Ohio Law Regulating RU-486 Struck Down as Unconstitutional

A federal judge in Cincinnati has struck down as unconstitutional an Ohio law to regulate use of the abortion drug RU-486 and impose criminal penalties against doctors who failed to comply with the measure. U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott found the legislation (HB126, 125th General Assembly) was unconstitutionally vague and that no part of it – including physician record keeping and reporting requirements – could stand alone. Judge Dlott, acting in a lawsuit that Planned Parenthood of Cincinnati and the ACLU Ohio filed against Gov. Bob Taft, permanently barred the state from enforcing any provisions of the law that was supposed to take effect Sept. 23, 2004.