The decision to leave the matter up to a referendum comes after Secretary of State Frank LaRose said in a statement on Tuesday, July 25, that the left-wing pro-abortion coalition Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights was able to submit nearly 496,000 valid signatures, comfortably more than the approximately 413,000 needed to put a constitutional amendment before voters on the Nov. 7 election ballot.
The measure, should it pass, would establish "a fundamental right to reproductive freedom" with "reasonable limits." The language is very similar to a constitutional amendment that voters in Michigan approved in last year's midterms.
The constitutional amendment would essentially make all abortions until around the 24th week of pregnancy – the standard under the now-overruled Roe v. Wade ruling – to be legal. Any restrictions imposed past a fetus' viability outside the womb after the 24th week must be based on "evidence of patient health and safety benefits."
"Every person deserves respect, dignity and the right to make reproductive healthcare decisions, including those related to their own pregnancy, miscarriage care and abortion free from government interference," said Lauren Blauvelt and Lauren Beene, executive committee members for the Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, in a statement.
The Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights is part of a coalition advocating for keeping abortion legal and restriction-free. This coalition includes the state chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood, and URGE, a group that has vigorously campaigned to drop parental involvement laws in the state. (Related: Abortion giant Planned Parenthood grosses $1.7 billion from murdering over 383,000 unborn babies.)
Abortion in Ohio remains legal up to 20 weeks' gestation following a judge's order issued in a lawsuit challenging a ban once cardiac activity can be detected, which is around six weeks into the pregnancy.
To help prevent the referendum's passage, Republican lawmakers have set a special election on Aug. 8 to vote on a series of constitutional amendments known as Issue 1. If it passes, Issue 1 could raise the threshold for a referendum to pass a constitutional amendment from a simple majority to 60 percent. It should be noted that polling suggests only around 59 percent of Ohio voters believe abortion should generally be legal.
The Aug. 8 special election also features votes to eliminate the 10-day curing period for when referendum initiatives led by citizens need to procure additional signatures if they initially fall short, and increase the number of counties where signatures must be collected from 44 to all 88 in the state.
Pro-abortion groups trying to buy their way into Ohio's constitution
Opponents of Issue 1 claim the amendments are an effort to prevent them from enshrining the right to abortion into the state constitution. But supporters of Issue 1 note that the amendments will protect Ohio's constitution from being tampered with by out-of-state special interest groups that allegedly circumvent the legislature and "buy their way into the constitution," including the local branches of national pro-abortion groups driving the abortion-on-demand amendment.
Republican State Rep. Brian Stewart said there is precedent in pushing for more than a simple majority when it comes to referendums on constitutional amendments.
"Florida requires 60 percent for all constitutional amendments. Colorado – a blue state – requires 55 percent for amendments. New Hampshire requires 66 percent for amendments. Arizona requires 60 percent for amendments that would increase taxes," said Stewart. "So, there's a lot of precedent for moving in this direction, and we think it's time to finally get it done."
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