CINCINNATI, OHIO — Last evening, the City of Lebanon voted and unanimously passed an amended abortion ban in response to our May lawsuit over the law’s vague and potentially sweeping provisions. The case, National Association of Social Workers et al. v. City of Lebanon, Ohio et al., was the first challenge to an abortion ban filed since a draft Supreme Court opinion was leaked suggesting that the Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.  

Represented by the ACLU of Ohio and Democracy Forward, the National Association of Social Workers and Women Have Options – Ohio challenged the Lebanon ban as a violation of constitutionally protected rights to due process and freedom of speech, as well as the Ohio constitution.  The ban, which is part of a movement to bar abortion in cities and counties throughout the nation, is one of nearly 50 in the country and was the first to be adopted in Ohio.

The National Association of Social Workers, Women Have Options – Ohio, the ACLU of Ohio and Democracy Forward released the following joint statement after the vote:

“When we sued the City of Lebanon in early May on behalf of social workers and abortion care advocates to stop the City’s unlawful abortion ban, they were given a choice whether to defend their ban in court. Not only did they decline to defend it, but, in response to our lawsuit, they have now passed their amended law and did so in a work session – further avoiding public scrutiny. 

This law was written to criminalize those who provide assistance to people accessing abortion care, and while it is a victory that some of its most dangerous provisions have now been removed, we are considering the revised ordinance to determine our next steps.”