How Republicans Are Trying To Stop Voters Talking About Abortion | Abortion

〇hio hopes to replicate a string of victories on abortion rights. He fears being blocked by Republican lawmakers who are trying to make it harder to pass a citizen-led constitutional amendment.

Since the Roe v. Wade case was overturned this summer, a ballot initiative put forward directly to voters has proven to be a winning strategy for abortion rights activists. 6 referendums Favorable results for pro-choice defenders.

in Ohio, Republicans want to introduce their own bill, Threshold for success of ballot initiative up to 60%, from simple majority currently required to amend state constitutions.

“The instinct of conservative legislators to make it harder for voters to decide on the core issues that matter most to them is basically an attack on voting rights,” said the organization that supports progressives. says Kelly Hall, Executive Director of the Fairness Project. Red and Purple State Vote Initiative. “These lawmakers know their ideological views are not aligned with the electorate. [and] They are trying to change the rules of the game. ”

Not all states allow constitutional amendments, but of the 17 states that do, Florida is the only state with a 60% threshold. All other states require a simple majority. Arizona requires a 60% threshold for amendments affecting tax policy.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose justified the Republican effort to “protect the Ohio Constitution from continued abuse by special interests and out-of-state activists.” It’s unclear if a Republican bill to change the threshold will pass.

Meanwhile, abortion rights activists are rushing Bring the issue to the electorate. Currently, he has a six-week abortion ban pending in an Ohio court, while he has a 22-week ban in effect.new york times poll earlier this year 52% of Ohioans suggest that abortion should be mostly legal, while a recent poll suggests 59.1% of registered Ohio voters. would vote to secure abortion rights in state constitutions.

Last week, two groups announced plans to bring two initiatives I am asking voters whether to codify abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution.

One campaign is led by Ohio’s Protect Choice, a new group led by over 1,000 doctors.Another was announced by the Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom, Coalition including ACLU and Planned Parenthood. The two groups differ in when they put their ballots in front of voters.

60% threshold Limit the power of citizens to make corrections in all areas, not just abortion.

Rachel Sweet, who has successfully campaigned against anti-abortion votes in Kansas and Kentucky, said she was not surprised by the move, but would secure an abortion rights amendment if it passed. “Having to get to 60% plus 1 is a lot harder than getting to 50% plus 1,” she said.

Republican lawmakers in Ohio aren’t just trying to block citizen-led initiatives to secure abortion rights. Missouri is now We are talking about raising the constitutional amendment threshold to 60% of the vote. The Fairness Project will vote against two similar proposals in South Dakota and Arkansas in 2022, successfully defeating attempts to change voting thresholds.

The group came after five abortion vote initiatives in November in California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana and Vermont produced encouraging results for campaigners who supported the choice. , surveying the news states most important to take similar steps in 2023.

Not all states are a safe bet. Of the 17 states that allow ballot initiatives, some already have strong existing protections against abortion, including California, Michigan, Massachusetts, Montana and Oregon. It will likely focus on states where abortions that allow citizen-led voting are currently under threat, including Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Democratic Party terry pickens manweilerlost the Idaho lieutenant governor race, Shortly after her loss, it announced plans to have an abortion rights vote initiative in the state. There, supporters need signatures from her 6% of voters in at least 18 of her 35 legislative districts in Idaho and at least 6% of voters statewide.

Mike Gonidakis, president of the Ohio chapter of Right to Life, told local news outlets to protect abortions in Ohio regardless of the circumstances under which they occur. The group said it would organize strongly against any vote.

“We are leading and organizing the largest grassroots initiative in Ohio’s history to beat whatever they put to the ballot,” Gonidakis said. reporter.