Ahead of Would-Be Anniversary of Landmark Roe v. Wade Decision, Women Who Sued Texas Over State’s Abortion Ban and Patient Advocates Warn of Coming Attacks on Reproductive Freedom

For Immediate Release

January 21, 2025 

Contact: Kelly Rimar kelly@freeandjust.us  

**WATCH THE EVENT HERE**

TEXAS – Today,  Amanda Zurawski, Samantha Casiano, and Ryan Hamilton joined Free & Just to mark what would be the 52nd anniversary of the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, which enshrined the right to legal abortion for nearly 50 years. In June 2022, the Supreme Court stripped away the right to safe and legal abortion, ending half a century of precedent and robbing millions of people of the freedom to make their own decisions about their families, futures, and lives. In the years since, attacks on reproductive freedom have escalated, and women across the country have lost their lives as a result of abortion bans and restrictions.

 Stripping away the freedoms Roe protected was just the first step in extremists' anti-abortion playbook. Today, Republican officials remain committed to banning abortion nationwide, and they will use any tool at their disposal to do it – even though it remains widely unpopular.  

 “Extremists are going out of their way to make sure the stories of people like my wife are kept quiet,” said Ryan Hamilton, whose wife nearly died after experiencing a miscarriage in Texas, where laws passed by anti-abortion extremists limit access to medical care. Reflecting on ProPublica’s reporting on the preventable deaths of women who lost their lives as a result of Texas’ abortion ban, Hamilton pledged to continue sharing his family’s story and standing up to attacks on reproductive freedom. “We have to continue to tell and use our stories. My anger has purpose, and I’m going to use it.”

“I asked my doctor what my options were, and she told me I didn’t have any, because in the state of Texas, we have an abortion ban,” said Samantha Casiano, a mother of four who was forced to give birth to her daughter, Halo in 2023, despite knowing that she would survive just a few painful hours. “People assume that so-called ‘exceptions’ to the ban help people like me. I was not an exception. That’s why I continue to speak about this, because  together we can make a change, and together we can make sure people know that this is real.”

“I was denied care because of the ban in Texas, and was told that I had to wait until I met the one medical exception in our state which is the life of the mother. So I was either waiting for the baby’s heart to stop, or waiting until I got so sick that I deserved care,” said  Amanda Zurawski, who went into septic shock twice and nearly lost her life after being denied an abortion in 2022. Zurawski sued the state of Texas, but her challenge was rejected by the state’s Supreme Court in a devastating blow to patients across Texas. Still, Zurawski pledged to continue spotlighting the deathly consequences of abortion bans: “In this new political landscape, what I want people to understand is that this fight is not over. This work is not done. I am not going anywhere.”

If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us. 

You can watch the virtual press event here, and learn more about how Republican officials plan to restrict reproductive freedom here.

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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.

NEW DATA: Nearly 60% of Battleground Voters Oppose Abortion Restrictions, Including Trump Supporters

For Immediate Release

December 10, 2024 

Contact: Kelly Rimar kelly@freeandjust.us 

Success of Trump and Republicans in Congress should not be mistaken as support for further restrictions on abortion

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, new data from Navigator Research is shedding light on the role abortion played in the 2024 presidential election and in key Senate races across the country. The research, conducted among voters across the presidential battleground states, confirms that abortion is broadly popular with Americans, and makes clear that banning abortion, or using existing laws to further restrict abortion access nationwide are deeply unpopular positions – even among Trump voters.

According to the new research, nearly 60% of voters across the battleground support legal abortion including nearly 40% of those who voted for Trump and the Republican Senate candidate. These findings send a clear message to Trump and Republican lawmakers: Americans, including those responsible for their victories, will not tolerate further attacks on abortion access and reproductive freedom. 

“This data confirms that abortion access and reproductive freedom are popular issues and supported by the majority of Americans,” said Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just. “Now more than ever, it’s critical that abortion storytellers share how abortion bans harm women and families across the country. We have to tell the truth about how attacks targeting everything from access to medication abortion to IVF treatment hurt families and upend lives. That is why Free & Just is committed to amplifying stories that counter misinformation and spotlight the real consequences of attacks on access to abortion and reproductive health care.” 

The new research also reinforces the power of storytellers, whose courage in sharing their own experiences with abortion and reproductive health care helped educate and motivate voters in their communities. According to the new data, 52% of voters who supported state-level ballot initiatives to protect, restore, and expand abortion access said their decision to vote for these measures was impacted by women they know. 

Storytelling is a powerful tool to help people across the country understand how attacks on abortion and access to reproductive care unravel lives, and put people in impossible, sometimes life-threatening situations. With new, increasingly vicious attacks on reproductive freedom on the horizon, it is more important than ever that we amplify the stories of people and communities affected by these attacks. 

