Gov. DeWine on abortion rights vote: 'We accept the results of elections'

As fellow Republicans look for ways to upend a recently passed abortion rights measure, Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday that it's important to respect the results of the election and watch how the new amendment plays out.

DeWine also acknowledged that Ohio voters supported Issue 1, which passed 57-43% Tuesday, in part because they opposed a 2019 law he signed banning most abortions.

More: Gov. Mike DeWine wants changes to Issue 2 to do legal marijuana 'the Ohio way'

The law, which took effect hours after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, did not include exceptions for rape or incest. That fact played out in national headlines when a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim went to Indiana to obtain an abortion.

"The way that the proponents framed the issue was a comparison between the status quo and between their proposed constitutional amendment. I think that voters looked at it that way," said DeWine, adding that he didn't regret signing the abortion ban.

Hours after the election was decided, top Republican lawmakers pledged to push back against the reproductive rights measure and Issue 2, which legalized marijuana. Both issues take effect in 30 days.

Lawmakers will have an easier time modifying how marijuana is sold and used because Issue 2 is a change to state law. Issue 1, which added protections for abortion, contraception and other reproductive decisions, is a change to the Ohio Constitution.

On Wednesday, 27 House Republicans on Wednesday promised to do everything in their power to prevent Ohio's abortion bans and restrictions from being removed. Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue, said Thursday: "We are looking at all options available of what can be done to save as many lives as possible."

Meanwhile, House Democrats plan to introduce a bill to repeal some abortion restrictions, including the 2019 ban on most abortions after six weeks gestation and a mandatory 24-hour waiting period. Rep. Beth Liston, D-Dublin, said Democrats would not remove a parental consent requirement for abortions, a controversial topic during the campaign.

However, there's little chance of the bill passing in the GOP-controlled Legislature.

DeWine said Thursday that he doesn't support Democrats' plans to repeal laws on the books and that judges would handle interpreting the amendment.

“The people have already spoken and it’s our job to listen,” Liston countered. “I don’t think we should force people to take it to court to get a right that now is constitutionally protected within the state.”

But DeWine also pushed back against GOP proposals to block the recently passed measures: "In this country, we accept the results of elections. We certainly accept the results of Issue 1 in Ohio as well as Issue 2."

DeWine, a longtime abortion opponent, played a key role in the campaign against Issue 1, appearing in a television ad and denouncing the abortion rights amendment in interviews. But ultimately, he did not convince fellow Ohioans to reject the measure.

DeWine said Thursday that Ohioans will have the opportunity to see how the new constitutional amendment plays out and how judges will define it. He believes most Ohioans are somewhere between the 2019 abortion ban and what passed in Issue 1.

"We always continue to evaluate how things are working," DeWine said. "Most Ohioans are somewhere in the middle."

Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: DeWine: Issue 1 shows voters not happy with 'status quo' abortion law