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As Ohio Republicans Attack Abortion Access, “The Ohio Supreme Court will play a critical role in determining the future of abortion access in Ohio”

COLUMBUS, OH – Despite Ohioans voting to protect access to reproductive health care in 2023, Ohio Republicans are continuing to go against the will of voters by working to further restrict access to abortion. With Republicans escalating their attacks on reproductive care, “The Ohio Supreme Court will play a critical role in determining the future of abortion access in Ohio,” as reported by The Columbus Dispatch.

“Republicans are showing with every bill that they introduce to restrict abortion access, monitor women’s pregnancies, and create more barriers for care, how critical it is for Ohioans to re-elect Justice Jennifer Brunner and elect Judge Marilyn Zayas to The Ohio Supreme Court to stand against these attacks and uphold the law,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde. “Instead of working to lower the sky-high costs that are hurting parents and families throughout our state, Republicans are attempting to restrict access to reproductive care – even though Ohioans have made it clear that they don’t want politicians in their deeply personal health decisions. It’s wrong – and Ohioans will make them pay for it at the ballot box in November.”

Read more from The Columbus Dispatch on Republican attempts to restrict access to reproductive care – and the critical role that The Ohio Supreme Court will play in protecting abortion access in Ohio.

The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio voted for abortion access. GOP lawmakers still push for limits
By Jessie Balmert, 4/12/26

Ohioans voted to protect abortion access in 2023. Now, Republicans are pitching multiple ways to test the limits of that constitutional amendment.

More than two years after their victory, abortion rights advocates are fighting an onslaught of proposed legislation to restrict access to medication abortion, delay abortion procedures and track pregnancies.

“It’s clear that they have not accepted the will of the voters,” said Kellie Copeland, executive director of Abortion Forward, which advocated for the amendment, which passed with 57% of the vote. “They are doing everything they can to engage in a multi-prong attack on the Ohio Reproductive Freedom Amendment.”

[…]

Meanwhile, abortion rights advocates have scored multiple victories in court, where local, Democratic judges have ruled in favor of abortion access. They’ve struck down a ban on most abortions, a 24-hour waiting period before pregnant patients can receive an abortion and a requirement that fetal remains be buried or cremated.

It’s only a matter of time before these cases end up before the Ohio Supreme Court, where Republicans hold a 6-1 majority. Those who oppose abortion are eager for that day and hope the justices will impose limits on the 2023 amendment approved by voters.

But Lauren Blauvelt, executive director at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, wants the justices to follow what she says is an unambiguous mandate from voters. “I don’t believe Ohioans want their justices to act like activist judges, but to follow the clear language that they voted on,” she said.

Ohio Republicans pitch multiple bills to limit abortions

The abortion rights amendment hasn’t stopped Republican lawmakers from introducing and passing bills on abortion. Copeland’s organization is tracking 11 bills in this legislative session alone, and she said they loosely fall into two categories.

“One is this very anti-abortion, misinformation, propaganda, kind of shame and stigma that they’re pushing,” Copeland said. “The other is different ways to challenge the reproductive freedom amendment itself.”

Republican lawmakers have passed bills to restrict telehealth cosultations and require pregnant patients to wait 24 hours after receiving state-approved warnings to have an abortion. A GOP lawmaker recently introduced a bill that would require fetal birth and death certificates − language that could create a statewide registry of pregnancies. Another bill would require students to watch a fetal development video similar to “Baby Olivia,” which was created by abortion opponents.

[…]

A date with the Ohio Supreme Court

The Ohio Supreme Court will play a critical role in determining the future of abortion access in Ohio. The seven-member court will ultimately decide what the 2023 amendment means and what it doesn’t.

That’s why Republicans and Democrats are so focused on the 2026 Ohio Supreme Court races. Republicans are trying to pick off Democrats’ only remaining statewide elected official, Justice Jennifer Brunner. Meanwhile, Democrats want to unseat Republican Justice Dan Hawkins.

[…]

Beyond the Ohio Supreme Court, Blauvelt said the next governor and attorney general will also play important roles in the future of abortion access. One sets the agenda for the state, and the other determines how and when to defend abortion restrictions.

