Today, Lucas County Court of Common Pleas Judge Myron Duhart ruled that Governor Kasich’ scheme to abuse his regulatory authority is unconstitutional. Judge Duhart rejected the arguments made by Attorney General Mike DeWine. As a result, Toledo’s only remaining abortion clinic, Capital Care Network, will remain open.
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland offered the following statement: “Despite all the back-door deals, and shady maneuvering, John Kasich and Mike DeWine have failed in their crusade to effectively outlaw abortion in Toledo. This is great news for Toledo’s women and we congratulate Attorney Jennifer Branch, and the staff at Capital Care Network on their court victory today.
“The Ohio legislature and John Kasich ought to read Judge Duhart’s ruling carefully. They should remove the provisions that they added at the 11th hour that target abortion clinics in the currently proposed budget. These measures are also likely to be found to violate the due process rights of abortion providers and be found unconstitutional. It’s time for Kasich and DeWine to stop wasting taxpayer dollars on their personal quest to outlaw abortion.”