Omaha Mayoral Candidate Under Fire For Anti-Choice Past Vows To Protect Reproductive Rights

[DonViejo]

“While my faith guides my personal views, as mayor I would never do anything to restrict access to reproductive health care.”

By Daniel Marans , Laura Bassett , Ryan Grim

he Democratic candidate for mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, told The Huffington Post on Thursday that if elected, he “would never do anything to restrict access to reproductive health care.”

The statement comes as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and the Democratic National Committee are under fire for embracing Heath Mello, who is trying to unseat the Republican mayor of Omaha and has previously pushed through anti-choice legislation.

Mello co-sponsored a bill in 2009 requiring women to be informed that they could see an ultrasound before having an abortion, a move that national groups appeared to be unaware of until just now. Rewire reports further:

Mello is a sponsor of the final version of a 20-week abortion ban approved by the governor in 2010, and cast anti-choice votes in favor of requiring physicians to be physically present for an abortion in order to impede access to telemedicine abortion care, and a law banning insurance plans in the state from covering abortions. He was endorsed in 2010 by anti-choice group Nebraska Right to Life.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/omaha-mayoral-candidate-under-fire-says-he-would-never-do-anything-to-restrict-access-to-reproductive-health-care_us_58f8e868e4b018a9ce590a84?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009