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Ohioans in Youngstown Call Out Jon Husted’s Out of Touch Attacks on Hardworking Families

Husted: “People living in poverty are just not very, they’re not very experienced at navigating the real world”

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO — Today, Ohioans in Youngstown gathered for the third stop of Husted’s Real World Tour, calling out Jon Husted for his out of touch attacks on hardworking families.

Ohioans are already struggling with high grocery and utility prices, and the skyrocketing cost of gas is forcing families to cut back even more. Instead of working to lower costs, Jon Husted has insulted struggling Ohioans as “not very experienced at navigating the real world” and dismissed the mounting affordability crisis by telling Ohioans to fix their “work ethic” and to simply “earn more” money to make ends meet.

“Let me be clear: Ohioans don’t need a lecture on how to buy groceries. They need relief from the rising cost of groceries. They don’t need to be told affordability is just a ‘buzzword.’ They are living it every single day,” said State Representative Lauren McNally. “Politicians in DC like Jon Husted keep voting to make things more expensive. We have a responsibility to do something about it and fight back.”

“Jon Husted’s comments about the ‘real world’ ignore the reality that Ohioans are facing, where wages haven’t kept pace with inflation — making us work harder just to stay afloat. Jon Husted has spent all his time in DC voting to make things more expensive for families like mine,” said Dani Boatner, a Youngstown resident and working parent. “My 12-year old easily recognizes that almost $4/gallon for gasoline is quite ridiculous & this doesn’t even scratch the surface of our day to day expenses that are seen as basic human needs.”

“Affordability is not a talking point. It is one of the most pressing concerns in our community. Families are dealing with rising grocery bills, higher utility costs, increasing rent and housing prices and the overall cost of simply getting by,” said Mayor of Struthers Catherine Cercone Miller.

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Republican Candidates for Secretary of State Tout Disproven Claims of Widespread Voter Fraud, Refuse to Admit Results of 2020 Presidential Election

COLUMBUS, OH – In alarming interviews with Morgan Trau of WEWS, Republican candidates for Secretary of State trumpeted false claims of widespread voter fraud and refused to admit the results of the 2020 presidential election – a deeply troubling sign from individuals running to be Ohio’s chief elections officer. When pushed on his disinformation about Ohio’s mail-in voting – which is a critical way for many Ohioans, including seniors, military servicemembers, and students to cast their ballot – current Republican Treasurer, Robert Sprague, couldn’t name a single case of mail-in fraud in Ohio.

“Ohio’s elections are safe and secure with no evidence of widespread voter fraud – don’t just take our word for it, take Republicans’ word for it, like Gov. Mike DeWine and current Secretary of State Frank LaRose, whose office emphasized previously: ‘Ohio has a long history of running secure elections, and that includes decades of voting by mail,’” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. “Republican candidates for Secretary of State are making it crystal clear that they can’t be trusted with ensuring that Ohio continues its long legacy of safe and secure elections – a point Ohioans are seeing clearly with every disproven conspiracy that the Republican candidates double down on.”

Check out some highlights – well, really low-lights – from WEWS’ interviews with Republican candidates for Secretary of State:

Trau: “Do you think that mail-in voting is fraudulent?”

Both the Democrats supported mail-in voting, while the Republicans said it should only be in specific cases, which led to this interaction with the treasurer.

Although voter fraud is exceedingly rare, it does happen — but does it happen enough to be memorable?

Sprague: “You’re always a little bit suspicious because you don’t know if the person on the other end of that mail-in ballot is the elector.”

Trau: “Please cite some cases of mail-in fraud in Ohio.”

Sprague: “Well, we know that this happens every year.”

Trau: “Where? When?”

Sprague: “I can’t give you — If you give me time, I can get back to you.”

The Democrats said there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, which is confirmed by the current republican secretary of State.

Additionally, both Republican candidates running for Secretary of State – the top state elections official tasked with administering elections in Ohio – refused to admit the results of the 2020 presidential election.

​​Trau: “Who won the 2020 election?”

Both Democrats said former President Joe Biden. Neither Republicans would answer.

Read more from WEWS HERE.
 

