Mike DeWine reappoints Ohio Right to Life chief to state medical board

Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday reappointed Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis to the state medical board for another five years just as Ohio is on the verge of banning abortion.

It will be Gonidakis' third five-year term on the board that oversees licensing and discipline for 96,000 medical professionals.

It guarantees that anti-abortion groups will have a voice on the board. Gonidakis has been a key figure in the effort to limit and eventually eliminate abortion in Ohio.

His reappointment comes following the U.S. Supreme Court split decision to allow states to regulate abortion. Ohio lawmakers and DeWine are expected to approve a full abortion ban after the November election.

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Democrats and liberal groups have opposed Gonidakis holding a seat on the board.

State Rep. Lisa Sobecki, D-Toledo, criticized Gonidakis for flaunting public health advice during the COVID-19 pandemic and for what she considers his extreme views on abortion. "I am disappointed that Gov. DeWine chose someone with such a divisive background," she said in a written statement.

Former Ohio attorney general and state auditor Betty Montgomery was also reappointed. Gonidakis and Montgomery, who were first appointed by John Kasich, hold two of the three board seats that represent the public. Nine of 12 seats on the medical board are held by doctors.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Mike DeWine reappoints anti-abortion leader to State Medical Board