How overturning Roe v. Wade could impact Ohio
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Abortion activist gather at the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC on Monday evening in reaction to a leaked draft of a majority opinion overturning the 1973 Roe v Wade decision. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
Abortion access in Ohio may be impacted by the U.S. Supreme Court potentially overturning Roe v. Wade.
Driving the news: The court's conservative majority is poised to overturn the constitutional right to abortion, according to a leaked draft document first published by Politico.
Why it matters: Abortion would be immediately prohibited in 13 states that have previously enacted so-called trigger laws tied to Roe v. Wade being struck down.
- Ohio is not among them.
Yes, but: Republicans here are pursuing similar legislation as part of a yearslong effort to restrict abortion access.
- With lawmakers set to return next week from spring recess, the Supreme Court's actions could accelerate this push.
Flashback: Gov. Mike DeWine signed the "Heartbeat Bill" into law in 2019 that prohibits abortions after a fetal heartbeat bill has been detected.
- A federal judge blocked it from taking effect, citing Americans' rights guaranteed by Roe v. Wade.
State of play: DeWine, a Republican, won his party's nomination for governor as he seeks a second term.
- He called Ohio a "pro-life state" in an interview yesterday with Cincinnati news station WLWT.
- The governor also said his administration would "look and see" if any legislation besides the Heartbeat Bill should be passed if the court decision is overturned.
Meanwhile, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nan Whaley condemned the draft decision in a Monday evening statement and said it was "important to elect a genuinely pro-choice candidate to be Ohio's next governor."
