Courts LGBTQ

Federal Court Strikes Down Ohio Anti-Trans Birth Certificate Law

On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled against an Ohio law that prevented transgender individuals from correcting their assigned gender on their birth certificate. Judge Michael Watson found the measure unconstitutional, writing in his decision that, “This policy resembles the sort of discrimination-based legislation struck down under the equal protection clause in Romer v. Evans as […]

Economy Health Other Issues

Seven Midwest States Announce Their Plan to Partner on Reopening

On Thursday, governors from seven Midwestern states announced that they will coordinate on reopening the Midwest regional economy. The Midwest pact joins the Northeast and West Coast in an effort to coordinate amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Midwest bipartisan effort includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Kentucky. In the governors’ collaboration, they announced […]

Uncategorized

Ohio Governor Releases Gun Reform Policies in Response to Mass Shootings

This Tuesday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine released a series of policy proposals aimed at reducing gun violence statewide. He addressed the issue from both major perspectives, outlining ideas to ensure better mental healthcare services and to implement gun control reform legislation. The legislative reforms are broad in scope and include many policies that the federal […]

Abortion

Judge Blocks Ohio’s Fetal Heartbeat Law

Last Wednesday, U.S District Judge Michael Barrett temporarily blocked an Ohio law that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, allowing clinics to continue to provide abortions. The law was slated to take effect this month, but Judge Barrett issued a preliminary injunction, blocking the law from taking effect while it is […]

Health Reproductive Rights Violence Against Women

States are Passing Extreme Anti-Abortion Laws to Challenge Roe v. Wade

Yesterday, Alabama’s female Governor Kay Ivey signed into law the most restrictive and cruel anti-abortion legislation in the United States, legislation that female Representative Terry Collins introduced in the state house to challenge Roe v. Wade. This past week both Georgia and Alabama have passed extreme anti-abortion legislation, revealing the conservative agenda to overturn Roe […]

Abortion

Ohio Implements Unconstitutional Six Week Abortion Ban

Ohio has officially banned abortions after 5-6 weeks of pregnancy, before many women even know they are pregnant. The law will make an exception to save a woman’s life, however no exceptions for cases of rape and incest. It will take effect in 90 days unless blocked by a federal judge. The law also creates […]

Abortion

Ohio Terminates State Funding For Planned Parenthood

On Thursday, the Ohio Department of Health(ODH) notified Planned Parenthood locations all across the state that they would no longer be receiving funding starting next month, due to a 2016 state law that was upheld earlier this month by a federal appeals court. The law forbids the state from providing funding to any affiliations that […]

Uncategorized

New Ohio Governor ramps up Attacks on Abortion Rights

Newly sworn in governor Mike DeWine made a surprise appearance at the Ohio March for Life rally on Tuesday and has announced that he would sign the heartbeat bill, vetoed by Kasich, if it came to his desk. This bill would ban abortion after 6 weeks without exceptions for rape and incest, making it the […]

Reproductive Rights

Ohio Lawmakers Pass Two Anti-Abortion Bills

This week, Ohio lawmakers passed and sent two anti-abortion bills that would restrict abortion access to Governor John Kasich’s office. Opponents of the two bills, the Heartbeat Bill and the Dilation and Evacuation Ban, stated that both bills are unconstitutional and would have a detrimental impact on the state’s health care system. Neither bill includes […]

Politics

Supreme Court Upholds Ohio Voter Suppression Law

In a 5-4 decision last week, the Supreme Court upheld an Ohio law that removes voters from voter rolls after four years of inactivity. This reversed the 6th Circuit Appeals Court’s decision finding that the Ohio policy violated the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, a law that bans removing voters from voter rolls for failing to vote. The decision fell along ideological lines.

Abortion

Planned Parenthood Files Lawsuit in Ohio

Planned Parenthood announced yesterday that it has filed a federal lawsuit to protect abortion access in Ohio. The suit comes two days after state Attorney General Mike DeWine threatened to take legal action against the health care provider and introduce legislation to further restrict abortion care in the state. DeWine claimed in a press conference […]