Ohio Attorney General Appeals Ruling Striking Down Six-Week Abortion Ban

The appeal seeks to challenge a court decision deeming the state's restrictive abortion law unconstitutional under a voter-approved amendment protecting reproductive rights.

• Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has filed an appeal against an October ruling that blocked the enforcement of the state's six-week abortion ban.
• The 2019 law, known as the 'heartbeat law,' prohibits most abortions once fetal cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks into pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest.
• The law was rendered unconstitutional by a voter-approved amendment in 2023 that enshrines reproductive rights in the Ohio Constitution.
• Judge Christian Jenkins ruled that the amendment guarantees individuals the right to make their own reproductive decisions, invalidating the six-week ban and related provisions.
• Yost's appeal argues that certain elements of the 2019 law, such as notification and reporting requirements, should still be enforceable despite the constitutional amendment.

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