Officials, groups react to Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade

Following the Supreme Court's ruling Friday overturning the right to abortion established by Roe v. Wade, reaction was intense and immediate throughout the area. What follows are statements issued by groups and individuals in the Akron area and across Ohio.

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan

“I know the Supreme Court's decision today is causing very difficult feelings in our community and across the nation. I’ve personally struggled with this issue from the very beginning of my public service career. As a man of faith and also as a public servant, I strongly believe my faith belongs solely to me and I would never trade it in for political purposes. I’ve also sworn an oath to the public and I believe the ruling in Roe v. Wade was a 50-year precedent for women’s rights which has now been erased. Disregarding what has long been considered established law is deeply destabilizing for our country. While today's decision is not a surprise given the current court, I’m afraid the struggle for real equality took another set-back today."

LeBron James

State Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron)

“Today’s devastating news affirms what we knew was coming — and the consequences are dire. Right now in Ohio, state lawmakers are pushing forward a bill that would ban abortion, even in instances of rape and incest, criminalizing women seeking an abortion, as well as doctors who provide them.

"Today’s decision from the United States Supreme Court and the extreme anti-choice policies to follow are not only morally wrong, but are out of touch with the views of the majority of Ohioans and Americans. As a state lawmaker I am fighting attacks like these on our reproductive freedom and right to privacy, and I’ll continue that fight as a Member of Congress. This election is critical, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Ohioans must get out and vote to have their voices heard and prevent us from going backwards.”

Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson)

"This is a historic day for our nation, one that is long overdue. The highest court in the land has reaffirmed our belief in the sanctity of life — that every life is precious and deserving of dignity and respect. Our country was established with the intent for every individual to enjoy the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the right to life for untold generations of future Americans."

"This ruling does not outlaw abortion but rather returns this decision to the states — where it belongs. Some states will choose to continue to permit abortion. Others will not. I am thankful that Ohio is a pro-life state. Now more than ever, it is important that we ensure pregnant women and families have the support they need as well as streamline the adoption process.

"I have fought long and hard for the pro-life movement, so I am particularly gratified by this historic decision restoring the right to life. Today’s ruling deepens my faith in this nation — today justice was done.”

Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade: The U.S. Supreme Court just overturned Roe v. Wade. What does it mean for Ohio?

Abortion in Ohio: Supreme Court decision: Abortion will be regulated by states. Here's what Ohio lawmakers have done

Akron City Council Ward 8 Representative Shammas Malik

State Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson)

Right to Life of Northeast Ohio Executive Director Allie Frazier

“Roe v. Wade, one of the most egregious Supreme Court decisions in our nation's history, has finally been overturned. This incredible moment comes after decades of pro-life advocacy grounded in compassion, conviction and unwavering hope.

"As we celebrate this moment of justice, we also look with anticipation towards the future. For the pro-life movement, this is only the beginning. We will continue to fight tirelessly for every woman and baby targeted by the predatory abortion industry. We will put everything on the line to protect women and babies in crisis.

"We will advocate for community support systems and do whatever it takes to meet the needs of the most vulnerable. Abortion is violence against women and their babies, and it has no place in our community, our state or our nation. We are completely committed to ending abortion. For whatever comes next, we are ready."

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio CEO and President Iris Harvey

“By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court has now officially given politicians permission to control what we do with our bodies, deciding that we can no longer be trusted to determine the course for our own lives. This dangerous and chilling decision can have devastating consequences in Ohio, forcing people to travel hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles for care or remain pregnant.

“Make no mistake — this decision goes beyond abortion. This is about who has power over you, who has the authority to make decisions for you and who can control how your future is going to be.

“Nevertheless, you can still seek an abortion in Ohio today. Our patients have and will remain our highest priority.”

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (OH-13)

U.S. House Republican candidate Madison Gesiotto Gilbert

U.S. House Republican candidate Max Miller

"Today’s historic United States Supreme Court decision has been nearly 50 years in the making. Thanks to President Donald J. Trump's Constitutionalist appointees, Ohioans can protect the lives of the unborn through policies enacted by their elected officials. This returns power to the people and away from Washington DC.

