The Longs, Baer, and the Legislature: Voters to Decide on a Constituent Right to Abortion in Franklin County, Ohio
Beth and Kyle Long held hands as they walked into the early voting center in Franklin County to cast their votes for Issue 1 that would protect abortion and reproductive rights in the state constitution.
Beth is 18 weeks pregnant, the same amount of time she was pregnant before she had an abortion due to the fetus having a fatal condition.
“The doctors came back and told us, ‘all of her organs, except her heart, are growing on the outside of her, enmeshed in the placenta,” she told NPR. There is nothing we can do to separate that. No fetus has ever survived this condition, and yours will not be the first.’”
The Longs are in an ad that is promoting Issue 1, one of many that have dominated the air waves in a contest that many view as a critical preparation to the 2024 elections.
A county court put that law on hold a year ago after doctors brought a lawsuit claiming that while it had an exception for the life of the mother, some women were being put in situations that endangered their lives. The state appealed that ruling to the Republican-dominated Ohio Supreme Court, which includes three justices who have publicly gone on record as opposing abortion rights.
If abortion is allowed past the point of viability, it will be possible to have abortions up to birth. Doctors and lawyers disagreed with the argument.
“What it is going to take for us to win is the church, the body of Christ, and pro-life activists rising up and highlighting how radical this abortion amendment is,” says Baer.
Baer echoes the messaging of many opponents of the amendment, who say it would do away with the state law that requires parental consent or a court order before a minor under 18 can get an abortion.
Source: Ohio voters to decide on a constitutional right to abortion
Voters to Decide on a Constitutional Right to Abortion in the Buckeye State after Trump Sen. Katelin Hansen
“For us, it is a justice issue, and we are following a God that tells us to care for the health and wellbeing of all people,” says Katelin Hansen, who leads an outreach program with the United Methodist Church in Columbus.
Before 2016, Ohio was considered a bellwether, swing state. But after voting for former President Donald Trump twice and consistently electing Republicans to control the legislature, all statewide offices, and the Ohio Supreme Court, the Buckeye State is thought to be strictly in the red column these days.
The six-week abortion ban was signed by DeWine last year but many Ohioans disagree with it.
A rape victim was forced to travel to Indiana for an abortion because Ohio’s abortion ban doesn’t allow a rape and incest exception.
“The vast majority of people in Ohio feel that there needs to be an exception for rape and incest, so that certainly will be part of what we all come up with if this thing is defeated,” DeWine says.
In addition to the governor talking about possible adjustments to sway voters to the “no” side, Republicans at the Statehouse have taken other actions to try to defeat the amendment. Republicans put a measure on the special August ballot to make it harder to amend the constitution in order to overturn the law against abortion in the fall. It did not succeed.
The summary language for this current ballot was approved by the Ohio Ballot Board, which is controlled by Republicans opposed to abortion rights.
The language that is in the amendment does not mention birth control, and the word “fetus” was changed to “unborn child.”
Source: Ohio voters to decide on a constitutional right to abortion
Frank LaRose, the Ohio Ballot Board Chair, apologizes for not voting in a campaign that would block a Democratic primary
The head of the Ballot Board, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, is one of the Republicans running in a primary to oppose Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown next year.
LaRose removed 27,000 voters during the early voting period. Those who moved, died, or haven’t voted in years weren’t allowed to register. Democrats thought that it was a political move. There are two statewide issues LaRose supports that he removed voters from because of: abortion rights and the legalization of marijuana.
The former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, David Pepper, says he thinks the amendment on abortion rights will ultimately pass, but thinks propaganda and politics will make the vote tight.
“I do think it’s closer overall because there’s been a lot of disinformation, a lot of this talk that you hear from the governor and others about it being too much — I think that’s actually having some impact,” Pepper says.
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Up First Briefing: 1 Month Since Israel Attacked Israel; Supreme Court Gun Control Case – An NPR/Columbia Study
One month ago today, Hamas militants attacked southern Israeli communities, killing more than 1,400 people and taking about 240 hostages. In Gaza, more than 10,000 people have been killed since Israeli airstrikes began, according to the Health Ministry there. While the U.S. seeks a pause in the fighting to facilitate hostage releases, many Israelis support a prisoner swap.
The Supreme Court hears arguments today on whether a federal law banning firearms for people under domestic violence restraining orders is constitutional. Similar state laws would be in danger if the high court overturns the measure. The court ruled last year that in order to be constitutional, a gun law must be analogous to a law that existed at the nation’s founding in the late 1700s.
WeWork, a co-working startup, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company’s stock is down 99.2% from the beginning of the year, and dozens of locations are expected to close.
The Body Electric is an investigation that explores the relationship between technology and our bodies as well as how we can improve it.
In the last few weeks, Zomorodi has studied how technology can affect our bodies. During this time, more than 20,000 listeners joined an NPR/Columbia study to try and incorporate regular movement breaks into their day.
Libraries can help you save money: five easy ways to save money you can’t afford to spend at a library (with an appendix by V. N. Nagata and Yukawa)
Book lovers can be kind to their pocketbooks by borrowing from the library. But libraries have a lot more to offer. Here are a few ways libraries can help you save money: