Rep. Somani Reflects on One-Year Anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Anita Somani, M.D. (D-Dublin) today reflects on the current state of abortion access and the detrimental effect of the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson ruling has had on women’s reproductive healthcare one year later.

“After the Supreme Court decision, I made the announcement that I was running for office after it became apparent that we were headed back 50 plus years with each state now determining if abortion care was legal or not,” said Rep. Somani. “Since then, we have seen and read horrendous stories of women being denied care, women dying because of inadequate access to abortion and physicians being criminalized for the care they were providing. As a result, more Americans now support abortion access than ever before and believe that overturning Roe was a mistake.”

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Planned Parenthood v. Casey and Roe v. Wade, which had been law of the land for nearly 50 years. Dobbs v. Jackson ruled that abortion was not a protected right under the Constitution. Since this ruling, 25 states have introduced or enacted legislation to ban or restrict abortion access. Some of these states face legal battles, including Florida and Ohio. After the decision, the Ohio Supreme Court lifted a hold on the Heartbeat Bill, a six-week ban on abortion in the state. A Hamilton County court put the ban on hold last fall, but the state continues to appeal the ruling.

“As part of the House Democratic Caucus, we are working hard to protect the constitutional rights of people by voting against Issue 1 in August,” said Rep. Somani. “As a legislator, I look forward to introducing legislation that will protect a family’s right to reproductive access. Studies show that having access to family planning can help women thrive and increase their educational and economic success. Join me in mourning this decision on June 24 and in voting NO in August on Issue 1.”

In honor of the one-year anniversary, Rep. Somani attended the White House State Legislative Convening on Reproductive Rights on June 14 alongside Leader Russo. This featured 85 state legislators from 41 states and highlighted state-level attacks on reproductive rights and the state efforts to protect and expand access to abortion care. Vice President Harris and the White House are working on a national initiative to protect abortion access.