Ohio Votes To Codify Abortion Rights Into State Constitution

Ohio voters decided to codify reproductive freedom into the state constitution on Tuesday in a monumental win for abortion rights supporters.

Issue 1, also known as the Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative, will add language to the Ohio Constitution declaring that anyone in the state has a right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions,” including decisions about abortion care, contraception, miscarriage care and fertility treatment.

The initiative, written and supported by Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, allows the state to restrict abortion after fetal viability, which is around 24 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases where the pregnant person’s health or life is at risk.