Contact:
Molly Mitchell
mitchell@democraticredistricting.com 

Statement from NDRC: Gerrymandered Ohio House Republicans Pass Late Night Bills Against Voters’ Will  

GOP effort passed “stand your ground” & anti-abortion access bills

Late last night, 10 months into a global pandemic that is ravaging Ohio families, Republicans in the state legislature felt it was most important to pass two bills focused on stand your ground/kill at will and restricting abortion telehealth access. The Republican legislators, who gerrymander their way into supermajorities in seats they do not win in votes, shut down debate from Democrats and passed both bills along party lines. 

“Gerrymandered legislators like those in Ohio continue to pass bills that are not reflective of the will of the people they represent. Despite the fact that Ohioans overwhelmingly support abortion access and stricter gun access laws, Republicans passed a ‘stand your ground’ bill and an anti-abortion bill in the dead of night,” said Molly Mitchell, States Press Secretary for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.

“House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes and Reps. Erica Crawley, Juanita Brent, and Stephanie Howse all implored their GOP colleagues to consider the impact of this legislation particularly on Black communities, highlighting that the ‘stand your ground’ bill would result in more violence and death in communities of color without reducing crime. Instead of slowing down the process, Republicans dismissed their colleagues’ pleas, shut down debate, and rammed through the bills anyway. It’s clear we need to continue to fight for fair Ohio maps so that the will of the people can actually be heard, adequately represented, and implemented into law,” continued Mitchell. 

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