It feels weird to be writing this note in the days leading up to January 22nd and not making last minute adjustments for the Roe Remembrance, which we made the decision not to host this year. A number of considerations went into that decision, ranging from an increase in the number traveling to D.C., cost increases for the applicable Statehouse permits, and the scheduling of ancillary events. With Dobbs, the October Ohio March for Life, and now the oppressive language of “Issue 1” (passed on 11-7-23), it seemed prudent to reimagine our efforts. I would love to hear your feedback and ideas, and as we work to bring onboard a new Executive Director, we will be sure to include them in the planning process.

It is not the first time the program has changed. In years past, it was an actual March – sponsored by big name box stores and covered by the local news stations. When I took over, it had become the “Roe Rally” – held outdoors, irrespective of the weather. When school policies adjusted and Statehouse event guidelines updated, we made the decision to move it indoors and rename it the Roe Remembrance (“rallies” being prohibited inside). In each instance, it was intended to be an alternative for those who could not be in DC for the March, but held simultaneously in solidarity and prayer. A few years ago, the National March for Life shifted so that it was not specifically on the 22nd, but on a constant Friday to encourage youth participation and advocacy, but we continued to observe the 22nd. (Note – for great coverage of the National March for Life, including links to schedules and how to livestream it and related events, this piece has been very helpful).

So, while this feels strange, it is less a seismic disruption and more a sign that our strategies and events will continue to adjust because we remain focused on our mission: advancing the dignity of innocent human life from conception until natural death, and our vision to see an end to abortion in Central Ohio by 2033.

Tomorrow, our team will still be Remembering Roe. I’ll be stopping by the Statehouse for the Catholic Conference’s invitation to Eucharistic Adoration (from 10-2pm), and I’ll be talking to at least one legislative leader about some priorities. We’ll be working with some amazing volunteers in the office to get out some communications, and we will be focusing on upcoming events: an educational event on the abortion pill, one on threats at the end of life, 40 Days for Life, two upcoming advocacy trainings, and our annual banquet. We already have a handful of churches who have adopted a day or partial day for 40 Days. On my way home, I plan to stop for Mass to pray for all those killed, wounded, or touched by abortion and for those traveling to DC. On Friday, I’ll tune in to EWTN and St. Gabriel Radio to watch and listen live. I’m especially looking forward to hearing Ohio’s JD Vance speak, fresh on the news that his wife and he are expecting a baby in July. Admittedly, I'm a little extra excited – not just because I remember when VP Vance was just one of us young Statehouse staffers, but because I find myself equally torn between hoping for an Independence Day baby and one born on the 7th of July (incidentally, my own birthday). More importantly, it sounds as though this may be the first time there has been a pregnancy and a newborn to the Second Family, ever. It is not only an historic event and a subtle witness to the miracle of Life to the whole world, but because babies have a way of bringing us together to focus on what is most important – something that is sorely needed in these tumultuous political times.

While we are not holding the Roe Remembrance, know that on January 22nd, and every day, we are Remembering Roe. Because Life is a Gift.

1. Contact Senator Moreno and Senator Husted Today: “there is no substitute for the Hyde Amendment.” During the government shutdown last fall, a sticking point became the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies. The subsidies and their end date were initially established in the ACA (Affordable Care Act, aka “Obamacare,”) but without them premiums are incredibly expensive.  This became more of a sticking point when it came to applying the Hyde Amendment, which dictates no abortion funding, to the subsidies and the plans they covered.
After some discouraging comments from President Trump on “flexibility,” the US House passed a version of the Obamacare subsidy extension without the Hyde protection. The Senate is working on a compromise that our colleagues at Susan B Anthony call a “sham.” You can learn more about this purported compromise to extend Obamacare without the Hyde Amendment here.
In response, we are calling on Senators Moreno and Husted to draw a proverbial line in the sand. There should be no flexibility on forcing taxpayers to fund abortion – even through Obamacare subsidies. Any additional policies to strengthen existing restrictions – such as requiring audits of state funds that may comingle with abortion, is laudable but not a substitute.  
We encourage our community to contact Senator Moreno and Senator Husted today with a simple, powerful message such as, “I am a pro-life Ohio voter, and I am asking you not to allow a sham compromise on the Affordable Care Act’s subsidies that forces taxpayers to fund abortion. While I support other measures, such as strengthening audits in states that commingle funds in violation of Hyde, this is no substitute to maintaining the Hyde Amendment.”  
2. Heartbeat Law Decision Returned to Judge Jenkins to be Reconsidered.
In other news, the Ohio First District Court of Appeals issued a decided blow to Hamilton County activist Judge Jenkins, when it returned his decision in the Heartbeat law to him to be re-considered.  
The justices said Jenkins went too far in blocking the entire law, because not all parts of the law were challenged by the plaintiffs. The court held that a trial judge shouldn’t strike down provisions that weren’t challenged, even though it agreed the heartbeat provision itself was unconstitutional under the amendment. So, the appeals court remanded (returned) the case back to the trial court for proper severability analysis and review of the other sections of the statute. 
Why is this important?
First: it highlights the importance of legal process and careful challenge strategy. Of course we want strong laws that protect all unborn children, and it is frustrating when legal and political processes stall them or when judges block them. The appeals court siding with Attorney General Yost’s procedural argument that Jenkins exceeded his authority is a check on judicial overreach – even if the overall heartbeat protections cannot be enforced right now.
Second: it preserves parts of the pro-life statute as enforceable. Reporting requirements, documentation rules, and enforcement mechanisms can now be upheld and implemented if they are found constitutional and severable. Limiting how far a single judge can go and keeping the legal fight alive, while not a substitute for laws and constitutions that protect the unborn, is a reminder that we are not giving up this fight.
We want to thank our Attorney General and his team for their perseverance in this element and for their larger vision. 
3. Senator Husted Stands Up for Women, Shares Adoption Story
At a U.S. Senate Hearing regarding a requirement that the abortion inducing drug mifepristone be provided in person, Ohio Senator Jon Husted shared recent and horrific cases of men illicitly obtaining the abortion pill and secretly or under threat of violence forcing women to take the pill. He also shared his own birth story, experience in foster care, and adoption. While Senator Husted has shared this story with us numerous times, it was incredibly powerful in the context of forced abortion and from the U.S. Senate. Listen here or read some media coverage.