· April 20, 2012

Toledo Blade editorial cites IO, calls on legislators to protect women’s health

Today, the Toledo Blade ran an editorial questioning the wisdom of GOP leaders who introduced legislation aimed at defunding Planned Parenthood. Pointing to stats showing abortions and teen pregnancy are actually on the decline in Ohio, they point out that attacking an important provider of contraception is counterproductive if one’s aim is to end abortions resulting from unintended pregnancies. The editorial cites IO, pointing out how this legislation goes further than previous attempts to defund PP:

The advocacy group Innovation Ohio says the proposed GOP budget measure would “bar Planned Parenthood from receiving funds for … breast and cervical cancer screening, the Violence Against Women Act, infertility prevention, and minority HIV/AIDS programs.”

They conclude:

Planned Parenthood is part of the solution on issues of women’s health, helping to reduce the number of abortions. The proposed legislation, which a Republican lawmaker calls “fair and balanced,” is part of the women’s health problem. If Ohio’s Republican lawmakers can’t be part of the solution, they should at least stay out of the way.