Patients, providers, and abortion rights advocates who spent the year working with Free & Just to share their stories and stand up to attacks on reproductive freedom released statements in response to the new research findings. 

“Sharing my story was difficult at first, and it can be painful to relive the loss of my son Connor,” said Gracie Ladd, an oncology nurse from Nashotah, Wisconsin who was forced to travel out of state for abortion care after receiving a devastating fetal diagnosis at 20-weeks pregnant. “Still, I knew it was important to talk about what I went through and to spotlight the sweeping and devastating impacts of attacks on abortion. Every time I share my story, I am honoring Connor and helping people think differently about abortion. I know that there is a lot of work ahead, but I believe in the power of storytelling and I will continue to help others understand how dangerous attacks on reproductive freedom are.”

Gracie shared her abortion story publicly for the first time as part of Free & Just’s Ride to Decide Bus Tour for reproductive freedom over the summer. In September, Gracie testified about her experience traveling out-of-state for abortion care before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. 

“I have found my home in the abortion care community, and I am incredibly proud to work with so many brave patients, providers, and advocates,” said Suki O, an ultrasound technician in the Atlanta area, who has spoken publicly about her work to help patients navigate Georgia’s 6-week abortion ban. “I am heartbroken, but I know that this community will continue to support each other and work together to show just how dangerous attacks on access to abortion are.”

Suki joined Gracie Ladd at the September hearing before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, where she mourned the deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller, who lost their lives as a result of Georgia’s harsh abortion ban.

“I’ve spent the last month grieving and doing my best to prepare for what’s to come as anti-abortion extremists look for new ways to attack abortion access and reproductive freedom,” said Emma Burns from Flagstaff, Arizona who navigated a provider shortage, mandatory waiting periods, and other barriers when she needed abortion care as a college student. “At the same time, I know that sharing my abortion story has helped people in my community understand the harms of these attacks, and I am hopeful that we can continue to educate and engage people who don’t see themselves in this issue.” 

In October, Burns graciously lent her story to Free & Just for the development of the “Road After Roe,” an Oregon Trail-inspired experience that challenges users to navigate the real-life, and often dangerous barriers to abortion and reproductive care.

If you are interested in speaking with the pollsters who led this research, patients and advocates who shared their experiences throughout this election cycle, or experts about what’s at stake for abortion access and reproductive freedom in 2025, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us. 

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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 futures.

Kaitlyn Joshua to Join Local Artists and Reproductive Freedom Advocates at Art Market Hosted by Free & Just in New Orleans

**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2024 AT 1:30PM CT**

“Artists for Abortion Access” event series comes to New Orleans o spotlight Local artists demanding reproductive freedom 

New Orleans, LA  –– On Monday, October 14 from 1-5pm CT, Free & Just will host an art market featuring local creatives in New Orleans as part of its “Artists for Abortion Access” event series. Free & Just is partnering with local artists, advocates, and leaders in communities across the country who are standing up to attacks on abortion access and reproductive freedom. From concerts featuring local musicians, to art markets where local creatives can sell their goods, “Artists for Abortion Access” will spotlight community and cultural leaders and create space for real people impacted by abortion bans and ongoing attacks on reproductive freedom to share their stories. 

At 1:30pm CT, Kaitlyn Joshua and others will offer brief remarks highlighting how attacks on reproductive freedom harm women and families in Louisiana and across the country.

“Artists for Abortion Access” comes as attacks on all types of reproductive health care, including abortion care, IVF treatment, and birth control, continue to escalate nationwide. Despite their rhetoric, anti-abortion extremists have made it painfully clear that they will stop at nothing to restrict our freedom to make decisions about our lives and families. With “Artists for Abortion Access,” Free & Just is setting the record straight and amplifying the experiences of people harmed by these attacks. 

Join Free & Just on Monday to shop from local artists, connect with storytellers, and learn more about what’s at stake for women and families across the country.

WHO:

Kaitlyn Joshua, Community Organizer for the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice

and patient storyteller who was denied emergency care in Louisiana 

Nancy Davis, patient storyteller who was forced to travel out-of-state for abortion care 

Counsel for the Louisiana State Conference of the NAACP

Bree Anderson, Co-Founder of A’sani Heartbeat Foundation

Tyler Barbarin, Director of Grants and Development at the Louisiana Abortion Fund

Local storytellers, artists, and advocates 

WHAT: Art market featuring local artists, storytellers, and advocates

WHEN: Monday, October 14 from 1-5pm CT

Brief speaking program at 1:30pm CT

WHERE: Please RSVP to kelly@freeandjust.us for address and additional event details 

Free & Just Announces “Artists for Abortion Access” Event Series to Spotlight Local Artists and Advocates Demanding Reproductive Freedom Across the Country

Free & Just is proud to present our next event series featuring local artists from cities across the country. Artists for Abortion Access is spotlighting creatives who work to support and defend reproductive freedom and abortion access in their communities as we come together to fight a national abortion ban.

