Current:Home > Contact-usJudge blocks Ohio from enforcing laws restricting medication abortions-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Judge blocks Ohio from enforcing laws restricting medication abortions
View Date:2024-12-24 00:28:32
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Two more Ohio laws restricting abortions have been blocked by the courts as the legal impacts of a 2023 constitutional amendment guaranteeing access to the procedure continue to be felt.
Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Alison Hatheway issued a preliminary injunction Aug. 29 that extends an existing order temporarily halting enforcement of a law banning use of telemedicine in medication abortions.
It also blocks another law prohibiting non-doctors — including midwives, advanced practice nurses and physician assistants — from prescribing the abortion pill mifepristone used in the procedure.
Hatheway’s decision followed a Columbus judge’s order blocking Ohio from enforcing several other laws that combined to create a 24-hour waiting period for abortion seekers. Any appeals by the state could eventually arrive at the Ohio Supreme Court, where three seats — and partisan control — are in play this fall and abortion is considered a pivotal issue.
In her order, Hatheway said it is clear “the status quo shifted drastically” when the amendment known as Issue 1 went into effect in December — likely rendering many existing Ohio abortion restrictions unconstitutional.
She said the state’s argument that the laws are vital to “the health and safety of all Ohioans” failed to meet the new legal mark while lawyers for Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region and the other clinics and physicians who brought the suit against the Ohio Department of Health are likeliest to prevail.
“The Amendment grants sweeping protections ensuring reproductive autonomy for patients in Ohio,” she wrote. “Plaintiffs have provided substantial evidence to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the Bans at issue here violate these newly enshrined rights in a manner that is not the least restrictive, and actually causes harm to Plaintiffs’ patients.”
Peter Range, senior fellow for strategic initiatives at Ohio’s Center for Christian Virtue, said it is now clear that the ACLU of Ohio, Planned Parenthood and others fighting Ohio’s abortion restrictions “are after every common-sense law which protects mothers and babies in our state.”
“This most recent ruling is just another example of how they want abortion on demand, without any restrictions whatsoever,” he said in a statement, calling for a “return to common sense laws which protect women and protect the preborn in Ohio.”
Ohio’s law targeting telemedicine abortions — conducted at home while a person meets remotely with their medical provider — had already been on hold under a separate temporary order since 2021. But the lawsuit was more recently amended to incorporate passage of Issue 1 and, at that time, objections to the mifepristone restriction was incorporated.
The reproductive rights amendment passed with almost 57% of the Ohio vote. It guarantees each Ohioan’s right “to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions.”
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Northern Taurid meteor shower hits peak activity this week: When and where to watch
- Not in the mood for a gingerbread latte? Here's a list of the best Christmas beers
- Bengals' Jake Browning admits extra motivation vs. Vikings: 'They never should've cut me'
- July 2023 in photos: USA TODAY's most memorable images
- Champions Classic is for elite teams. So why is Michigan State still here? | Opinion
- Germany’s economy seen shrinking again in the current quarter as business confidence declines
- Some Trump fake electors from 2020 haven’t faded away. They have roles in how the 2024 race is run
- Federal judge rules school board districts illegal in Georgia school system, calls for new map
- Asian sesame salad sold in Wegmans supermarkets recalled over egg allergy warning
- Not in the mood for a gingerbread latte? Here's a list of the best Christmas beers
Ranking
- 32-year-old Maryland woman dies after golf cart accident
- Gen Z is suddenly obsessed with Snoopy — and not just because he's cute
- Maryland Stadium Authority approves a lease extension for the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards
- Bengals' Jake Browning admits extra motivation vs. Vikings: 'They never should've cut me'
- 'Devastation is absolutely heartbreaking' from Southern California wildfire
- Attorneys for Kentucky woman seeking abortion withdraw lawsuit
- Iowa dad charged after 4-year-old eats THC bar is latest in edible emergencies with children
- AP Sports Story of the Year: Realignment, stunning demise of Pac-12 usher in super conference era
Recommendation
-
Cameron Brink set to make Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut
-
A Black woman was criminally charged after a miscarriage. It shows the perils of pregnancy post-Roe
-
A gloomy mood hangs over Ukraine’s soldiers as war with Russia grinds on
-
European Union investigating Musk’s X over possible breaches of social media law
-
Ariana Grande's Brunette Hair Transformation Is a Callback to Her Roots
-
Behind the ‘Maestro’ biopic are a raft of theater stars supporting the story of Leonard Bernstein
-
'The Voice' Season 24 finale: Finalists, start time, how and where to watch
-
36 jours en mer : récit des naufragés qui ont survécu aux hallucinations, à la soif et au désespoir