COLUMBUS, Ohio — Abortion clinics across Ohio now offer same-day care after a judge blocked the state’s law requiring a 24-hour wait to access care, the first reproductive rights decision since voters legalized and protected abortion access in 2023.
Thanks to a court in Columbus, there are now fewer hurdles to abortion in Ohio.
“For many of them, it’s life-changing because it actually allows them access to healthcare within their time frame,” Jaime Miracle of Abortion Forward said of the patients.
Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge David Young has temporarily blocked a state law that Miracle says places a burden on patients.
“The waiting period forces abortion providers to deviate from this obligation by denying time-sensitive services for a specified minimum period of time, thereby jeopardizing the health and well-being of patients,” Young wrote.
The law required two in-person appointments with a 24-hour waiting period in between to receive the abortion medication or procedure.
“Most women who have abortions in our state and across the country already have children at home. So not only are they trying to juggle their appointments and take time off from work, but they’re also trying to find additional child care for their child not just one day, but two days,” Miracle added. “They have to travel multiple times.”
This ruling also abolished the obligation for doctors to disclose certain information to patients, including information about medical risks and the expected gestational age of a zygote, blastocyst, embryo or fetus.
And the temporary injunction is already having an effect.
“Patients who expected to have to come twice were able to have an abortion at the clinic the same day,” Miracle said.
Cleveland’s Preterm and Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio have begun offering same-day services, she said.
State Senator Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) said he believes abortions should not be performed at all, but he believes a waiting period makes sense.
“To make sure that with something this important there is enough time in the decision-making process to decide whether to do something or not, it is completely irreversible,” Cirino said.
In November 2023, voters overwhelmingly voted to protect access to abortion and enshrined this right in the state constitution.
News 5 has covered abortions in Ohio extensively. CLICK HERE to read the latest stories.
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Nevertheless, Attorney General Dave Yost plans to appeal the ruling. Cirino added that it is not unconstitutional to regulate the activities of doctors.
“The people have spoken, but that does not mean that the state parliament, which is responsible for the safety and well-being of its citizens, is unable to maintain a level of control and restrictions that we consider appropriate,” the MP said.
Since Judge Young is a Democrat, the motion will likely be overturned entirely and ultimately brought before the Ohio Supreme Court.
This means that abortion will essentially be up for vote again this fall.
“You need to vote for Supreme Court justices who will not ignore the change but will enforce it so that it actually impacts patients’ lives, like this ruling did last week,” Miracle said.
Three of the seven seats on the court are vacant – two Democrats and one Republican are running for re-election.
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But another important case will be heard on Thursday.
Yost asked the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas to dismiss a lawsuit that would overturn the six-week abortion ban, just months after he said the ban would be invalid if voters chose to legalize and protect access to abortion. The Supreme Court had previously rejected his argument and remanded it to the lower court.
Now the Attorney General explains that although this is not explicitly mentioned in the complaint, he only wants to advocate for “other provisions” – not for the ban itself.
Ohio Attorney General Yost is fighting for “other provisions” in the law banning abortions after the 6th week of pregnancy and considers the ban unconstitutional
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