Find more information on this activation here.

Free & Just Condemns Extremists’ Exploitation of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller’s Tragic Deaths in Ongoing Attacks on Medication Abortion

Despite Ongoing Disinformation Campaigns, Medication Abortion Remains a Safe and Proven Option for Women

WASHINGTON, DC –– Tomorrow, September 28, marks the twenty-fourth anniversary of the Food and Drug Administration's approval of medication abortion in the United States. For nearly a quarter of a century, access to safe, effective medication abortion care has been essential to ensuring people’s freedom to make decisions about their bodies based on what’s best for their circumstances. Mifepristone is a safe, effective FDA-approved medication used for early abortion and is now used in more than half of all abortions. Mifepristone is also recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) for use in miscarriage management. If left untreated, miscarriage can put women at risk for severe infection, infertility, or even death.

Medication abortion is overwhelmingly popular with Americans, accounting for over half of all abortions in the United States. New data from Navigator Research finds that 62% of Americans support allowing women to legally access medication abortion to end an early pregnancy at home. Still, anti-abortion extremists are committed to restricting access to all types of reproductive health care, including medication abortion.

From baseless legal challenges and efforts to manipulate an obscure law from the 1800s to restrict access to medication abortion, extremists across the country are finding new and vicious ways to roll back our rights even further. Some have gone so far as to exploit the tragic deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller, who lost their lives as a result of Georgia’s harsh abortion ban, which left both women without timely access to medical care.

Ahead of the twenty fourth anniversary of the FDA’s approval of medication abortion, health care providers from Georgia released statements responding to the latest attacks from anti-abortion extremists.  

“Misoprostol and mifepristone are safe and effective, and a reliable option for many patients – these medications are also standard of care for treating miscarriages,” said Dr. Juhi Varshney, an emergency medicine physician in Atlanta. “What is unsafe is delaying or denying care to patients in need. Amber and Candi should be alive today. The extremists spreading misinformation about their tragic deaths and the safety of medication abortion are putting more lives at risk.”

“After the deaths of Amber and Candi, my anxiety is even worse. I worry for every single patient that I refer to the hospital,” said Suki O, an ultrasound technician in the Atlanta area who testified before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee earlier this week about the dangers of abortion bans. 

“Medication abortion is safe – extremist politicians intervening in medical treatment is not,” said Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just. “The extremists seeking to capitalize on the horrific deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller and spreading dangerous misinformation about medication abortion are being reckless, cruel, and dishonest. As we mark the twenty-fourth anniversary of the FDA’s approval of medication abortion, we must continue to amplify the stories of real people affected by these attacks and be clear about what’s at stake right now for abortion access and reproductive freedom.”

If you are interested in speaking with any of the storytellers quoted above, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us. 

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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.

Patients and Providers from Wisconsin and Georgia Spotlight Harms of Abortion Bans and Attacks on Reproductive Freedom at Congressional Hearing on Project 2025

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, two women whose lives have been upended by attacks on abortion access and reproductive freedom traveled to Washington to share their stories with the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee at a hearing on Project 2025 and what’s at stake for communities across the country. 

Project 2025 lays bare what conservatives and extremists plan to do next on abortion and reproductive freedom. These plans include using federal power to ban abortion nationwide and restrict access to contraception, reversing FDA approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, which is used in about half of US abortions, requiring states where abortion access is legally protected to report when patients travel from out of state for care, and prohibiting “embryonic research” which could put access to IVF treatment at risk.

At the hearing, Gracie Ladd, an oncology nurse from Nashotah, Wisconsin shared how she was forced to travel out of state for abortion care earlier this year when she learned that her son, Connor, was developing without a bladder or functioning kidneys, and had several serious heart defects that meant he would not survive more than a few minutes if she carried the pregnancy to term. Out of love and compassion for their son, Gracie and her husband chose to terminate the pregnancy, sparing Connor suffering. 

Gracie described feeling angry that attacks on access to abortion in Wisconsin meant she had to travel out of state for medical care, and frustrated that lawmakers who would never know her or understand her situation had so much power over her experience.

