorsed by some of the most extreme anti-choice groups, including Ohio Right to Life PAC and the National Right to Life PAC. His anti-choice agenda is completely out of touch with Ohio women and their families.

This is why we couldn't be more proud to support pro-choice champion Sen. Sherrod Brown in his campaign for re-election.

This spring, Sen. Brown voted against the Blunt amendment, which would have allowed any boss to block their employees from getting insurance coverage of birth control. And he stood up to an attempt to defund Planned Parenthood. He also voted against a bill that would have cut funding for contraception and cancer screenings for low-income women.

In the recent debate, Sen. Brown stood up for all women in Ohio when he said:

"I trust Ohio Women to make their own health care decisions."

The U.S. Senate is critical in the fight to protect the right to choose, and we must protect every senator who fights for women's health and privacy. Right now, there are only 40 reliably pro-choice votes in that chamber. It takes 41 to block bad legislation.

That's why we must send Sen. Brown back to Washington for the next six years. If you have friends or family in Ohio, urge them to vote for a true champion for women's health and privacy, Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Paid for by NARAL Pro-Choice America, www.ProChoiceAmerica.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

The first phase of President Obama's contraceptive-coverage policy is in effect!

What does this mean for women? One in three women struggles with the cost of birth control - but all that is about to come to an end. Preventive-health services -including birth control, breastfeeding support, and screening for gestational diabetes- are now available without a copay.

This is a huge step forward in women's health. But we aren't sitting back and relaxing.

Why? Because this important policy is under attack in Congress and across the country.

Yesterday, anti-choice politicians compared Obama's contraceptive-coverage policy to the attack on Pearl Harbor and 9/11. That's outrageous!

Yesterday, in celebration of this huge advancement for women, and to counter attacks on this fantastic policy, our affiliates hosted local events in Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, and Virginia.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, our fabulous activists held a visibility event thanking President Obama for making this important advancement for women possible. Linnea House, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota, stood up for women during a TV appearance.

In Concord, New Hampshire, birth-control supporters gathered outside Rep. Charles Bass' office to trumpet the new policy. Bass has voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and its birth-control policy.

In Columbus, Ohio, activists gathered outside of anti-choice Sen. Rob Portman's office to show him that his constituents support the contraceptive-coverage policy. Sen. Portman has been a high-profile opponent of birth control.

Our pro-choice activists must have been loud, because Ohio News Network and Progress Ohio covered the event.

Activists in Portland, Oregon gathered for a "Walk for Women's Health." Special guests included Senate Majority Speaker Diane Rosenbaum, state Representative Lew Frederick, and state Representative Elisa Kenny-Geyer.

In Richmond, Virginia, birth-control advocates took to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's office. Cuccinelli unsuccessfully challenged the constitutionality of the health-reform law - including the important birth-control policy - in court.

Watch our activists and NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia in this great TV interview.

NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC has endorsed Rep. Dennis Kucinich in the Democratic primary for Ohio's 9th Congressional District. The primary election is this Tuesday, March 6.

Rep. Kucinich believes strongly in a woman's right to choose. As politicians in Congress launch more extreme and outlandish attacks on women's freedom and privacy, we need Rep. Dennis Kucinich to continue to be a strong pro-choice voice in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Because of redistricting, Rep. Kucinich is running against Rep. Marcy Kaptur in the Democratic primary.

Unfortunately, Rep. Kaptur cannot be counted on to vote pro-choice. In fact, she even voted for the infamous Stupak amendment during the health-care reform debate in 2009.

And that's not all. This past year, Rep. Kaptur:

• Voted with anti-choice politicians on a bill that would ban abortion coverage in state health-insurance exchanges;
• Voted to impose tax penalties on small businesses and many individuals who purchase private health plans that include abortion coverage;
• Voted to make permanent several restrictions that block many women from accessing abortion care; and
• Supported an anti-choice amendment to the agriculture bill that would make it more difficult for rural women who use telemedicine to discuss all their options, including abortion, with their doctor.

