Will Ohio Save Its Constitution—or Enshrine Abortion-On-Demand Forever?

Ohio’s Yes on 1 measure is the best defense against “dark money” activists’ ultimate objective: Permanent, unlimited abortion “rights.” Voters have one chance to stand with the Supreme Court and protect life by amending the state constitution.

Ohio is holding a special vote on Tuesday, August 8th, with far-reaching implications for major policy issues and could determine if abortion rights become enshrined in the state’s constitution.

The Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade last year means abortion is no longer a federal right. Individual states must now determine how they want to proceed.

Back in 2022, Ohio was one of several states that had a trigger law automatically take effect following the SCOTUS ruling, banning abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy. A Democrat judge in Cincinnati—Christian Jenkins—swiftly issued an indefinite injunction against the law in October, leaving the debate in limbo.

What Happens Now?

Ohio voters are faced with two choices at the ballot box to settle the issue: One in August and one in November.

The first vote—Ohio Issue 1—was organized by the Republican-controlled legislature and aims to change the process for amending the state constitution, raising the threshold from a simple majority (51 percent) to 60 percent.

Why does that matter? Because in November voters will decide on a second ballot initiative guaranteeing abortion “rights” in the state constitution.

In other words, if the August Yes on 1 vote fails, it will only take a simple majority in November to make Ohio’s abortion standards match those of California and New York. Is that what Ohioans want?

Media Attacks

With so much at stake, both measures have received a great deal of media attention.

MSNBC called the amendment threshold vote an extremist “trick” orchestrated by Republicans to keep abortion regulated. The Hill ran a piece earlier this month claiming nearly 60 percent of Ohio voters back the pro-abortion amendment.

CBS News wrote an article accusing Republicans of “targeting” abortion access and framed the August vote as a clever way to “circumvent” the GOP-led legislature and Supreme Court.

There is merit to protecting state Constitutions from potentially frivolous amendments.

Even if the August vote were to fail, abortion would remain legal up to 22 weeks, until the November vote; or until the courts make a final decision on the 6-week ban currently in limbo.

Leftist groups don’t care about local values; they want to circumvent the Supreme Court’s clear ruling in Dobbs. The right to life is the real issue here. Take it from Naomi Del Guidice, state director for Catholic outreach, who recently said of Issue 1:

If abortion is added to the Ohio Constitution this November, 30,000 Ohio children will be killed by abortion every year into the future . . . Passing Issue 1 on August 8 is our best strategy to protect the preborn and prevent abortion from being added to the Ohio Constitution.

Our Lady of Fatima predicted today’s battle over the family and implored us to pray the Holy Rosary daily to defend against the evil of our times . . . It is imperative that we unite in person to pray for the preborn, our families, and our state, and vote YES on Issue 1 on August 8th.

If U.S. voters want to protect the sanctity of life, they will need to push for higher thresholds to change their state Constitutions.

Democrats know they can’t pass their pro-choice bills via simple federal legislation, so their plan B is to force their will onto moderate areas of the country.

If you believe in the right to life and don’t want major decisions to be enacted by the narrowest of margins, spread the word to vote yes on “Ohio Issue 1.”

Check out our podcast interview with Attorney Mark Weaver on why “Saving Ohio’s Constitution with Ballot Issue 1” is crucial to the state’s success.