Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), who has long stated that he is pro-life, wrote in a Tuesday op-ed that he has changed his mind on abortion.

Ryan said he has talked to women throughout Ohio about their experiences with pregnancy and motherhood, leading him to support pro-choice policies.

“These women gave me a better understanding of how complex and difficult certain situations can become. And while there are people of good conscience on both sides of this argument, one thing has become abundantly clear to me: the heavy hand of government must not make this decision for women and families,” he wrote in the Akron Beacon Journal.

The congressman noted that he was raised Catholic and held pro-life beliefs from a young age, but he said that he can no longer support legislation banning abortion.

“No woman makes this decision lightly. Each and every American deserves the right to deal with these difficult situations in consultation with their families, close friends or religious advisers. No federal or state law banning abortion can honestly and fairly take into account the various circumstances that make each decision unique,” he wrote.

“And while I have deep respect for people on both sides of this conversation, I would be abandoning my own conscience and judgment if I held a position that I no longer believed appropriate,” he concluded. “I have come to believe that we must trust women and families — not politicians — to make the best decision for their lives.”

H/t Huffington Post