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VIVEK ON THE LAKE: Ramaswamy Discovers Ohio’s “Hidden Gem” After Almost a Full Year on the Campaign Trail

Columbus, Ohio-  After months of flying around Ohio on his private jet, Vivek Ramaswamy finally made a trip to the shores of Lake Erie and discovered the “hidden gem” that is larger than the state of New Jersey. Ramaswamy has clearly been spending too much time in backrooms with fellow Columbus billionaires, and it’s about time he finally discovered Ohio’s coastal counties exist.

Ramaswamy didn’t just discover that Ohio is home to sandy beaches and some of the world’s best roller coasters. He also learned about a $3 billion tourism economy that supports more than 130,000 jobs for Ohioans. 

“It’s no Puerto Rico with the Paul brothers, but Ohio is home to the best beaches in the midwest. Ramaswamy has clearly been spending too much time in backrooms with fellow billionaires calling Medicaid and Medicare a mistake, but it’s about time he finally discovered Ohio’s coastal counties,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Turns out there’s a lot that Ramaswamy missed while on his private jet. Maybe next he’ll take a trip to Dayton and learn about how Ohio was first in flight!” 

What They’re Saying: 

  • Calling Lake Erie and its economy “hidden” is quite the tell. 4/8/2026
  • Amy’s in Cleveland Heights! Standing room only! Oh. She got you on Lake Erie. Vivek? Not so much. 4/7/2026
  • Nothing ‘hidden’ about our billions $$ economy. Home to great cities, great industries and great sport fishing. 11 million get their drinking water from our Great Lake. Spend some time up here. I’ll take you walleye fishing. We can eat a terrific sandwich with @TwinOast beer.  4/8/2026

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HUSTED TRIAL TRACKER: Husted Likely to Testify in Defense of  FirstEnergy in Criminal Corruption Retrial in September

Jon Husted at the center of the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history

Ohio families paying $663 more a year on utility bills thanks to Husted’s corruption

COLUMBUS, OHIO — In a major new development, Jon Husted’s FirstEnergy nightmare is far from over, as he will likely be forced to take the stand again to defend his corrupt donors in the new criminal corruption trial set to start September 28, 2026.

Husted helped his donors escape accountability by testifying for the defense and trying to protect the corrupt FirstEnergy executives responsible for the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history. But scrutiny around Husted’s central involvement in the bribery scandal is not ending anytime soon as prosecutors prepare to retry the case.

Throughout the first criminal trial, Husted was mentioned 386 times as testimony made clear that he was at the center of the massive bribery scheme that delivered a billion dollar bailout to utilities and contributed to electricity costs for Ohioans increasing by $663 a year. When Husted was forced to answer questions under oath, his testimony only raised more questions about his own role in the scandal.

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

“Jon Husted may have helped his corrupt FirstEnergy donors escape accountability for now, but September 28 is quickly approaching. This retrial will put the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history back in the spotlight, and remind Ohioans that Jon Husted was at the center of the scheme that sold them out to a big utility company and stuck them with skyrocketing energy bills.”

As a reminder, Jon Husted played a central role “running the show” in the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history alongside Dowling and Jones:

  • New evidence during the trial revealed nine calls between Jon Husted and Mike Dowling in the months preceding a $4.3 million bribe to former Utilities Commission Chair Sam Randazzo. 
  • New reporting revealed Jon Husted held secret meetings with Dowling and Jones, including with the “mastermind of Ohio’s largest public corruption scheme two days before scandal-ridden bribery legislation was introduced.”
  • Neil Clark, a FirstEnergy lobbyist and co-defendant with former House Speaker Larry Householder, referred to Husted as FirstEnergy’s “golden boy.”
  • Text messages between Husted, Dowling, and Jones reveal that the trio were in constant communication “before, during and after his campaign.” 
  • A dinner between Jon Husted and the indicted FirstEnergy executives at the Athletic Club of Columbus was a focal point of the criminal trial.
  • Public records show that FirstEnergy — led by Jones and Dowling — funneled $1 million in dark money to a dark money group backing Husted in 2017, part of the same corrupt scheme that led to federal and state indictments.

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