Protect Women Ohio Releases Statement on Pro-Issue 1 Group’s Deceptive, Incomplete Ad

“The groups behind Issue 1 know their amendment is so wildly out of step with Ohio values that they won’t even tell Ohioans the truth about it. What are they so afraid of? They wrote this dangerous amendment – it’s time they own every single word of it.”

-Amy Natoce, press secretary for Protect Women Ohio

COLUMBUS, OH — The group behind November’s anti-parent Issue 1, Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights (OURR), released its first ad today, failing to mention its most radical and dangerous aspects and spreading harmful misinformation about emergency miscarriage care in Ohio.

Protect Women Ohio (PWO) press secretary, Amy Natoce, said of the ad, “Big surprise – the backers of Issue 1 buried the lead about their radical anti-parent agenda. Again. Their newest ad is filled with distractions and holes, failing to mention that Issue 1 will strip parents of their rights, permit painful, late-term abortion on demand through all nine months, and remove commonsense health and safety protections for women. The groups behind Issue 1 know their amendment is so wildly out of step with Ohio values that they won’t even tell Ohioans the truth about it. What are they so afraid of? They wrote this dangerous amendment – it’s own every single word of it.”

OURR has been lying to Ohioans for months, saying Issue 1 will not gut parental consent and notification requirements, allow for abortion on demand through all nine months, or remove commonsense health and safety protections for women.

“The backers of Issue 1 have taken their lies to a whole new level in this ad, telling voters they cannot receive emergency miscarriage care under current Ohio law,” Natoce said. “This bold-faced lie is nothing more than fear mongering that puts women’s lives at risk, and is a desperate attempt to distract voters from the dangers lurking inside Issue 1. But Ohio voters only need to look to Michigan to see what is at stake.”

Michigan Democrats spent months during the Proposition 3 debate last year pedaling the same lies. But Michigan Democrats, who control the state House and Senate, introduced a package of bills last week to repeal numerous pro-life, pro-woman protections, saying the protections are “unconstitutional” under Proposition 3. The bills seek to remove limitations on abortion through all nine months, including partial birth abortions, remove any protections for taxpayers from funding abortions, and eliminate basic health and safety standards for women. Michigan Democrats also intend to repeal requirements for abortionists to screen for coercion or report complications, leaving victims of domestic violence or trafficking completely unprotected and any evidence of a crime destroyed. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer even called Michigan’s parental consent laws “unconstitutional” under Prop 3.

“Michigan’s fight has now arrived at Ohio’s doorstep,” Natoce said. “When Ohioans learn the truth about the ACLU’s radical agenda that targets parents, children and women, they will undoubtedly vote ‘NO’ in November.”

Issue 1 is just the latest example of the ACLU’s war on parental rights. Background on the ACLU’s war on parents is available HERE. The ACLU has a long and well-documented history of fighting against parental rights, including in Alaska and Indiana. The ACLU specifically calls out parental involvement on its website, saying it would restrict “teenagers’ access to abortion.” Heritage Action recently released a report and video about the ACLU’s attacks on parental rights in Ohio. In recent weeks, the ACLU has denounced parental notification requirements in schools, and the ACLU of Ohio’s chief lobbyist confirmed that stance on Twitter.

A legal analysis of the extreme anti-parent amendment is available HERE from constitutional scholars Carrie Campbell Severino, President of Judicial Crisis Network, and Frank J. Scaturro, a former special counsel to the House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives.

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Protect Women Ohio is a pro-parent, pro-woman, pro-life coalition dedicated to defeating the ACLU’s extreme anti-parent amendment this November. PWO is made up of concerned family and life leaders, parents, health and medical experts, and faith leaders in Ohio.

To learn more please visit www.protectwomenohio.com.