Local leaders, elected officials react to Roe v. Wade decision

Friday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court released its long-anticipated decision and overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that made abortion legal across the country.

In Ohio, abortion remains legal up until 20 weeks of pregnancy, for now, but the procedure is about to become much less accessible. Kentucky had a trigger law in place ending abortion services immediately.

Local leaders and elected officials around the Cincinnati area are reacting to the news. Here's what they have to say.

Supreme Court decision: Ohio officials react as Roe v. Wade overturned

Roe v. Wade overturned: Here's what that means for Ohio

Nan Whaley, former Dayton mayor and candidate for Ohio governor

"This is no longer a hypothetical. Unfortunately for women in Ohio, the Court’s decision to strike down Roe means that Governor DeWine will move to criminalize abortion," Whaley said in a press statement. "That means women in Ohio will have the right to a safe and legal abortion taken away from them, even if their life is at risk or if they’ve been the victim of rape or incest. It’s exactly what Mike DeWine and the extremists in the Ohio Legislature want, and that’s unacceptable."

“This election has never been more important. If DeWine is reelected, he’ll take Ohio women back to a time where abortion was criminalized and dangerous. The right to access a safe and legal abortion and reproductive care is on the ballot this November. Ohioans have an opportunity to elect a pro-choice governor who won’t interfere with a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body.”

Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, Archdiocese of Cincinnati

In a lengthy letter, Schnurr said the archdiocese welcomes the decision.

"Today’s Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which reverses the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, is a welcome and potential watershed moment in the history of the United States. This decision means that states, including Ohio, now have the option to legally protect the most vulnerable of all human beings: babies in the womb.

"The constant teaching of the Catholic Church is that human life begins at conception. God alone is the Author and Lord of life. Therefore, the intentional taking of innocent human life is intrinsically evil and must always be opposed. Modern science only strengthens the Church’s opposition to abortion, as advancements in genetics and prenatal imaging increasingly demonstrate that a unique human life begins at conception.

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"For the past 50 years, Catholics and other people of good will have peacefully prayed in front of abortion clinics, marched in Washington, D.C. and petitioned their lawmakers, hoping that the blessed day would come when communities would no longer be required by law to sanction the killing of innocent human beings in the womb. Equally important, we have assisted women in unexpected or crisis pregnancies with material resources and personal accompaniment, both during pregnancy and after their child is born. Expectant mothers can face many challenges, including lack of support from the father, financial strains, concerns about her own health and that of her child, and pressures from family and friends. Thank you to the pregnancy centers, Catholic Charities, St. Vincent de Paul conferences, Catholic healthcare systems and other wonderful pro-life ministries that have steadfastly walked with women in need, helping them navigate these difficult circumstances.

"The reversal of Roe v. Wade will not by itself bring about this conversion, but prayer and a joyful outpouring of love and support for pregnant women, especially those most in need, will bring us closer. No woman should feel so alone, coerced or hopeless that she chooses to end her child’s life through abortion. I urge everyone in our archdiocese to both pray for and actively assist all expectant mothers. Together, let us redouble our commitment to caring for women, children and families so that abortion is not only illegal, but unthinkable."

Aftab Pureval, Cincinnati mayor

"The Supreme Court just stripped away the fundamental right to reproductive health care," Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said on Twitter. "They turned their backs on generations of progress and sacrifice. We won’t stand for this, and we’re going to fight like hell."

J.D. Vance, candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio

"I am 37 years old, and for my entire life abortion on demand—decreed by an unelected panel of judges—has been forced on the nation," Vance wrote in a statement. "Today is a great day. It vindicates a half century of work, and gives us an opportunity to live up our founding creed—that all of us are truly created equal."

"We now enter a new phase of the pro-life movement," he continued. "We will continue the fight to ensure that every young mother has the resources they need to bring new life into the world. We will build an economy where it’s possible to sustain and support our children. We will expand adoption and promote pregnancy centers, so that every child has the loving home they deserve. Some of our efforts will be federal, and others local, but all will be focused on the simple principle that life is worth protecting—from the moment it begins until its natural end."

