Abortion Amendment Will Be On Ballot This Fall, Ohio Supreme Court Rules
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Friday, Aug. 11, the Ohio Supreme Court rejected a Republican lawsuit that sought to prevent an abortion rights amendment from being placed on the ballot in the upcoming November election. The decision was unanimous and makes certain that Ohio voters will have the chance to enshrine reproductive freedom within the state constitution.
The conservative plaintiffs behind the case argued that the initiative could not be placed on the ballot because the amendment language did not describe what laws would be repealed if the amendment were to be successful. However, the Republican-controlled state Supreme Court ruled that Ohio law “does not require a petition proposing a constitutional amendment to include the text of an existing statute.”
The victorious ruling follows the resounding defeat of Issue 1 earlier this week, a Republican-backed proposal that would have required constitutional amendments to garner 60% of support from voters — instead of 50% — in order to pass. The proposal was widely seen as an attempt to make passage of the abortion rights amendment more difficult.