Ohio
Ohioans approved abortion rights. But most restrictions remain on the books
While Ohio’s GOP-controlled Legislature hasn’t passed any abortion restrictions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, lawmakers aren’t willing to roll back newly unconstitutional laws
Ohioans now have the constitutional right to abortion − a monumental shift in how the state has handled reproductive rights.
But for the average patient entering an Ohio abortion clinic, nothing has changed.
Ohio abortion providers aren’t performing abortions after 22 weeks. Patients must wait 24 hours after their first visit to obtain the pills or have a procedure. A dispute over using telemedicine is playing out in court.
“We did not get to the severe abortion restrictions that we have in Ohio overnight,” said Dr. Adarsh Krishen, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. “We’re not going to get out of that situation − even with the passage of Issue 1 − overnight. It’s going to take time and energy to be able to lift those restrictions.”
Most of that time and energy is spent in court.
Attorneys representing Ohio’s abortion clinics have sued to permanently block a ban on most abortions. The law, which has been on hold since September 2022, prohibits doctors from performing abortions after cardiac activity is detected, which is about six weeks into pregnancy.
Attorneys for the clinics say this law is indisputably unconstitutional, but Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost says some parts might not be. Yost campaigned against the abortion rights measure on the ballot last year and is a likely 2026 contender for governor.
Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Christian Jenkins, who is reviewing the case, will decide the law’s fate by May 20, according to court filings.
That’s just one law. The state has other bans, regulations and hurdles that abortion providers say violate what voters approved with nearly 57% of the vote last November. Attorneys for Ohio’s abortion providers aren’t disclosing their legal strategy to dismantle those laws, but any approach will take time.
Even though those legal challenges take time, the new constitutional language has been “an absolute game-changer,” said attorney Jessie Hill who is challenging Ohio’s abortion restrictions. “Just because the changes haven’t been obvious yet, it’s still a really big deal.”
What hasn’t changed
While Ohio’s GOP-controlled Legislature hasn’t passed any abortion restrictions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, Republican lawmakers aren’t willing to roll back newly unconstitutional laws either.
Democratic lawmakers introduced bills to repeal various abortion bans and restrictions, but those proposals have gone nowhere.
Some Republican lawmakers have proposed stripping judges of the power to enforce the new abortion rights amendment, but House Speaker Jason Stephens said that idea wouldn’t pass. “This is Schoolhouse Rock-type stuff. We need to make sure that we have the three branches of the government,” he added.
No comprehensive data exist on whether abortions have increased or decreased in Ohio since Issue 1 passed. The Ohio Department of Health’s report on 2023 won’t be released until the fall. Recently released numbers from #WeCount, a national reporting effort sponsored by the Society of Family Planning, don’t yet capture the months after the November vote.
Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region has seen an increase in appointments from out-of-state patients since Issue 1 passed. For example, 51% of patients seeking an abortion in January traveled from other states, interim president Suzanne Bertuleit said.
“Despite this influx of patients, Issue 1’s passage did not immediately eliminate Ohio’s current restrictions on abortion access,” Bertuleit said. “We continue to explore all our options to challenge other state restrictions with this constitutional protection in the coming months.”
Asked about the impact of Issue 1, Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis said: “We are unaware of any impact to date of the November 2023 ballot initiative.”
Still, “the struggle to protect human life though is far from over here in Ohio,” the organization’s executive director Peter Range said. “Ohio Right to Life will continue to advocate for the preborn and will not stop working for a culture where every life gets a chance to succeed, including moms, dads and their babies.”
What has changed
While much looks the same, Krishen with Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio said the constitutional amendment is already making a difference. He has seen an increase in doctors willing to work and train in Ohio because of Issue 1.
And the new protections provide a reprieve from the onslaught of new regulations and the lack of job security. “From a staff perspective, there been sort of a sigh of relief,” Krishen said.
To pass the constitutional amendment, abortion rights advocates built a roster of donors and engaged activists, said Kellie Copeland, executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio. “We’re in a much different position than we were even two years ago.”
Advocates hope to deploy those resources to protect LGBTQ rights at the statehouse and elect Democratic judges to the Ohio Supreme Court that will oversee abortion challenges. They also support redistricting reform, which could make it easier to enact abortion protections in the state Legislature.
Outside of Ohio, there is a looming fight over a national abortion ban. Former President Donald Trump supports a 16-week ban with exceptions, the New York Times reported in February. President Joe Biden has said he’s “not big on abortion” but believes the Roe v. Wade court decision “got it right,” according to the Associated Press.
A national abortion ban would undo all of the work Ohioans did to pass Issue 1, Copeland said. “We can’t allow that to happen.”
On Wednesday, a nationwide group of doctors, including those who backed Ohio’s reproductive rights amendment, formed Healthcare Workers for Reproductive Freedom to safeguard in vitro fertilization after an Alabama Supreme Court decision threatened it there. The state’s Republican governor recently signed IVF protections in response to that ruling, the Associated Press reported.
Even though Ohio voters passed constitutional protections, the battle over reproductive rights is far from over in Ohio and elsewhere, Copeland said. “It’s one thing to amend the constitution. It’s another thing to make it real.”
Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s law requiring children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps must be restored, a divided panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.
The decision comes as a blow to NetChoice, which has won court victories against identical digital identification laws in other states, including Arkansas, Louisiana and Georgia. The trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other major tech companies said the Ohio decision went against “clear national consensus” and that it intended to keep fighting.
