City Beat: Explainer: Ohio's district maps and abortion law
Gerrymandered Ohio districts may also change access to abortion care, says UC’s David Niven
A statewide ban on abortion care after six weeks gestation (aka the "heartbeat bill") is already on the books and will go into effect if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Two “trigger” bills outlawing abortion care (except in vaguely outlined emergency cases) are poised to pass.
“I think a realistic person would say there is almost no constituency in Ohio for an abortion ban, and yet that is by far the most likely policy outcome we’re looking at,” David Niven, a University of Cincinnati political science professor who researches gerrymandering and has testified as an expert witness in gerrymandering cases, tells City Beat.
Niven is an associate professor in UC’s School of Public and International Affairs and is an often-cited expert on American politics. His research focus is on political campaigns, gerrymandering, political communication and death penalty policy.
Featured image at top courtesy of Unsplash.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Coding without code: How vibe coding rewrites the rules
March 17, 2026
Vibe coding allows beginners to build sophisticated web applications with zero coding skills. Discover how vibe coding can simplify workflows and drastically boost productivity.
How the University of Cincinnati co-op program is shaping the future of work at SXSW
March 17, 2026
The University of Cincinnati served as a 2026 Workplace Track sponsor at the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Innovation Conference March 12-18 in Austin, Texas, showcasing how co-op is redesigning the future of work.
Recent advances may speed time to endometriosis diagnosis
March 16, 2026
The average time to clinical diagnosis of endometriosis is nine years. Definitive diagnosis of the disease is difficult, and until recently, has relied on laparoscopic surgery. Now, as Medscape recently reported, novel clinical recommendations, advanced diagnostic tools and research into inflammation and immune responses, are bringing promise that women with endometriosis will find relief sooner and without surgery, according to experts, including Katie Burns, PhD, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine associate professor.