Ohio Republican lawmakers are once again attempting to overturn the recent decision by Ohioans to enshrine abortion protections in the state Constitution. Despite multiple failed attempts to block the referendum, known as Issue 1, Republicans are now trying a different approach to prevent the new amendment from taking effect.
In a press release, Republican state representatives announced their intention to remove jurisdiction from the judiciary over the ambiguous ballot initiative. They argued that the Ohio legislature alone should have the authority to consider modifications to existing laws based on public hearings and input from legal experts on both sides.
It is worth noting that the new amendment, scheduled to take effect on December 7, does not automatically implement abortion protections. Each individual abortion restriction must be repealed by a court. Ohio currently has numerous restrictions in place, such as banning certain abortion procedures, requiring a 24-hour waiting period, biased counseling, prohibiting state-based insurance from covering abortion services, and mandating parental or judicial consent for minors seeking an abortion.
Ohio Republicans, according to abortion reporter Jessica Valenti, are seeking to avoid the courts repealing these restrictions. Instead, they want the GOP-controlled state legislature to have the power to decide whether to repeal them.
In their press release, lawmakers also attempted to blame “foreign billionaires” for interfering in the election and influencing the outcome in favor of abortion rights. However, it is important to note that right-wing billionaires and organizations from within the country donated millions of dollars in an attempt to block Issue 1.
This is not the first time Ohio Republicans have disregarded the will of the people. In August, they attempted to raise the threshold for constitutional amendments to a 60 percent vote instead of a simple majority. When that effort failed, the Ohio Ballot Board, along party lines, changed the text of the amendment on the ballot to a Republican-authored summary filled with inflammatory and fearmongering language.
This pattern of Republicans refusing to accept the results of elections on abortion poses a significant threat to local democracy. In Kansas, despite residents voting overwhelmingly to preserve abortion rights in the state Constitution, the state legislature is still pushing for laws that would restrict access. Similarly, in Wisconsin, after voters elected a state Supreme Court judge primarily due to her support for abortion access, state Republicans attempted to impeach her.
