Ohioans Don’t Have Time for Divisive Political Attacks
Latest resolution attacking choice illustrates how out of touch anti-choice legislators are with Ohioans facing economic crisis Columbus, Ohio – Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, called a Senate resolution in the General Assembly opposing a federal bill that hasn’t even been introduced another sign of how far anti-choice politicians will go to attack choice in Columbus. Ohio is the latest state in which legislators are doing the bidding of national anti-choice groups by introducing a resolution against the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), even though the federal measure hasn’t been introduced in Congress and lacks the votes necessary to pass. The leader of a grassroots Catholic organization even said, “right-wing organizations are deliberatively misleading people in order to stoke the culture war.” TIME magazine, February 19, 2009] “At a time when our state faces so many challenges, I am at a loss to explain why anti-choice legislators and organizations are focusing on a federal bill that they know won’t pass this year,” Copeland said. “The same politicians and groups pushing this resolution refuse to join us in supporting common-ground measures, like the Ohio Prevention First Act which would improve access to contraception and other basic healthcare that will help women and their families during this economic crisis.” Copeland said that, despite pro-choice gains in the last two election cycles, anti-choice lawmakers still outnumber pro-choice allies in Congress: Copeland also said the legislators and groups behind the anti-FOCA resolution will charge that FOCA would threaten Catholic hospitals in the state, but Time magazine reported that Sister Carol Keehan, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, told a Catholic news agency that the legislation “has never contained anything that would force Catholic hospitals or Catholic personnel to do abortions or to participate in them.” She added, “I don't believe that FOCA will pass.” [TIME magazine, February 19, 2009] ####
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