Spokesman Chris Schrimpf e-mails:
Like all real pro-life advocates the governor hopes that Roe is overturned. Until then Ohio is one of the safest places in America for unborn children thanks to protections that the governor has enacted, including a ban on late-term abortions; the elimination of Planned Parenthood’s dedicated funding; a ban on funding for abortions in taxpayer-funded public employee health plans; a ban on elective abortions in public, taxpayer-funded hospitals; strong new judicial parental-consent laws; and stronger regulation of clinics. Additionally, the governor has provided the first-ever state funding for Ohio’s pregnancy centers and signed legislation making Ohio one of the best states for adoption. Thanks to these and other efforts abortions are down more than 50 percent since 1981 and the number of clinics has almost been cut in half since he took office.
He respects the constitutionally-proscribed independence of the judiciary, but in the judicial appointments he has made as governor he has consistently sought judges who, as President Reagan said, practice ‘judicial restraint,’ and understand that the courts are not ‘vehicles for political action and social experimentation’ and he would pursue that approach as President.
Governor Kasich was asked about the comments you reference in the press gaggle afterward. I’m happy to send it to you. Here’s the transcript:Q: Can I ask you to expand on your answer you gave here on Roe v Wade — you said it’s the law of the land…[Kasich]: It is, it is…..but there are restrictions that we put in, we’ve done a lot of things in Ohio effecting abortions after 20 weeks, but until that law changes, that’s the law. If the court makes a ruling, they make a ruling, but i think there are absolutely legitimate and constitutional restrictions that can be put on it.