Simply put, there's only one pro-choice candidate in this primary race: Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

If you're a registered Democrat in Ohio's 9th Congressional District, check out our Voter Guide for more information on how and where to vote.

And be sure to vote for pro-choice Rep. Dennis Kucinich on Tuesday, March 6.

Paid for by NARAL Pro-Choice America, www.ProChoiceAmerica.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Call it the winter of 69.

Anti-choice Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett just signed a new anti-choice bill into law, bringing the number of anti-choice measures enacted in the states in 2011 to 69.

The measure Gov. Corbett signed is a TRAP law, or Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers. It subjects abortion providers to unnecessary and burdensome regulations that other medical professionals don't have to follow.

Despite the outcome, we were proud to work with allies in the Keystone State to counter this measure. More than 800 of our activists called on Gov. Corbett to veto the bill. Apparently, listening to the public is not in vogue this season.

The enactment of Pennsylvania's TRAP law comes just two days after anti-choice Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed into law a ban on insurance coverage of abortion care from the state's new health-insurance exchange.

We knew Pennsylvania could never let Ohio have the last word.

Kasich's action means that states have thus far enacted a whopping 68 anti-choice measures in 2011.

Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, said that anti-choice politicians in Columbus were clearly out of touch with Ohioans' values and priorities:

Politicians should never be allowed to limit the kinds of insurance benefits that women are allowed to purchase with their own money. All women deserve the same peace of mind that they can obtain the health care they need, regardless of where their insurance comes from. It is appalling that Governor Kasich signed this bill, which clearly violates the Ohio Constitution, into law. Surely there are better ways to spend taxpayer dollars than defending unconstitutional legislation in court.

But I guess Gov. Kasich and his anti-choice allies are what you'd call "constitutional conservatives": conserve the parts of the Constitution you like, ignore the parts you don't.

This intrusive new law will force women who face serious health problems later in their pregnancies to wait until their lives are in jeopardy before a doctor can legally terminate their pregnancy and has no exception to provide care for women carrying a fetus with a severe anomaly. Ohio is on the fast track to becoming the most dangerous state in the country for pregnant women.

 

Last fall, Governor Kasich promised voters that he would work tirelessly to create jobs and grow our economy. Instead he has joined the legislature's War on Ohio Women. He and the Ohio Legislature are endangering women's health because they don't trust women and their doctors to make personal, private decisions for themselves.

It is obvious that Ohio Senate leaders know this move is shameful; they waited until the eleventh hour to launch this attack so that no public testimony opposing these dangerous measures could be heard. They've even stopped answering their phones.

It is clear that this committee is more interested in making headlines than discussing how to improve women's access to health care or create good jobs in our state. This bill could entangle Ohio in an expensive legal fight, and is out of touch with our state's values and priorities.

It is beyond disappointing that the committee won't allow video testimony so they can hear from women who have made the profoundly personal decision to terminate a pregnancy. The politicians behind this bill refuse to acknowledge what Ohioans understand: Every woman's situation is different, and it's unacceptable for anti-choice lawmakers to think they should make the personal, private decisions that belong to women and their doctors.

Ohio's new legislative leadership campaigned on a promise of creating jobs and revitalizing the economy. Instead, at the first available opportunity, these politicians are pushing an anti-choice agenda that is out of touch with Ohio's values and priorities. Ohio's anti-choice politicians who campaigned on less government intrusion in our lives are actually fine with government intrusion as long as it involves the personal, private decisions that take place between a woman and her doctor.

Here is today's updated list of vigils. We're still receiving notice of more popping up all over the country, so we will continue to update this list, and the full list from Monday.

If you've attended a vigil for Dr. George Tiller, and took pictures, please email them to us so we can add them to our flickr set and put them on our blog.

As always, please be sure to let us know of events that you know of but don't see on our list. You can email us or leave it in the comments below. Thanks!

Concord, NH: 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, statehouse grounds in Concord, NH. For more information, call NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire at 603-228-1224.

