Ohio Rejects Republican Motion to Raise Bar for Constitutional Amendments
In a blow to anti-abortion groups, Ohio has rejected a Republican motion to make it harder to change the state’s constitution. The motion, which was introduced by the Republican-controlled state legislature, aimed to raise the bar for constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%. This move was widely seen as an attempt to derail a planned referendum to enshrine abortion rights into the state’s constitution.
President Joe Biden hailed the rejection of the motion as a victory for democracy and women. He criticized the Republican-backed move as a “blatant attempt to weaken voters’ voices and further erode the freedom of women to make their own health care decisions.”
Ohio has faced controversy regarding abortion rights in recent years. Last year, when the US Supreme Court ended the nationwide right for women to have an abortion, the state implemented a ban on the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy. However, this ban is currently on hold due to a legal challenge.
Pro-choice groups in Ohio have been working to reverse the ban by seeking to establish a state-wide right to abortion through a referendum. Known as Issue 1, the referendum was on the ballot in the recent special election. With most of the votes counted, it has been projected that a majority of Ohio voters said ‘No’ to raising the threshold for a constitutional amendment above 50%.
The campaign behind the ‘No’ vote, One Person, One Vote, criticized the motion as a “deceptive power grab” designed to silence the voice of voters. Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters celebrated the result as “a victory for the kind of state we want to see.”
The high turnout for the August elections, with over 600,000 early ballots submitted on the issue, indicates the significance of the referendum. The rejection of the motion to raise the bar for constitutional amendments has implications for the scheduled November vote, which could establish a state-wide right to abortion. If the motion had passed, the abortion-rights amendment may have been blocked due to falling support below the proposed higher threshold.
Supporters of the motion argued that it was aimed at protecting the Ohio constitution from outside influences. Ohio’s Republican-led legislature and Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose championed Issue 1, emphasizing the importance of constitutions for widely-held beliefs. However, opponents of the motion alleged that it was an attempt to block the abortion amendment, citing polls that show majority support for it.
The likely consequences of the rejection of the motion include the potential for the house to move forward with more anti-abortion legislation. If abortion becomes illegal in Ohio, it could have significant repercussions for neighboring states such as Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia, where abortion access has already been limited. Additionally, the implications of Ohio’s August election could spill over into the state’s election for US senator next year, potentially impacting the candidacy of Frank LaRose.