Cleveland — Upon hearing the news that US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has passed, the following statement was released by NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland:
“We are heartbroken by the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and extend our deepest sympathies to her family, friends, and admirers. Each and every one of us owes her a debt of gratitude for her decades of unwavering dedication to bodily autonomy, women’s rights, justice, and equality. She fought a courageous battle with cancer, enduring years of hospitalizations and treatments, so that she could continue to fight for us all. She protected abortion rights in Ohio, and across the nation, through her decisions in cases including Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt and June Medical v. Russo.
“Her passing carries more meaning than the end of a historical career in public service. Ginsburg told her granddaughter, ‘My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.’ Republicans in the U.S. Senate made the choice to wait until after the 2016 presidential election to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, and they must similarly wait again. The American people must have a voice in this decision in November. We will do everything in our power to honor Ginsburg’s dying wish.”