“I’m angry that I had to drive to Chicago for care with a medical team I had never met, for a procedure that took two days and was quite literally the worst two days of my life. I’m angry that although I could take the time off of work, could find childcare for my living son, and afford to make the drive to another state, not all women can. But mostly, I’m angry that people who weren’t in that ultrasound room with me while I received the news that tore my world apart get to decide whether or not the medical choice on how to best move forward is not mine to make.”

Gracie also warned that if anti-abortion extremists get their way, people like her would have an even harder time accessing the care they need.

“Today I’m here to share that I’m angry because if Republicans get their way and pass Project 2025’s national abortion ban, I wouldn’t have even had the freedom to leave my state for the health care that is my right to receive.”

Suki O, an ultrasound technician in the Atlanta area who helps people seeking abortion care described finding “her home” in the abortion care community, but grew emotional when discussing the deaths of fellow Georgia women Amber Thurman and Candi Miller, who lost their lives as a result of the state’s harsh abortion ban. 

“Amber's death hit me hard as she was a part of my community. A community that I've called home for 22 years. She died in a hospital where I've worked and a place where I watched my grandson be born. If these bans hadn't been put in place I might have been the person to perform Amber or Candi’s ultrasound. I might have been able to make them smile, give them a hug or listen to them tell me thank you. How many more Black women have to die or have died as a result of abortion bans?”

Suki shared that in her role as an ultrasound technician, she wears many hats and often finds herself comforting patients who have received devastating news about their pregnancy and are faced with few “options” thanks to Georgia’s restrictive abortion laws.

“I'm tired of seeing women being forced to travel out of state to have an abortion. I'm tired of wiping away tears after being forced to tell women they are too far along under Georgia’s abortion ban. These women deserve to have autonomy over their bodies to make decisions that are best for them.”

If you are interested in speaking with Gracie Ladd or Suki O. about their testimony, their experiences, or what’s at stake for abortion access and reproductive freedom, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us. 

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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.

Free & Just Statement on the Preventable Deaths of Georgia Mothers Amber Thurman and Candi Miller

WASHINGTON, DC – This week, ProPublica reported on the preventable deaths of two mothers from Georgia, Amber Thurman and Candi Miller, who lost their lives as a result of the state’s harsh abortion ban. Details included in reports from Georgia’s maternal mortality review committee, which investigates pregnancy-related deaths in the state, confirm that both women’s deaths were preventable, and the result of limited access to timely medical care. 

In Georgia, abortion is banned after 6 weeks, and while extremists attempt to hide behind the so-called “exceptions” that could allow women experiencing medical emergencies to receive care, the deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller confirm that emergency exceptions create confusion for doctors and patients and don’t work when people need to access care. 

Today, Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just released the following statement in response to the new reporting: 

“The tragic loss of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller is heartbreaking, and we extend our deepest condolences to their families and the communities grieving their deaths. Georgia’s leaders failed these women, who deserved better from our country. Abortion bans are deadly, and we know that Amber and Candi’s families are not alone. People across the country are enduring devastating loss and fear because of ongoing attacks on access to reproductive health care, and there is no excuse for the trauma inflicted on these families. We must tell the truth about what life is like for women and families in post-Roe America, and be clear about what’s at stake as anti-abortion extremists find new and cruel ways to attack our reproductive freedom.”

If you are interested in speaking with local patient storytellers, health care providers, or families impacted by ongoing attacks on access to abortion care, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us. 

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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.

Extremist Lawmakers Block Legislation to Protect Access to IVF Treatment…Again

One week after Trump claims to be a “leader on IVF,” Vance and anti-abortion extremists block legislation to expand access to IVF treatment

WASHINGTON, DC –– Today, anti-abortion extremists in the Senate blocked the Right to IVF Act, legislation that would protect access to IVF treatment and make the procedure more affordable for families across the country. Conservative lawmakers claim to support IVF, yet every time they have an opportunity to protect and expand access to treatment, they vote against it. Over the summer, extremists in the Senate voted three times to block the Right to IVF Act, and attacks on access to reproductive health care continue to escalate. Today’s vote comes just one week after Donald Trump boldly claimed to be a “leader on IVF,” despite making IVF treatment less accessible as president, and openly embracing anti-IVF leaders. 

Millions of people across the country rely on IVF treatment to build strong, healthy families. A third of Americans say they know someone who has used IVF to help their family have a baby (32 percent), and recent polling shows 4 in 5 Americans believe IVF should be legal. 

Following today’s vote, Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just released the following statement: 

“Anti-abortion extremists like Senator JD Vance want it both ways – they want to continue attacking access to reproductive health care, while claiming that they support access to IVF treatment. It doesn’t work that way. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade jeopardized access to all types of reproductive health care, including IVF, and extremists have proven time and again that they are not serious about supporting families going through fertility treatment. It’s more important than ever that we spotlight the real-life impacts of these attacks and tell the truth about what's at stake for families across the country.”

