Cincinnati, OH –– Today, Congressman Greg Landsman (OH-01) and local community leaders joined Free & Just’s “Ride to Decide” national bus tour in Cincinnati, the tour’s final stop before traveling to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The Ride to Decide bus tour comes as attacks on reproductive freedom escalate across the country, and has traveled nearly 9,000 miles and elevated the voices of over 100 storytellers with personal connections to abortion bans and reproductive freedom across the country. 

Support for legal abortion has increased since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, but that hasn’t stopped anti-abortion extremists and conservative lawmakers from continuing to undermine Americans’ access to abortion care, birth control, and IVF treatment. 

Speaking about the Dobbs decision, Congressman Greg Landsman (OH-01) said “this is the first time in American history where a constitutional freedom was taken away from the American people.” Regarding his own family’s experience, Congressman Landsman shared that his wife has had two miscarriages, saying “in the middle of the night she lost so much blood in the bathroom that she fainted, hit her head, and that’s where I found her at 2am: unconscious and in a pool of blood. We went to the hospital immediately and we got medical care. That was years ago, and I’m pretty sure she would be turned away today.”

On the threat of a national abortion ban and the responsibility that Congress has to protect reproductive freedom nationwide, the Congressman said that “All over the country, citizen-led efforts are restoring these freedoms in their states, however it is on Congress to codify that freedom. I hope to be part of a U.S. congress that does just that. But there is a very real possibility that the opposite is true – that a U.S. Congress would ban all abortions, would take reproductive freedom away from every single woman and girl and their doctors. There wouldn’t be a corner in America where this freedom still existed.”

“There is often no one in the hospital more at risk of an acute event than a pregnant woman. Everything can be fine until it is not, and the time between there being options and no options can be short, unbearable, and catastrophic” said Dr. Nicole King, a critical care anesthesiologist who routinely sees some of the sickest pregnant women in the area. Speaking about abortion bans like the one in effect in Ohio before Issue 1 was passed, she said “That time in between is where we as physicians, midwives, nurses and other medical professionals know there are no words printed in black and white that can accurately describe the shades of gray we practice within. No abortion ban, even with exceptions, allows for the safety of all women and the freedom of practice by health professionals.”

“Before I joined the Free & Just team, I served as the Campaign Manager for Issue 1 in Ohio, the campaign that codified abortion rights in the state,” said Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaign Director for Free & Just. “Since Issue 1 passed, anti-abortion lawmakers have spent the last year in Ohio ignoring the will of the people. They’re trying to change the rules, manipulate the system, and abuse their authority to try and stack the deck against us and prevent women from getting care.” Speaking about the threat of a national abortion ban, Ingham said “they have made it clear time and time again they will stop at nothing to pass a national abortion ban, ignoring the will of the people and banning abortion across the country. That’s why we need to protect abortion on not just the state level – but the federal level.”

The “Ride to Decide” tour is headed to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, IL next, where advocates will spotlight the real-life impacts of abortion bans and attacks on reproductive freedom and share why federal action to protect access to abortion and reproductive health care has never been more important.

You can watch the event here. If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, please contact ashley@freeandjust.us.

Free & Just is committed to fighting for reproductive freedom. Join us in sharing stories, raising voices, and securing our future. 

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Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.