Ohioans Need To Know About Issue 1. And So Does The Rest Of The Country

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OHIOANS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ISSUE 1. AND SO DOES THE REST OF THE COUNTRY

      On Tuesday, August 8, 2023, a critically important special election will be held in Ohio. The number of Ohioans who are either unaware of or only vaguely aware of the upcoming election and the issues involved is stupefying.
​        Now, I will admit that I make the above statement based solely on the number of my neighbors and local relatives who've seen this sign in our front yard,     

...and have asked us, "What's Issue 1?"
       For those who don't know what Ohio Issue 1 is or why they should be concerned, whether they live within or outside of Ohio, listen up:
        Currently in Ohio, according to our state constitution, if a citizen's group wants to propose an amendment to our constitution, they must draw up a petition and collect signatures of five percent of eligible voters in 44 of Ohio's 88 counties in order to have the proposed amendment put on the ballot in a November election.     
         If sufficient signatures are collected, the constitutional amendment can be put on the ballot and Ohio voters can have the opportunity to vote for or against the amendment. If a majority of the voters  - that is, fifty percent plus one - vote for the amendment, then it passes.  This is the standard in most states in this country, that is to say, in most states changing a state constitution generally requires a popular vote of fifty percent plus one.
        Issue 1 calls for a change in the standards for passing an amendment to the Ohio state constitution. If Issue 1 passes, then any petition for a vote on a constitutional amendment will require the signatures of five percent of eligible voters in all 88 counties in order for the proposed amendment to be put on the ballot. Then, if the amendment initiative is able to leap that  hurdle, 60 percent of the vote will be required for the proposed amendment to pass.
          In other words, a 40 percent plus one minority will have the power to block the will of the majority of  voters. 
            Raising the required threshold to a 60 percent approval will make it nearly impossible for Ohio voters to ever again pass an amendment to our state constitution. 
             But though Issue 1 would effectively deny Ohioans the right to amend our constitution, that's not what Issue 1 is really about. Issue 1 is really about keeping abortion illegal in Ohio.
           With the overturn of Roe v. Wade Ohio's draconian Heartbeat Bill, which bans abortions after 6 weeks, became the law. Though last December an Ohio judge put a temporary block on the Heartbeat law pending the outcome of a lawsuit by Planned Parenthood, it is only a temporary block.
            A citizen's group drew up a petition for an amendment to the Ohio constitution  entitled, "The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety.” This amendment would enshrine in Ohio's constitution the rights of patients to make their own decisions about reproduction, including birth control, fertility treatment, continuing a pregnancy or abortion and miscarriage care. The petition for this amendment has received a landslide of signatures and is likely to appear on the Ohio ballot this November.
              Preventing this amendment from being voted into the Ohio state constitution by raising the threshold for amendment approval to 60% is the real purpose of Issue 1. It's the reason the Ohio Republican legislature rushed together an August election in hopes of getting the issue passed before the November election. If Issue 1 passes then this will jeopardize the passing of the Reproductive Freedom amendment.
         But if Issue 1 fails then Ohio will be a giant step closer to passing an amendment that will guarantee reproductive healthcare and abortion rights for Ohio women. 
           And as Ohio goes, so goes the nation.  

References:
https://signalcleveland.org/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-august-vote-on-issue-1/

https://news.yahoo.com/business-leader-end-majority-rule-095307809.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/03/ohio-abortion-rights-amendment-isnt-yet-on-the-ballot-but-its-already-under-attack-heres-how.html