Ohio

Ohioans approved abortion rights. But most restrictions remain on the books

Published

1 year ago

March 16, 2024

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.

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Will reigning champion Ohio State football land five-star lineman Jackson Cantwell?

Published

6 hours ago

April 23, 2025

Press Room

Will reigning champion Ohio State football land five-star lineman Jackson Cantwell?

Days after winning the College Football Playoff National Championship, Ohio State coach Ryan Day sat in the Nixa High School coaching offices alongside five-star prospect Jackson Cantwell. It was his first recruiting stop after lifting the trophy over his head.

Ohio State is one of four teams hoping the No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class will choose them come April 30. The Buckeyes are the only program that can sell Cantwell on being the reigning champion.

“They’re the best team in the country right now,” Cantwell said. “Ohio State’s a really good situation.”

The 6-foot-8, 300-pound Nixa High offensive tackle will select between the Buckeyes, Georgia, Miami (Florida) and Oregon. He’s made two visits to Columbus in the last five months while trying to gather as much information as possible about the turnover at the offensive line coach position.

Day, who is more hands-on with the quarterbacks, had to hire a new offensive line coach this offseason after Justin Frye left the program to take over the same position for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Frye had been with OSU since 2022 and helped make offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. the sixth-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Frye’s departure led to three Ohio State hires who will impact Cantwell’s decision.

Tyler Bowen, formerly the offensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, was brought on as the new offensive line coach. Bowen hasn’t served as an offensive line coach since 2017, when he was at Maryland. Marcus Johnson, who was Purdue’s offensive line coach last year before the Boilermakers’ staff was fired, is the team’s assistant offensive line coach. Charlie Dickey will also serve as an offensive line assistant, having held main roles at Oklahoma State and Kansas State in recent years.

“They’ve hired a lot of great offensive line coaches,” Cantwell said. “They’re putting a lot of emphasis on it and are trying to make sure they develop those guys.”

What Jackson Cantwell has said about Ohio State football, Ryan Day

Cantwell in February: “Ohio State’s an interesting one for me. They have Ryan Day, who has done a fantastic job and is probably the most underrated coach in college football. He’s one of the best coaches in college football. I still sometimes don’t even think Ohio State likes him, and I couldn’t tell you why. I think they have a great offense year in and year out.

“Their offensive line did incredible last year, but I think the interesting thing is that they’ll have a different offensive line coach because he left to go to the Cardinals, and now they have a guy who hasn’t coached O-line since 2016. It’ll be interesting to see how that works out.”

When Ohio State football offered Jackson Cantwell

Ohio State offered Cantwell in October 2023. When announcing his offer, he said he received it from Buckeyes general manager Mark Pantoni.

When did Jackson Cantwell visit Ohio State football?

Cantwell has visited Ohio State twice in the last five months.

The first came in mid-December ahead of the Buckeyes’ first-round College Football Playoff win over Tennessee. He returned to Columbus for a two-day visit in March, where he was able to meet with Bowen, the new OSU offensive line coach, for the first time.

Ohio State football offensive linemen NFL Draft picks since 2020

Ohio State will likely have multiple offensive linemen selected in this week’s NFL Draft.

ESPN ranks Josh Simmons as the fourth-best offensive tackle, Donovan Jackson as the fourth-best guard and Seth McLaughlin as the second-best center.

2023 – Paris Johnson Jr. (Sixth overall pick)
2023 – Daward Jones (Fourth round)
2023 – Luke Wypler (Sixth round)
2022 – Nicholas Petit-Frere (Third round)
2022 – Thayer Munford (Seventh round)
2021 – Josh Myers (Second round)
2021 – Wyatt Davis (Third round)
2020 – Jonah Jackson (Third round)

Ohio State football 2025 offensive line roster makeup

Seniors – 3
Juniors – 4
Sophomores – 5
Freshmen – 4

Ohio State football 2025 offensive line recruiting class

Carter Lowe — Four-star offensive tackle ranked as the No. 72 player in the 2025 class.

Jake Cook — Three-star interior offensive lineman.

Jayvon McFadden — Three-star offensive lineman.

Ethan Onianwa — Offensive tackle transfer from Rice.

Phillip Daniels — Offensive tackle transfer from Minnesota.

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Ohio State Buckeyes Star Made Major Impression During NFL Draft Interviews

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2025

Press Room

Ohio State Buckeyes Star Made Major Impression During NFL Draft Interviews

Emeka Egbuka spent the last two seasons behind two of the best wide receivers to ever wear the Scarlet and Gray. He emerged during the Ohio State Buckeyes’ playoff run on the national stage and started turning people’s heads.

Now as the NFL Draft is just a few short days away, Egbuka has become one of the most beloved draft prospects on the board.

On Monday, ESPN NFL Analyst Peter Schrager said Egbuka has “won the interview process and is universally beloved” as a person and that just adds to what he can do on the field.

The two guys who have won the interview process and are universally beloved as people, in addition to their playing ability:
1. Jalon Walker EDGE
2. Emeka Egbuka WR
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You will not find a coach or GM who doesn’t just rave about both young men. @ESPNNFL
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) April 21, 2025

Those in Columbus are more than familiar with what Egbuka can do between the white lines. If he were any of the other 133 Division 1 FBS schools, he would be the number one receiver and would lead the team in yards.

Unfortunately for him, he found himself as the second option in Columbus in back to back years. It didn’t stop him from producing at a high level.

In 2024, he compiled 81 catches for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns on the year. He had at least five catches and 51 yards in each of the four playoff games. The lasting Egbuka memory for Ohio State will be the touchdown that he caught in the Rose Bowl against the Oregon Ducks.

Egbuka is a special talent and now the world has discovered his character. He was one of the unquestioned leaders of both the Buckeyes’ offense and the entire team. On countless occasions, superstar Jeremiah Smith referenced the Egbuka as a leader and a teacher helping the young phenom along the way.

When he does hear his name called on Thursday or Friday night, that team he goes to will be getting significantly better. He has the tools to be an elite wide receiver in the NFL and he has the character to be around the league for a very, very long time.

It is no surprise that he has won the pre-draft interview process and is universally beloved by many of the NFL organizations.

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NFL Draft Trivia: Test Your Knowledge On Ohio State's NFL Draft History

Published

2 days ago

April 21, 2025

Press Room

NFL Draft Trivia: Test Your Knowledge On Ohio State's NFL Draft History

Put on your thinking caps and grab your favorite drink, it’s time for a special edition of Ohio State trivia.

With the possibility of 15 Buckeyes getting selected this year, we put together a 15-question quiz based on Ohio State’s history in the NFL draft. As we wait for the draft to begin on Thursday, when Ohio State will hope to have multiple first-round selections on its way to a record-setting draft, it’s time to test your knowledge of your favorite team and the NFL draft.

There are two simple rules: Please use your brain (not a search engine) and only play once.

Note: After you answer all of the questions, you must click on “Finish Quiz” to see your results.

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