Pro-abortion advocates, who have not had success in expanding abortion through the elected Legislature, are trying to do just that in November. Ohioans will vote on a Nov. 7 referendum that proposes amending the constitution to declare “every individual has a right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions.”
The proposed pro-abortion amendment would only allow the state to regulate abortion once the child is “viable.” This usually occurs at about 24 weeks, but the amendment language allows the treating physician, who will oftentimes be the abortionist, to determine whether the unborn child is viable on a case-by-case basis. The amendment also does not establish an age limit for this right, which some fear would strip away parental rights when a minor is seeking an abortion.
Those urging a yes vote on the Aug. 8 Issue 1 ballot initiative, such as pro-life groups, argue that raising the threshold would make such efforts more difficult and put up safeguards to prevent out-of-state money from being used to hijack the ballot initiative process in Ohio.
“Passing Issue 1 may be the only move left to stop the abortion lobby from enshrining state-sanctioned murder into our constitution,” Elizabeth Marbach, a spokesperson for Ohio Right to Life, told CNA.
“Lives [are] on the line, and they depend on every one of us to get to vote yes tomorrow on Issue 1,” Marbach said. “By raising the threshold, we not only protect the right to life … this November but we send a clear message that our constitution is not for sale.”
The pro-life organization Protect Women Ohio funded a last-minute advertisement push last week that also encouraged Ohioans to vote yes on Issue 1.