“An unconstitutional law protects no one, and we remain focused on ensuring the First Amendment rights of Ohioans are protected,” said Paul Taske, director of the NetChoice Litigation Center.
Netchoice brought suit against Ohio’s law in 2024, arguing that it was overly broad, vague and represented an unconstitutional impediment to free speech.
The Cincinnati-based Sixth Circuit’s panel disagreed. In a 2-1 decision, it found that the law was not unconstitutional and sent it back to a lower court to have a block on the law’s enforcement vacated.
“At bottom, the Act imposes a parental consent requirement,” Judge Eric Clay wrote in the lead opinion. “That requirement constitutes a marginal burden that precisely targets the multi-faceted problem that Ohio has identified: Children’s unsupervised assent to terms and conditions for use of platforms that take advantage of and harm them.”
Judge Alice Batchelder concurred, writing that “a statute is not vague just because it has a wide berth.”
Known as the Social Media Parental Notification Act, the Ohio law was part of an $86.1 billion state budget bill that Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law in July 2023.
The administration pushed the measure as a way to protect children’s mental health, with then-Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, now a U.S. senator, saying at the time that social media was “intentionally addictive” and harmful to kids.
The law requires companies to get parental permission for social media and gaming apps and to provide their privacy guidelines so families know what content would be censored or moderated on their child’s profile.
Republican Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson called Thursday’s ruling “a win for Ohio families.”
“The court agreed that parents –- not social media companies –- should get a say in what kids see online,” he said in a statement. “We have an obligation to keep our children safe, and today, the most dangerous place for our kids is the internet. This decision gives parents the tools to be involved and provide oversight.”
Piketon, Ohio (WSAZ) – Folks in southern Ohio are waking up to power outages and road closures.
Route 32 in Pike County is down to one westbound and one eastbound lane due to debris on the roadway.
Drivers are also dealing with tree limbs on roadways.
The Athens County 911 dispatcher told WSAZ that it’s not believed a tornado touched down, but there is storm damage.
The dispatcher said storm damage from flooding and trees being knocked down has affected US 50.
Power outages are being reported in Athens, Pike, Vinton, Scioto and Meigs Counties and even as far south as Boyd County, Ky.
If you’re in a tornado warning area, you’re urged to get to the lower part of your home.
Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest.
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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Clarence Burley, II, affectionately known as “Lil Man,” entered eternal rest on Thursday, June 5, 2026, at the age of 60, at Summa Health Akron City Hospital in Akron, Ohio.
Born on May 22, 1966, in Youngstown, Ohio, Clarence was the beloved son of Clarence L. Burley and Jacqueline Wilkinson-Burley.
He attended Ursuline High School and graduated with the Class of 1984.
Clarence was a hardworking and dedicated man who spent many years employed at Classic Optical Corporation as a Lens and Frame Specialist. Known for his skill and precision, he was recognized as one of the top lens shapers during his tenure with the company. He also worked for Goodwill Industries, where his exceptional work ethic earned him recognition and awards for outstanding service.
A devoted fan of the Oakland Raiders, Clarence enjoyed football, boxing, roller skating, and bowling. In his younger years, he was also an accomplished swimmer. He loved life and cherished spending time with family and friends. Whether enjoying a cruise vacation, visiting the lake to admire the water, debating sports statistics from A to Z, or simply sharing laughter with loved ones, Clarence brought joy wherever he went.
Known for his impeccable style, Clarence was often dressed to perfection. He was especially proud of his many Cadillacs, but none more than his beloved Cadillac Seville, affectionately known as “the baby caddy.” He could often be found cruising through the city, listening to music and enjoying the ride. His infectious smile, strength, humor, and generous spirit will forever be remembered by those who knew and loved him.
In 1999, Clarence met the love of his life, the former Cathy Winphrie. Their friendship blossomed into a lasting bond, and they were united in holy matrimony in 2015. Together they shared a life filled with love, companionship, and cherished memories.
Clarence leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife, Cathy Burley; his children, Shannie (Meisha) Burley of Atlanta, Georgia; DeShawn Burley (fiancée Ziah) of Warren, Ohio; Eddie W. Matthews; and Montell Cochrane; his beloved grandchildren, Zaira, DeShawn, Jr., Deondra, Audrionna, Eddie, Jr., Quiara, Azel, Anyia, Marquel, Aiden, Adalese, Meadow, and Amatureas; five great-grandchildren; his mother-in-law, Eula Winphrie; brothers-in-law, James (Jamie) Winphrie and Timothy (Kori) Winphrie; sisters-in-law, Regina Winphrie and Azella Burley; niece Helleenia Winphrie; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives, and dear friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence L. Burley and Jacqueline Wilkinson-Burley; his brother, Wesley Burley; and his grandmother, Carrie Davis.
Though Clarence’s earthly journey has ended, his legacy lives on through the lives he touched, the family he loved, and the countless memories he leaves behind. His strength, perseverance, laughter, and love will continue to inspire all who were blessed to know him.
“To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”2 Corinthians 5:8
A homegoing celebration will be held 10:00 a.m. Saturday June 20, 2026 at Jerusalem Baptist Church , a visitation with the family will be 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. at the Church.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Gregory-Martin Funeral Home. For additional information, please call (330) 743-4098.
To send flowers or plant a memorial tree in memory, please visit our flower store.
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