Austin, TX: 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, The Hill at Butler Park: 903 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX, Located between Riverside Drive and Barton Springs. Immediately west of Palmer Events Center.

New Haven, CT: 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, First Presbyterian Church of New Haven: 704 Whitney Avenue, New Haven CT 06511, For more information, email Gretchen

Columbus, OH: 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, Broad Street Methodist Church, 501 East Broad Street, Columbus 43215

Richmond, VA: 7-8 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, Richmond First Unitarian Church: 1000 Blanton Avenue

Gainesville, FL: 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, Planned Parenthood clinic: 914 NW 13th St. Please park in the Office Depot parking lot.

Tallahassee, FL: 6 p.m. on Friday, June 5, on the steps of the new Capitol at Waller Park. This side of the Capitol is right across from the Supreme Court on Duval Street.

Chicago, IL: 8:15-9:15 p.m. on Friday, June 5, Churchill Field Playlot Park (c/o Holstein Park): 1825 N. Damen Ave., Chicago, IL 60614, For more information, send an email here.

San Marcos, TX: 8 p.m. on Friday, June 5, Courthouse Square, San Marcos, TX

Jacksonville, FL: 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, Planned Parenthood clinic:  3850 Beach Blvd.

Madison, WI: 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, Lisa Link Peace Park: 400 State Street, Madison, WI, please direct any questions to the NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin office at (608) 287-0016 or via email

Milwaukee, WI: 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee: 1342 Astor Street, more information on the NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin website.

Washington, DC: 6 pm.m on Monday, June 8, Remembrance and Celebration of Dr. George Tiller, The National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle, N.W., Washington DC

Denver, CO: 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, location TBD, please direct any questions to the NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado office at (303) 394-1973. RSVP for confirmation of details to denvervigil@prochoicecolorado.org 

Starting tomorrow, Ohioans can start voting, and don't think for a second both campaigns haven't noticed:

Election Day is 36 days away, but voting in Ohio starts Tuesday.

That's when absentee ballots must be ready for early voting, which is expected to attract a record number of voters this fall. It already has changed the dynamics of campaigning.

Ohio has allowed limited absentee voting for years, but this is the first presidential election since the General Assembly changed state law in 2005 to permit anyone to vote that way without providing a reason.

And whether the goal is reducing congestion at the polls on Election Day or locking down the votes of supporters, election officials, the presidential campaigns, both major parties and other groups are going all out to encourage Ohioans to vote early...

Millions of application forms have been mailed to voters by the campaigns and the counties this year; every registered voter in central Ohio should have received at least one.

Democrat Barack Obama's campaign plans concerts on college campuses and a range of events in other areas across the state -- with buses, vans or cars waiting to take voters to county boards of elections afterward to cast early ballots.

It even touted the start of early voting with a small airplane towing a banner above Ohio Stadium during Saturday's Ohio State-Minnesota football game.

Ohioans, make sure to check out our elections 2008 map, the Ohio page specifically, to find out more about NARAL Pro-Choice America endorsements in down-ballot races. You can also visit NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio for endorsements in state races.

And, on a similar note, a federal judge upholds early voting in Ohio, according to the AP:

An Ohio county must allow new voters to register and cast an absentee ballot on the same day during a weeklong period that begins Tuesday, a federal judge ruled Monday.

U.S. District Judge James Gwin in Cleveland issued a temporary restraining order forcing Madison County to follow Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's instructions. The county had said that, one the advice of its county prosecutor, it was not going to allow same-day voting during the six-day window that runs through Oct. 6.

It was the first of three court decisions involving an early voting window that has become a highly partisan battle.

Valuable information.

Another thing I wanted to point out was the excellent Vote for Change page that was set up by the Obama campaign. I was just googling "early voting" and "Ohio" and it took me to Vote for Change. There, I was able to verify that I was registered to vote, but if I hadn't been already registered, it would have hooked me up with all the necessary information... very cool. So be sure to check out Vote for Change.