How an August vote on Ohio's Issue 1 affects the campaign for an abortion access amendment this fall
In that August special election, voters will be asked to decide on Issue 1, which would raise the threshold to approve constitutional amendments to 60%, making it harder to pass the planned abortion rights amendment in the fall. The language to make that resolution Issue 1 was approved by Republicans on the Ohio Ballot Board this week.
But Mann said those who are signing petitions have been motivated since last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 50-year-old ruling that legalized abortion.
“There’s been a lot of tricks by extremist politicians that people are really getting tired of – from redistricting to this new August special election to the work they’ve done to attack reproductive freedom. People are paying attention and they are not happy,” Mann said.
Supporters of Issue 1 don’t have to collect signatures, because that amendment came from state lawmakers. The Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, the Ohio Restaurant Association and the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association have come out in favor of what is now Issue 1. Chamber Chief Executive Officer Steve Stivers said his group hasn’t and won’t take a position on the possible November abortion access amendment, but he said it has an interest in making it tougher to pass constitutional amendments.
“The Ohio Chamber is a business association and takes positions on business issues, not social issues. While we support protecting our constitution in August, this has everything to do with subjects like minimum wage, employment at-will and other business issues,” Stivers said.
Supporters of raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2028 have started circulating petitions to get that amendment before voters in November 2024.
https://woub.org/2023/05/22/august-vote-ohio-issue-1-abortion-access-amendment-fall/
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