"There is no more significant family issue than protecting human life. Organizations like Ohio Right to Life and Cleveland Right to Life have fought for this day and I will continue their mission in the halls of the United States Congress, where I will always stand for the sanctity of all human life.

"Ohio has nearly 200 pregnancy resource centers that assist women in crisis pregnancies. All Ohioans should support these centers that primarily serve low-income Ohio women."

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost

“This decision returns abortion policy to the place it has always belonged: to the elected policy branches of government. Roe was poorly reasoned, a doctrine of shifting sands that invited perpetual litigation.

“We will continue to debate this issue. But passion is not a license to violence. I call again on my federal colleague, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and my fellow states’ attorneys general to publicly commit to holding violent protesters accountable under the law, no matter which side they are on.”

Ohio Lt. Gov. John Husted

"As we transition as a nation from Roe to Dobbs, we all need to do our best to understand and respect the heartfelt, genuine differences of opinions among our families, friends, neighbors and communities. Being an adoptee who started life in a foster home, my own experience helped shape my views on this issue. I’m here today because my birth mother chose life and put me up for adoption, which I know could not have been an easy decision for her. My prayer for all of us is this collective experience will build a more compassionate nation that values life."

Ohio Sec. of State Frank LaRose

U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown (OH-11)

“Today is a dark day in American history. The Supreme Court’s devastating decision overturning Roe v. Wade is a deliberate attack on reproductive rights and an individual’s fundamental right to make decisions about their body and their health care. Now, the most personal decision someone can make will be subjected to the impulses of politicians and partisans. For the first time in our history, girls growing up today will not have the same rights as their mothers. And there is no doubt that this disgraceful decision will take the greatest toll on poor women, women of color and marginalized communities who already face systemic barriers to accessing to health care.

“Today, the Supreme Court not only delivered a smack in the face to five decades of precedent; it also turned back the clock on decades of progress on human rights. This decision is a blow not just to women, but to all of us who cherish the freedoms and rights we hold as Americans. Combined with yesterday’s ruling on guns, this decision displays the Court’s glaring hypocrisy for the country to see. According to the Court, states cannot decide how to regulate guns — yet only the states can decide how to regulate a woman’s body. They will stop at nothing to foist their extreme agenda on the American people.

“My heart is heavy today. Yet let’s be disappointed, not devastated. We can be down, but we aren’t out. The House has already passed legislation to make Roe v. Wade the law of the land, and I urge the Senate to pass this critical bill now. We cannot — and we will not — go back.”

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (OH-14)

U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH)

“Today’s ruling is consistent with my view that policy questions regarding abortion should be decided by the elected representatives of the people, not the Supreme Court. Through its ruling today, the Court made this clear. The states already play a significant role in abortion policy, but have been constrained by various Supreme Court rulings. Now the issue of abortion will be decided by the states and the elected representatives closest to the people.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to the beaconjournal today to access all of our content online at cm.beaconjournal.com/specialoffer.

“While abortion is a very sensitive and emotional issue with strong feelings on both sides, I think most Americans agree that human life is precious and should be protected wherever possible. To that end, we should do more to work together in a bipartisan manner to promote adoption, reduce the number of abortions and provide support for pregnant women in difficult circumstances.”

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

“For fifty years, women in America had the right to make their own personal health care decisions. Today, five judges handed that right over to politicians. This will be the first generation of women to grow up with fewer rights and freedoms than their mothers and grandmothers, and this burden will be disproportionately carried by low-income women and women of color.

"This is a radical decision by an increasingly out-of-touch court, and Americans won’t stand for it. When, how, and whether to have a family is one of the most personal and meaningful decisions we make in life, and the freedom to make those decisions for yourself, free from political interference, should be available to everyone. The president and Congress must take action restoring protections for women to make their own health choices, and women will make their voices heard in voting booths around Ohio and the country this November.”

