COLUMBUS, Ohio — Abortion clinics in Ohio started services again after a Hamilton County judge temporarily blocked the state's heartbeat law for two weeks.
The procedure can resume for the next 14 days and clinics said its phones have been very busy and hope the temporary ban gets extended.
“It's the little wins that are really exciting. To me, at least I had a few friends actually, you know, texted me about it. And I sent it to my mom and I called her and probably with a tear in my eye,” Summer Mclain said.
Mclain has been fighting for what she said are women's healthcare rights since the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Mclain said the temporary ban gives her hope, but she continues to fight through social media posts and on-the-ground grassroots efforts.
“I've got these little stickers that I distributed around town for the plants play and see pills and just being able to share posts and information on social media,” Mclain said.
Lauren Blauvelt-Copelin, the Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Advocacy of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, said patients are coming from all over Ohio and from out of state as far as Texas to schedule an abortion in the state.
Preterm, a clinic in Cleveland, said its appointments have nearly doubled since the temporary ban.
“We were ready to hit the ground running and take care of as many pregnant people who need abortions as possible,” said Aimee Maple from Preterm.
Anti-abortion groups are working on informing women about pregnancy centers, church resources and more.
“It's truly devastating from our side of the aisle, because when you, you know, break down what abortion really is, it's the purposeful ending of an innocent human life in the womb,” said Lizzie Whitmarsh of Ohio Right to Life.
Both groups said they are preparing for November to take their fight to the polls.
“We are absolutely invested in the 2022 election and it's incredibly important that we turn out the vote and that we flipped the Ohio Supreme Court,” Blauvelt-Copelin said.
“I definitely don't think that it's just pro choice women that are registering. I think that pro life women are very motivated,” Whitmarsh said.