Ohio lawmakers continue to test voter-approved abortion protections

Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2023 protecting the right to make decisions about contraception, pregnancy, and abortion. While that protection remains in effect, abortion access in Ohio continues to face sustained legislative pressure.

Over the past year, lawmakers have introduced multiple proposals aimed at narrowing how the amendment is applied in practice—testing its boundaries through regulation rather than direct repeal. As a result, abortion remains legal in Ohio, but access continues to be shaped by ongoing political action and legal interpretation rather than fully settled policy.

What we’re watching: Ongoing federal litigation and policy changes involving medication abortion and contraception could have downstream effects in Ohio. Even with voter-approved protections, access to these forms of care depends in part on federal decisions about drug approval, regulation, and enforcement.

Why it Matters

Voter-approved constitutional amendments are designed to provide durable protection, even when legislatures are resistant. When lawmakers repeatedly attempt to narrow or reshape those protections, the result can be confusion, uneven access, and delayed care—despite clear voter intent.

In Ohio, ongoing legislative pressure means that providers and patients must continue to monitor changing rules, proposed restrictions, and potential legal challenges. This uncertainty can affect where care is available, how services are delivered, and how confident patients feel in their ability to access care when needed.

Background

In November 2023, Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment protecting the right to make decisions about contraception, pregnancy, and abortion. The amendment took effect the following month, making abortion legal under the Ohio Constitution.

Since then, state lawmakers have continued to pursue ways to limit how that protection works in practice. Rather than attempting to repeal the amendment outright, legislators have introduced proposals that would add new rules for abortion providers, increase compliance requirements, or restrict how care can be delivered. These efforts have focused on regulation rather than direct bans.

Some of these proposals moved forward through committee hearings and formal debate, signaling ongoing interest in narrowing access even after the statewide vote. Other measures stalled earlier or failed to gain enough support to advance. While none have overturned the amendment, the volume and persistence of legislative activity have kept abortion policy unsettled.

Courts have also played a key role in determining how much regulation is allowed under the new constitutional framework. As a result, abortion remains legal in Ohio, but access continues to depend on evolving legal interpretation and continued political pressure rather than a fully settled system.