"In the Hebrew Bible, God tells Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” This wisdom echoes through the ages in our hearts and in our minds; now it falls to us to ensure it is reflected in the laws of our nation."

Greg Landsman, Cincinnati City Council member and congressional candidate

“Personal freedom is central to our democracy, and denying women the right to decide what happens to their own bodies is dangerous and will be deadly," Landsman wrote in an email.

"This decision is an attack on women. In Ohio, there is an effort to ban abortion without exception for the life of the mother or rape. These measures have champions like Chabot, Schmidt, and Vance. Congress must act to codify the rights afforded for fifty years by Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey so that women and children are guaranteed this basic, fundamental right.”

Mark Jeffreys, Cincinnati City Council member

"Devastated," Jeffreys said on Twitter. "Never thought I would see this day - a massive step back. This makes our state elections for governor and state senators and representatives all the more important. We need to get out and vote in November!"

George Lang, state senator for Ohio's fourth senatorial district

"This is an historic day for our nation and the protection of unborn life. As I reviewed the 6-3 decision this morning, I agree that this issue is best left up to each state," Lang, whose district includes West Chester Township, Liberty Township, Fairfield Township and part of Sharonville; said in a release.

"Being pro-life is not just about being anti-abortion, it is a commitment to defending pregnant mothers, guiding families through the adoption process and working to strengthen the family unit. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to protect the unborn and defend the sanctity of all life here in Ohio."

Reggie Harris, Cincinnati City Council member

Harris retweeted Mayor Pureval's tweet and added, "Fight like hell indeed, Mayor @AftabPureval! We all have a role in ensuring access to reproductive health care is protected."

Hamilton County Democratic Party

The Hamilton County Democratic Party denounced the Supreme Court decision Friday, calling the strike down of Roe v. Wade an "assault on women and the freedoms that make our nation a modernized, first world beacon of democracy."

"You cannot make abortion go away by criminalizing it," part of the statement reads. "Criminalizing it makes it unsafe for women - particularly women of color, women with access to less resources, women who don’t have the luxury to travel across the country to receive care. This ruling is discriminatory, it is dangerous, and it is outrageous.

"Every citizen in Hamilton County and in the state of Ohio should watch with a keen eye Governor Mike DeWine and the state government in Ohio. Without federal protections, the decisions to keep women safe are now in the hands of the same Republican Party who defied the will of voters in gerrymandering our state legislature. Without federal protections, access to birth control, marriage equality, and basic freedoms Americans enjoy are now at risk."

Matt Lehman, congressional candidate for Kentucky's 4th district

In a statement, Lehman said women have the right to have control over their own bodies and to make private healthcare decisions in the U.S.

As a lifelong Catholic, I understand and believe in our moral obligation to respect life within a framework of free will. Criminalizing reproductive choices in the United States does nothing to advance a culture that respects life. Overturning Roe v Wade does not eliminate abortions; it only relegates women to second class status in this country. Today’s decision triggers an extremist abortion ban in Kentucky and other states with no reasonable exceptions. Victims of rape, incest, and abusive relationships are left with no options. Women who want a child but have a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy will suffer and may die because of this law. Unviable fetuses will be carried to term, at great risk to the health and welfare of the mother. Babies with known inborn terminal disorders will be forced to live in excruciating pain outside the womb for hours or days just to satisfy forced-birth extremists. Doctors in Kentucky, under the threat of felony charges, now have their medical judgement under legal scrutiny when they act to protect the life of a pregnant woman. Administering levonorgestrel puts pharmacists at risk of government investigations. And this law falls hardest on the poorest women who do not have resources to travel to another state.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Roe v. Wade overturned: Cincinnati mayor, local leaders react