By JD Davidson (the central square)
Ohio voters on Tuesday easily approved a constitutional amendment enshrining the right to abortion.
The Associated Press called the election for No. 1 shortly after 9 p.m., with just under 25% of precincts reporting and approving, leading from 57.4% to 42.6%.
Ohio became the seventh state to protect abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
“Together, Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights passed Issue 1 and put Ohioans back in charge of their personal decisions about pregnancy and abortion. We have successfully enshrined the right to reproductive freedom in the Ohio Constitution,” said Lauren Blauvelt, campaign co-chair of Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights and vice president of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio.
“Ohioans rejected misinformation and fear and voted instead to ensure every Ohioan has access to the reproductive health care they need right here in our state,” she added.
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Several counties — including Hamilton, Delaware, Mahoning, Butler, Warren and Clermont — that easily chose Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election voted to approve the abortion rights amendment on Tuesday.
Issue 1 guarantees an individual the right to make and implement reproductive decisions, including those about contraception, fertility treatments, miscarriages, and abortion.
The state still has the power to regulate abortion after fetal viability, with exceptions for the life or health of the mother based on a doctor’s decision.
However, Republicans said Tuesday that the abortion issue remains open.
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“As a 100% pro-life conservative, I remain steadfastly committed to protecting life, and that commitment is unwavering,” said House Speaker Jason Stephens. “The Legislature has multiple avenues we will explore to continue protecting innocent lives. This is not the end of the conversation.”
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The passage of Issue 1 ends the 2019 heartbeat law passed in Ohio that ended abortion when a fetal heartbeat was detected, with no exceptions for rape, incest or the health of the mother. The law took effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Implementation has been suspended due to lawsuits.
It was actually the second time in three months that voters approved abortion rights.
After a citizen-led organization reached the threshold to put abortion on the November ballot, abortion foes and Republicans pushed for a measure that would have raised the threshold for a constitutional amendment.
In a special election in August that cost taxpayers more than $15 million, voters overwhelmingly rejected the requirement that a 60% majority be needed to approve a constitutional amendment.
Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.