If you are interested in speaking with IVF patient storytellers, health care providers specializing in fertility treatments, or families impacted by ongoing attacks on access to IVF treatment, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us. 

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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.

Patients, Doctors, and Advocates Nationwide Expose Trump’s Enduring Commitment to Passing a National Abortion Ban and Launching Further Attacks on Reproductive Freedom

As Trump celebrates his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, patient storytellers spotlight harms of ongoing attacks on reproductive freedom

WASHINGTON, DC – Former President Donald Trump continues to brag about his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, while downplaying the threat of conservatives passing a national abortion ban and further restricting access to all types of reproductive health care, including IVF treatment and birth control. Despite their rhetoric, anti-abortion extremists like Donald Trump and JD Vance have made it painfully clear that they will stop at nothing to restrict our freedom to make decisions about our lives and families. 

Patient storytellers, health care providers, and advocates from across the country released statements to set the record straight about what life is like for women and families in post-Roe America, and what’s at stake as extremists work to roll back our rights even further. 

“When anti-abortion extremists like Donald Trump say they want to ‘leave abortion up to the states,’ what they really mean is that they want millions of people across the country to be denied access to health care,” said Samantha Casiano, a Texas-based mother of four who was forced to give birth to her daughter, Halo, in 2023, despite knowing that she would survive just a few hours due to a congenital defect. Casiano joined a group of women suing the state as a plaintiff in Zurawski v. Texas, though their challenge was recently rejected by the state’s Supreme Court in a devastating blow to patients across Texas. “We know what happens when abortion is ‘left up to the states –’ families like mine endure unimaginable cruelty.” 

“I made the difficult, but loving decision to terminate a wanted pregnancy when my baby was diagnosed with severe microcephaly at 24-weeks. Every new attack on access to abortion and reproductive health care feels like a stinging indictment of my choice as an experienced OB-GYN and as a devoted parent,” said Dr. Anna Igler, an OB-GYN based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. “The opportunity to continue growing our family through IVF treatment has helped my husband and I grieve the loss of our daughter and move forward, but ongoing attacks on all types of reproductive health care mean we can never truly rest easy. I won’t let extremists like Donald Trump off the hook for what they’ve done to families like ours.”

“Anti-abortion extremists like Donald Trump have made my job as a physician more difficult and extremely dangerous,” said Dr. Callie Cox Bauer, an OBGYN from Milwaukee. “There is no room for politicians in the exam room, and when doctors with years of medical training and expertise are sidelined by lawmakers, patients suffer. We have no reason to believe Trump when he says he won’t roll back access to abortion and reproductive health care even further, and we have every reason to fear what his party has planned next.” 

“Trump and anti-abortion extremists know that they’re out of step with the majority of Americans who support protecting access to abortion and reproductive health care, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stop looking for new and cruel ways to attack our rights,” said Kat Duesterhaus, the founder of Bans Off Miami and the Legislative Director of the Florida State Chapter of the National Organization for Women. “We have to be honest about what is at stake for people in Florida and across the country right now. Attacks on access to abortion and all types of reproductive health care, including birth control and IVF treatment, will continue to escalate and lives are at stake.” 

“Louisiana’s abortion ban left me feeling dehumanized and stripped of my basic rights when I needed abortion care,” said Nancy Davis, a mom from Baton Rouge, Louisiana who was forced to travel nearly 1,500 miles to receive care in New York, when she learned that the baby she was pregnant with had acrania, a rare, but fatal condition. “I won’t let extremist lawmakers ignore what happened to me, or pretend like these laws don’t devastate families like mine.” Following her experience, Davis founded the Nancy Davis Foundation, which supports those who have endured trauma due to a prenatal developmental defect during pregnancy and advocates for reproductive justice.

“Donald Trump and anti-abortion extremists want it both ways – they want to ban abortion nationwide, but they don’t want to tell us that’s what they plan to do because they know it’s dangerous and deeply unpopular,” said Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just. “Exciting and important measures to protect access to abortion care and reproductive freedom are advancing at the state-level, but extremists have made it painfully clear that they want to ban abortion nationwide. This is why we need national protections for reproductive freedom. The stakes are too high.”

If you are interested in speaking with any of the storytellers quoted above, please contact kelly@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.

Congressman Greg Landsman and Advocates Spotlight Harms of Abortion Bans and Demand Federal Action to Protect Reproductive Freedom at “Ride to Decide” Bus Tour Event in Cincinnati

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.