Staff Reports
Get ready for some political drama, folks! In Ohio, voters are heading to the polls on August 8th to decide on a constitutional amendment that could have huge implications for the state. If this thing passes, it’s gonna take a whopping 60% of the vote for any future amendments to the state constitution to become law. Talk about raising the bar!
On Aug. 8, voters in Ohio will head to the polls for an unusually timed constitutional amendment ballot referendum that, if passed, will require that all future amendments to the state constitution reach a 60% threshold in a statewide vote.https://t.co/fGUjoA7iGb
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) July 19, 2023
But here’s the juicy part – this vote is causing some major uproar. Progressive advocacy groups are accusing the politicians behind it of dirty tricks and trying to play with their toys. See, these same groups have submitted a petition to hold a constitutional referendum in November that would make abortion legal all across Ohio. They’re not thrilled about having to meet that 60% threshold.
The current rules in Ohio are pretty relaxed when it comes to amending the state constitution. All you need is a simple majority to make changes. But Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who’s also running for Senate, says that’s just too easy. He thinks the state’s constitution should be harder to change than a lightbulb in a really high ceiling. And honestly, can you blame him?
According to LaRose, activist groups and out-of-state meddlers have figured out they can just waltz in and try to make laws by amending the constitution. That’s not how it’s supposed to work, people! You don’t want your constitution to be changing every time the wind blows. LaRose wants to make sure the state’s farmers and small businesses are protected from all those burdensome regulations out there.
Now, don’t let the Left fool you. They’re saying this amendment is only about abortion, but LaRose says that’s a big fat lie. The amendment doesn’t touch the process for normal legislation referendums, so it’s not some sneaky ploy to silence the pro-choice crowd. No, no, no! This is about protecting farmers, small businesses, and honestly, all things good and conservative in Ohio.
But those sneaky pro-abortion folks aren’t taking this lying down. They say the language of the amendment isn’t clear enough and could lead to all sorts of shenanigans. They’re claiming it would let minors have sex change procedures and get abortions without their parents’ consent. Yikes! That’s not gonna win over the hearts and minds of 60% of Ohioans, now is it?
The group behind the abortion amendment campaign, Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom, didn’t respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment. They did, however, call the proposal to increase the threshold for constitutional amendments “anti-democratic.” They’re basically saying the politicians in Columbus are scared of being held accountable by the majority, which is a bunch of hogwash, if you ask me.
Finally, LaRose has a little chuckle at the irony of it all. He points out that most of the organizations in the coalition supporting the abortion amendment require similar thresholds to change their own bylaws. Ah, hypocrisy at its finest! LaRose thinks Ohio should join the ranks of other states like Illinois, Massachusetts, Florida, and Nevada, and have a higher threshold. It’s time to vote yes on Issue 1 and put Ohio back on the political map!
Oh, the drama in Ohio! Who knew voting on amendments could be so intense? These folks are definitely keeping things interesting. Stay tuned for the showdown on August 8th!
