When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, it sent the issue of legalizing abortion back to the states. After the court’s decision, Ohio enacted a near-total ban on abortion--which remained legal for a little over two months until a Hamilton County judge placed the law on hold due to a lawsuit from the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. Currently, abortion is legal in Ohio before 22 weeks of pregnancy. With Issue 1, abortion proponents hope to enshrine the right to abortion in the state’s constitution.
If passed, Issue 1 would allow a patient to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including decisions about abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and continuing pregnancy.” It would still allow the state to restrict abortion after fetal viability, except when “necessary to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health. Opponents to Issue 1 argue the amendment would increase access to abortions, remove parental rights, allow gender affirming care for minors.