Ohio After Roe

Episode 3: The Lawmakers

Ohio is a purple state with ruby-red abortion laws. Observers of Ohio’s legislature say this paradox is made possible by gerrymandered districts that heavily favor the Republican Party. As activists on both sides prepare for more legal and political battles, some wonder: What is the value of returning abortion rights to Ohio’s state lawmakers when a voter’s power to choose their elected representatives has been undermined?

Episode 2: The Pregnancy Center

Ohio’s Heartbeat Law banning abortion after roughly six weeks of pregnancy was welcomed by many abortion opponents. But it also created new obstacles for Heartbeat of Toledo, one of more than 100 pregnancy centers in Ohio that seek to dissuade pregnant women from getting abortions. Hear from Heartbeat of Toledo’s executive director, its clients and critics of pregnancy centers, who say they give out false or misleading information about abortion in order to achieve their goal.

Episode 1: The Abortion Provider

On the day the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Dr. David Burkons was performing abortions at his clinic in Cuyahoga Falls. By the end of the day, the state’s 2019 Heartbeat Law had taken effect, lowering Ohio’s legal abortion limit from 22 weeks of pregnancy to around six weeks. Hear what happened at the clinic that day and whether Burkons will continue to perform abortions under the law’s new limits.