TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – A judge sided with abortion rights advocacy groups Friday in a ruling that temporarily overturns Ohio’s law requiring a 24-hour waiting period for abortions.
The rule required women seeking an abortion to wait at least 24 hours after personally receiving state-mandated abortion information.
According to the ACLU of Ohio, one of the groups that filed the lawsuit, the judge concluded that the rules “do not promote patient health” and violated the constitutional amendment passed by voters in November.
Abortion rights advocates called the move a historic victory.
“It is clear that Ohio’s newly amended Constitution works as voters intended: It protects the fundamental right to abortion and prohibits the state from violating it except when necessary to protect the health of a pregnant person,” said Jessie Hill, an attorney with the ACLU of Ohio. “This decision is the first step toward removing unnecessary barriers to medical care. We applaud this ruling and will work to make this injunction permanent.”
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost released a statement on the move on Friday, saying that while he recognizes that reproductive rights are protected in the Constitution, he disagrees with the court’s decision.
“These are essential safeguards designed to ensure that women receive appropriate care and can make voluntary decisions,” the statement said. “These measures have been consistently upheld in Roe v. Wade.”
The Attorney General’s Office said it plans to appeal the ruling.
Latest local news | Weather of the first warning | crime | National | 13abc Originals
All rights reserved.
