Voters in Ohio, which has trended Republican in recent elections, passed a ballot measure on Tuesday that enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution.
It continues a winning trend for abortion rights advocates since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and it is yet another sign that abortion access is a key issue for voters across party lines.
At the center of debate was Ohio's six-week abortion ban, which was blocked by a court last year but is being considered by the state Supreme Court. Abortion rights advocates argued that the only way to stop the law, which has no exceptions for victims of rape or incest, was to pass the ballot measure. Abortion opponents argued that the measure went too far and would prevent the state from enacting a consensus bill with exceptions.
Ohio will now be prevented from restricting abortion access before fetal viability, which doctors believe to be around 22 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. After viability, the state can restrict abortion access unless the patient's life or health are at risk.
Here are some of the stories that made headlines over the past week, as well as some photos that caught our eye.
