A coalition of abortionists and pro-choice activists have announced their intent to file a ballot initiative to insert legalized abortion in the Ohio Constitution.
The group called Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom is a group formed by the left-leaning organizations the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio, Abortion Fund of Ohio, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, and others.
Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom announced Thursday, that it has hired Mission Control, a consulting group that helped Kansas and Kentucky voters defeat pro-life amendments, to oversee their campaign strategy to place a measure on the ballot to amend the Ohio Constitution to allow for abortions.
“Mission Control, Inc., brings an unparalleled depth of knowledge and valued experience to Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom, and their expertise will foster a winning, sustainable campaign,” Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom said.
The group states it has finished the initial language drafting and is now conducting extensive qualitative and quantitative research and message testing. It intends to submit language to the Ohio Attorney General‘s office by the end of February.
Ohio’s largest Christian public policy organization, the Center for Christian Virtue (CCV), is working in collaboration with pro-life allies throughout the state including the Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio, Ohio Right to Life, Ohio Christian Alliance, Created Equal, and others to prepare to fight the upcoming ballot initiative.
“This is a fight for the lives of future Ohioans. We cannot allow the abortion industry to continue to exploit women and profit off their pain. Already, the pro-life community is uniting and we will defeat this deadly political move by the abortion industry,” CCV President Aaron Baer said.
According to Baer, Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom’s ballot initiative is destined for failure just like their 2022 state court lawsuit to create a right to abortion was.
“The ACLU believes it’s okay to take the life of a fully developed child in his or her mother’s womb and Planned Parenthood wants to keep profiting off it. But just like their half-baked lawsuit in state court to create a right to abortion, this ballot initiative is doomed to fail,” Baer said.
Ohio Right to Life’s CEO Peter Range agrees with Baer’s sentiment.
“At six weeks, a baby’s heart starts beating; at 15 weeks, he or she can feel pain in the womb. Ohio is a pro-life state, and we believe in the value and beauty of every human life. Any attempt to change Ohio’s Constitution by these large out-of-state abortion groups will ultimately fail here in Ohio. We respect the dignity of both mother and child in the Buckeye State,” Range said.
Baer also urges Ohio lawmakers to move quickly to pass State Representatives Brian Stewart‘s (R-Ashville) and Derek Merrin‘s (R-Monclova) joint resolution to increase the threshold to amend the Constitution to 60 percent.
“We also cannot allow liberal and pro-abortion special interests to attempt to buy their way into Ohio’s Constitution. Every pro-life lawmaker must move quickly to pass Representative Brian Stewart and Leader of House Republicans Derek Merrin’s Joint Resolution to increase the threshold to amend the Constitution to 60 percent,” Baer said.
On Wednesday, Stewart and Merrin, along with 30-plus GOP co-sponsors, re-submitted the “Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment” which aims to require support from at least 60 percent of voters rather than a simple majority to pass future proposed amendments that lawmakers introduced last legislative session.
Stewart has noted his intent to have the issue on the May ballot, which would mean legislators would need to approve the resolution by February 1st for that to happen.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Woman at Hospital” by Pavel Danilyuk.
