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.”

Ohio’s exceptionally dry and hot summer has drawn the federal government’s attention.

The USDA Farm Service Agency declared 22 Ohio counties natural disaster areas Tuesday due to the state’s ongoing drought, allowing farmers to apply for emergency loans from the federal government.

What Ohio counties are included in natural disaster declaration?

The counties named in the USDA declaration include:

Athens, Belmont, Fairfield, Fayette, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Vinton and Washington counties.

Those counties have all faced eight or more consecutive weeks of severe drought and some have faced extreme to exceptional droughts, making them natural disaster areas, according to a USDA press release.

For the first time in Ohio history, two counties, Athens and Meigs, face exceptional drought conditions, the most severe level of drought possible, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Alongside those 22 “primary” counties, farmers in 18 neighboring counties are eligible to receive emergency loans as well. They are Adams, Brown, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Columbiana, Coshocton, Franklin, Greene, Lawrence, Licking, Meigs, Scioto, Tuscarawas, and Union counties.

How do USDA emergency disaster loans work?

Farmers can borrow up to $500,000 with a 3.75% interest rate to restore or replace essential property, pay production costs for the disaster year, pay essential family living expenses, reorganize the family farming operation or refinance the farm’s non-real estate debts, according to the USDA.

Only farm owners or tenant farmers who intend to continue farming are eligible for the loans.

Eligible farmers can apply on the USDA’s website.

NHart@dispatch.com

@NathanRHart

Bernie Moreno doesn’t want to talk about abortion.

During a campaign stop in Washington Court House last month, the Republican Ohio Senate candidate accused news media of using abortion to “gaslight Democrat voters.” Ohio voters have spoken, he argued − it’s time to move forward and “stop picking at wounds that are 52 years old.”

But abortion has emerged as a top issue in Moreno’s race against Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who’s seeking a fourth term in one of the country’s most competitive Senate campaigns that could decide which party controls the chamber. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, states including Ohio voted to protect reproductive rights and block abortion bans pushed by the GOP.

The outcome of the 2023 ballot issue put Republicans in a bind, while Brown and other Democrats have cast their opponents as out of touch. Even now, Moreno appears to harbor frustration about the decision to enshrine abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution.

“Look, we lost Issue 1 last year because only 52% of evangelical Christians bothered to show up at the ballot box,” Moreno said during a July campaign event, according to audio obtained by the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau. “What did we get in exchange? We have abortion right until birth. We have no parental consent for minors getting an abortion because we didn’t show up to vote. Can’t do that. They can only cheat so much.”

Abortion is legal in Ohio up to 22 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions beyond that to preserve the patient’s life and health. The state’s parental consent law remains on the books and has yet to be challenged in the wake of the amendment’s passage.

When asked about Moreno’s comments, spokesperson Reagan McCarthy said he was “referring to low turnout and encouraging voters to be engaged in this election, rather than sit on the sidelines.”

Where do Bernie Moreno, Sherrod Brown stand on abortion?

Since Ohio’s election, Republicans nationwide have pivoted on abortion and said they’re focused on policies to support families. Former President Donald Trump came out against federal abortion restrictions after waffling on whether he would support a 15-week ban.

Trump’s stance guided a policy platform at the Republican National Convention that painted abortion as a states’ issue, frustrating social conservatives who wanted to see a stronger rebuke of the procedure.

“We will oppose late term abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance prenatal care, access to birth control, and IVF (fertility treatments),” the platform stated.

Moreno’s position has also evolved. He told a Cincinnati radio host in 2022 that he was “absolute pro-life, no exceptions.” During his Senate primary campaign, Moreno advocated for a 15-week ban with “commonsense restrictions,” including exceptions for rape, incest and to save the pregnant person’s life.

Citing the RNC platform, Moreno told reporters in Washington Court House that Republicans don’t support abortion bans − even though GOP officials and anti-abortion activists worked for years to curtail access and overturn Roe v. Wade. Moreno also said adoptions should be more available and called for women to have better access to health care and contraception.

“I don’t think most Ohioans think that a 35-week-old baby that’s healthy with a healthy mom should be killed,” Moreno said. “Most people don’t think that. Left-wing European countries put restrictions − not bans, restrictions − after 15 weeks, but that’s my personal belief. I support the party platform, which says let’s leave this up to the states.”

Moreno donated $100,000 to a group opposing Ohio’s abortion rights amendment − a stark contrast to Brown, who openly campaigned in favor of it. The three-term senator supported efforts to codify the right to an abortion, protect access to fertility treatments and birth control, and prevent restrictions on out-of-state abortions. He previously said he supports the parameters in Roe, which guaranteed abortion access until fetal viability.

Brown is backed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio. He received an “F” grade from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America − which endorsed Moreno − for opposing legislation to codify the Hyde Amendment and prohibit abortion when there’s a diagnosis of Down syndrome. He also voted against a federal abortion ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Unlike Moreno, Brown has sought to highlight the issue on the campaign trail − even holding a media call with feminist activist Gloria Steinem.

“It’s not just that (Moreno is) wrong on women’s reproductive rights. It’s not just that he disregards women and the rights of half of our society,” Brown said in an interview. “It’s also that he’s flying in the face of what the voters have said we should do. You’re going to go off to Washington fundamentally fighting against something your voters just overwhelmingly passed? This should not be a ticket to office.”

Haley BeMiller 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.