Ohio: Court Blocks 24-Hour Waiting Period Rule for Women Seeking Abortion

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A county court in Ohio on Friday on Friday issued a temporary injunction to block several state statutes that collectively mandate a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion, the Associated Press reports. Ohio’s Republican Attorney General Dave Yost said he would appeal the decision.

Abortion has been a constitutional right in Ohio since voters last November overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to have the procedure. At the same time, the state’s 24-hour rule requires women to attend an in-person consultation and receive certain information before having an abortion.

Granting a petition filed by ACLU for Ohio, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David C. Young temporarily blocked the statutes amounting to a 24-hour waiting period, finding that they “burden, penalize, prohibit, interfere with, and discriminate against patients in exercising their right to an abortion and providers for assisting them in exercising that right,” AP reports.

“This is a historic victory for abortion patients and for all Ohio voters who voiced support for the constitutional amendment to protect reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy,” Jessie Hill, cooperating attorney for the ACLU of Ohio, said in a statement about Young’s decision.

However, the state Attorney General’s office said, “We have heard the voices of the people and recognize that reproductive rights are now protected in our Constitution. However, we respectfully disagree with the court’s decision that requiring doctors to obtain informed consent and wait 24 hours prior to an abortion constitutes a burden. These are essential safety features designed to ensure that women receive proper care and make voluntary decisions.”

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