HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio — Two more Ohio abortion laws have been temporarily blocked by the courts as the impact of a 2023 constitutional amendment ensuring access to abortion continues to unfold.
On August 29, Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Alison Hatheway issued a preliminary injunction, extending a previous order that halted the enforcement of a law banning telemedicine for medication abortions. This ruling also blocks a new law that prevents non-doctors—such as midwives, advanced practice nurses, and physician assistants—from prescribing the abortion pill mifepristone.
This decision follows a prior ruling by a Columbus judge that blocked several laws creating a 24-hour waiting period for those seeking abortions. The telemedicine abortion law had been on hold since 2021, but recent amendments to the lawsuit now include challenges to the mifepristone restriction in light of the newly passed Issue 1, which supports reproductive rights. The amendment was approved by nearly 60% of Ohio voters.
