Ohio is Testing Radical Strategy To End Death Penalty

A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers is trying to abolish the death penalty in the state by linking it to a ban on state-funded abortions and assisted suicide.

Newsweek reached out to the state's Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio and Republican state Senator Steve Huffman, who are introducing the legislation, via contact form on their websites.

Why It Matters

Linking capital punishment abolishment to restrictions on abortion and assisted suicide is a novel and controversial approach. The proposal faces criticism from across the political spectrum for linking three very different policy issues under the same banner of "pro-life."

Recent developments indicate a resurgence in the use of the death penalty at the federal level. In January 2025, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order recommitting to federal death sentences and ensuring states have supplies of lethal injection drugs. This move reversed previous clemency actions and has been met with criticism from legal experts who view the order as vague and potentially unconstitutional.

What To Know

The legislation, which a group of bipartisan Ohioan politicians plan to introduce, would replace the death penalty with life imprisonment without parole.

The same legislation would also tighten laws preventing state money from being used to fund abortion or physician-assisted suicide.

Under Ohio law, assisted suicide and state funding for abortion services are already illegal.

However, local Republicans have contended that a 2023 amendment that established the right to access abortion and reproductive health care in the state could jeopardize restrictions on using state funding for abortion.

The legislation could face resistance from multiple sides. Groups like Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union have criticized the bill for linking abortion access to death penalty abolition.

And some Republicans in the state still support capital punishment, and President Donald Trump has signed an executive order instructing the attorney general to ensure states have sufficient lethal injection drugs to carry out executions.

Ohio has not carried out an execution since 2018 due to a lack of access to lethal injection drugs. Governor Mike DeWine, who took office in 2019, has previously said that no executions will be carried out during his term, which will end in 2026.

What People Are Saying

Ohio Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio said in a press conference: "Capital punishment is impractical, unjust, inhumane, and erroneous. We stand together – progressive Democrats and conservative Republicans – seeking an end to executions in Ohio. The time to improve our flawed justice system is now."

Republican Ohio state Senator Steve Huffman said in a press conference: "I am committed to preserving the dignity of all life until natural death. The fiscal and moral challenges associated with capital punishment are also the reason it needs to be abolished in the state of Ohio."

Republican Ohio state Representative Jean Schmidt said in a press conference: "Abortion, the death penalty and assisted suicide all undermine the commitment to human dignity. To be consistent with our pro-life principles, we must oppose all three."

Lauren Blauvelt, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio said in a statement: "The sad reality is that what should have been a focused effort to end the death penalty in Ohio devolved into yet another anti-abortion spectacle."

Freda Levenson, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio said, per The Columbus Dispatch: "Our elected officials should heed the will of the people... If they want to abolish capital punishment – which they should – they should do it in a clean way."

The executive order signed by Trump said: "Capital punishment is an essential tool for deterring and punishing those who would commit the most heinous crimes and acts of lethal violence against American citizens."

What Happens Next

It is unclear whether the legislation will be able to win bipartisan support, particularly from Democrats who oppose any restrictions to abortion access and Republicans who continue to support capital punishment.