Ohio Republican Party Chair Bob Paduchik

"A grave injustice of judicial activism has been overturned, and the right to govern is restored to the people of Ohio. This is a historic day for all Americans who worked for decades to defend unborn children."

Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters

“Ohioans’ fundamental right to reproductive care, including abortion and birth control, is on the line in this year’s election. This disastrous decision lays squarely at the feet of Ohio Republicans — from J.D. Vance to Mike DeWine to extremists in the statehouse — who have spent years working to strip women of their basic rights and enacting new, cruel restrictions that would punish survivors of rape and incest.

“It is critical that Ohioans elect Tim Ryan, Nan Whaley and pro-choice Democratic candidates up and down the ballot in November who will protect the right to abortion. We will continue to fight so that women can make these personal decisions with their doctors and without unwanted and unnecessary interference from politicians. This November, Ohioans will take their outrage to the polls and defeat the extremist Republicans who gutted our freedom to choose.”

Cuyahoga Falls Democratic Club President A.J. Harris

U.S. Senate Republican candidate JD Vance

"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. 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. 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."

Ohio governor Democratic candidate Nan Whaley

Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Bishop Edward C. Malesic

"Science confirms that the human life of an individual begins at conception and our experience tells us that all human life is precious, fragile and given directly to us as a gift from God. We are brothers and sisters in our human family, made in the image and likeness of God. We are all called to live out our responsibility to protect and care for one another, whether born or unborn.

"I wholeheartedly applaud today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court which reverses the grave injustice of 1973, when Roe v. Wade decided that a whole class of human beings, the preborn, are outside the protection of the law and had no constitutional right to life. Since that decision, more than 60 million innocent lives have been sadly ended. Now that Roe is overturned, states will again be able to protect the lives of preborn children and in doing so, also protect millions of women from the tragic consequences of abortion.

"The consistent teaching of the Church regarding the intrinsic evil of abortion seeks to secure all other rights as well. We are not a 'single issue' Church; there are other extremely important rights that we must defend, to be sure; but these additional rights flow from and are rooted in the fundamental right to life itself.

"Now that the bane of Roe has been addressed, we must ensure that the rights of parents and their children are protected so that they may have what they need to prosper with dignity and hope. The Church is redoubling efforts to accompany women and couples who are facing unexpected or difficult pregnancies, offering them loving and compassionate care. The Diocese of Cleveland has developed many ministries to serve expectant mothers who face difficult pregnancies and those who find it difficult to care for their children after they are born.

"Pregnant women can find help at local pregnancy centers, where they can get information about the pregnancy, undergo an ultrasound and receive assistance during their pregnancy. After birth, there are many resources available from nonprofit groups like the Christ Child Society, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland and others that can supply infant necessities like layettes, diapers, formula, cribs, strollers and more, as well as follow-up medical and mental health assistance for the mother and baby. And as the baby grows, other agencies like Help Me Grow offer additional assistance, including educational resources.

"Catholic Charities offers foster care and adoption services, as well. Another rapidly growing initiative is “Walking with Moms in Need,” sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This parish-based process helps parishioners connect with local mothers facing difficult or challenging pregnancies, identifying local resources and filling the gaps so that pregnant and parenting women receive the material, spiritual and emotional support they need.

"People of faith also offer compassionate care for those women and men who have been affected by a procured abortion in the past. We offer God’s consistent mercy and reconciliation, especially through the Bethesda House of Mercy as well as programs such as Project Rachel and Rachel’s Vineyard, whose ministries offer compassionate accompaniment and healing support.

"I know that there are those who will disagree with today’s ruling by the court. I pray for their conversion of heart because this decision is a major step forward in protecting all human life. As people of faith, we must be prepared to be patient with those who will continue to oppose us on this preeminent life issue. In all things, we will continue to proclaim the truth with charity. Let us pray together that God grant us the courage and wisdom to protect the gift of human life from conception to natural death and respect the lives of our brothers and sisters both born and yet to be born with great love. May our faithful witness soften the hearts and minds of those who reject the gift of life in any way. This we pray through Christ, our risen Lord."

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ohio, Akron-area reaction to Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade