Posted February 21, 20232 yr The sponsors are trying to get this amendment to the Ohio Constitution on the ballot in November. I’m not sure how they get it through the convoluted process we have here in that amount of time. I think the wording here is a reasonable compromise and is highly likely to pass. I look forward to voting for this whenever it finally gets to the ballot When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
February 28, 20232 yr Ohio Amendment for “Right to Reproductive Freedom” Submitted for Review Abortion rights groups preparing to put a constitutional amendment on the Ohio ballot released the proposed language last Tuesday, the same day they sent it to the state Attorney General’s Office for review. Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights and Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom will now await approval of the amendment, starting the signature collection process to bring the amendment to voters in November. The measure would amend Article 1 of the Ohio Constitution to add “the right to reproductive freedom with protections for health and safety,” according to the draft language. “Every individual has a right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to decisions on contraception, fertility treatment, continuing one’s own pregnancy, miscarriage care and abortion,” the proposed amendment states. Legislative measures to prohibit abortion aren’t out of the question, even if the amendment is passed by voters. The draft language allows for abortion “after fetal viability,” which abortion rights group acknowledge is a definition under much debate. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/ohio-amendment-for-right-to-reproductive-freedom-submitted-for-review-ocj1/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 3, 20232 yr Ohio abortion amendment clears first hurdle to make November ballot, AG certifies summary “Proponents of abortion access cleared their first hurdle to make the November 2023 ballot Thursday, but there are no guarantees that Ohioans will vote on the measure later this year. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost certified the initial summary Thursday. The next step is the Ohio Ballot Board, which will decide if the proposal is one issue or needs to be divided into separate amendments.“ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/02/ohio-abortion-amendment-clears-first-hurdle-ag-certifies-summary/69953110007/
March 7, 20232 yr Abortion Fight Continues in Ohio With New Talking Points As abortion rights groups prepare to collect the amount of signatures needed to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot, anti-abortion rights groups may have shed light on statements they plan to use against the initiative. In three separate press releases sent by anti-abortion groups after the Ohio Attorney General approved proposed amendment language, the issue of parental rights came out in strikingly similar fashion as they spoke out against the measure. “If passed, it would cancel parental rights and measures in place to protect young girls; basic health and safety protections for women would be wiped out,” Ohio Right to Life CEO Peter Range was quoted as saying in a Thursday statement. “If passed, this amendment would cancel parental rights and measures in place to protect young girls; basic health and safety protections for women would be wiped out,” read a statement attributed to Mark Harrington, president of Created Equal. “It completely abolishes current Ohio law guaranteeing parental involvement before any abortion is performed on their minor daughter,” said religious lobby Center for Christian Virtue’s Ruth Edmonds, also in an email statement. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/abortion-fight-continues-in-ohio-with-new-talking-points-ocj1/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 13, 20232 yr "COLUMBUS, Ohio—A proposal to enshrine abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution took another step on Monday, clearing the way for supporters to collect the 400,000-plus voter signatures needed to place the measure on the November ballot. The bipartisan Ohio Ballot Board unanimously voted Monday that the proposed amendment contains only a single subject. Under Ohio law, a proposed amendment cannot contain more than one constitutional amendment." https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/03/proposed-ohio-abortion-rights-constitutional-amendment-passes-another-hurdle.html
March 13, 20232 yr On 3/7/2023 at 9:38 AM, ColDayMan said: Abortion Fight Continues in Ohio With New Talking Points As abortion rights groups prepare to collect the amount of signatures needed to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot, anti-abortion rights groups may have shed light on statements they plan to use against the initiative. In three separate press releases sent by anti-abortion groups after the Ohio Attorney General approved proposed amendment language, the issue of parental rights came out in strikingly similar fashion as they spoke out against the measure. “If passed, it would cancel parental rights and measures in place to protect young girls; basic health and safety protections for women would be wiped out,” Ohio Right to Life CEO Peter Range was quoted as saying in a Thursday statement. “If passed, this amendment would cancel parental rights and measures in place to protect young girls; basic health and safety protections for women would be wiped out,” read a statement attributed to Mark Harrington, president of Created Equal. “It completely abolishes current Ohio law guaranteeing parental involvement before any abortion is performed on their minor daughter,” said religious lobby Center for Christian Virtue’s Ruth Edmonds, also in an email statement. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/abortion-fight-continues-in-ohio-with-new-talking-points-ocj1/ Basic bodily autonomy opposed by something called the Center for Christian Virtue is some real dystopian type stuff. Nice state we have here.
March 13, 20232 yr Author 1 hour ago, bumsquare said: Basic bodily autonomy opposed by something called the Center for Christian Virtue is some real dystopian type stuff. Nice state we have here. The criticisms are brutal, but the good news is that the amendment is highly likely to pass, and probably by a sizable margin. The important thing is to find out where to sign the petition and then get out and vote for it in November. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
March 13, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, Boomerang_Brian said: The criticisms are brutal, but the good news is that the amendment is highly likely to pass, and probably by a sizable margin. The important thing is to find out where to sign the petition and then get out and vote for it in November. Is it typical for these initiatives to publicize where they will be collecting signatures? Because I definitely want to get my name on it, but I could understand why they wouldn’t want to put that information out on the net, too.
March 13, 20232 yr I often see petition circulators outside of public libraries, particularly Whetstone (but I imagine they go to all of them) Edited March 13, 20232 yr by NW24HX
March 13, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, NW24HX said: I often see petition circulators outside of public libraries, particularly Whetstone (but I imagine they go to all of them) Thanks!
March 14, 20232 yr Author 17 hours ago, amped91 said: Is it typical for these initiatives to publicize where they will be collecting signatures? Because I definitely want to get my name on it, but I could understand why they wouldn’t want to put that information out on the net, too. They were quite public with the initial round of signature gathering. This next round requires a lot more signatures, so I expect an even larger outreach effort. I haven’t seen signature location info yet, but I’m sure there will be more info soon. It only got the approval to go on to this next phase yesterday. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
March 14, 20232 yr 21 hours ago, amped91 said: Is it typical for these initiatives to publicize where they will be collecting signatures? Because I definitely want to get my name on it, but I could understand why they wouldn’t want to put that information out on the net, too. In addition to libraries, I would also check public squares of the big three (Public Square, Fountain Square) and outside major public marketplaces like the Westside Market or Findlay Market during market days.
March 15, 20232 yr If it can be interpreted to prohibit restricting abortions past the first trimester it will fail, as it should. Unfortunately, writers of initiatives often get overambitious.
March 15, 20232 yr Abortions after the first trimester are typically because of a health issue with the mother/unborn. A miscarriage requires an abortion. Unfortunately, Republicans have created restrictions so heinous that it puts all pregnant women at risk of running afoul of the law. Making sure that abortions aren't restricted is a good thing an will save lives.
March 15, 20232 yr Author 3 hours ago, E Rocc said: If it can be interpreted to prohibit restricting abortions past the first trimester it will fail, as it should. Unfortunately, writers of initiatives often get overambitious. We know that many actors of the anti-abortion movement will lie about this bill and the ramifications - that has been standard procedure for the anti-abortion movement for decades. They may be successful with those lies and cause this amendment to fail. That said, I’m relatively confident that the amendment will be correctly perceived as codifying Roe, with more explicit protections for the pregnant person, and therefore will pass comfortably. Voters know that Republican politicians have gone WAY beyond the median person’s beliefs and recognize the tremendous harm of the types of restrictions R’s have been passing. Pregnant women are dying because of these laws. I think it’s going to pass and I also think this effort could provide a model for instituting common sense policy on other other issues that our gerrymandered, party-primary built state legislature keeps mucking up. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
March 17, 20232 yr I’ve already seen these disgusting ads airing on local networks in Columbus 😤 Abortion opponents launch $5M in ads over parental consent to fight proposed Ohio amendment “As proponents of abortion access start collecting signatures for a possible constitutional amendment, opponents announced a $5 million ad campaign to fight it. The new group, Protect Women Ohio, was formed in February to fight the abortion ballot campaign. Its board members include representatives from the Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio, the Center for Christian Virtue and Ohio Right to Life. On Wednesday, Protect Women Ohio announced a $5 million television and digital ad campaign over the next four weeks. The ad features a mother worried that the proposed constitutional amendment would eliminate parental consent before her daughter has an abortion or has a medical procedure for transgender youth. The proposed Ohio amendment prevents the state from directly or indirectly interfering with an individual's reproductive decisions, ranging from contraception and fertility treatment to miscarriage care and abortion.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/15/ohio-abortion-opponents-launch-5m-in-ads-over-parental-consent/70011611007/
March 18, 20232 yr Website with petition locations updated daily. https://www.mobilize.us/protectchoiceohio/
March 19, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, freefourur said: Website with petition locations updated daily. https://www.mobilize.us/protectchoiceohio/ That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing
March 19, 20232 yr “Protect Women Ohio” Jesus Christ these right wing freaks have a real sense of irony.
March 22, 20232 yr Proposal to make it harder to amend Ohio Constitution could make August ballot, pre-empting abortion-rights amendment in November https://www.cleveland.com/open/2023/03/proposal-to-make-it-harder-to-amend-ohio-constitution-could-make-august-ballot-pre-empting-abortion-rights-amendment-in-november.html Quote “After decades of Republicans’ work to make Ohio a pro-life state, the Left intends to write abortion on demand into Ohio’s Constitution,” Stewart wrote. “If they succeed all the work accomplished by multiple Republican majorities will be undone, and we will return to the 19,000+ babies being aborted each year.” Translation: we don't want the voters of the state to decide. We want the gerrymandered legislature to decide. GOP: If you can't win by the rules, just change the rules.
March 22, 20232 yr Author 17 minutes ago, freefourur said: Proposal to make it harder to amend Ohio Constitution could make August ballot, pre-empting abortion-rights amendment in November https://www.cleveland.com/open/2023/03/proposal-to-make-it-harder-to-amend-ohio-constitution-could-make-august-ballot-pre-empting-abortion-rights-amendment-in-november.html Translation: we don't want the voters of the state to decide. We want the gerrymandered legislature to decide. GOP: If you can't win by the rules, just change the rules. I’m somewhat “eh” on this - the change will obviously be about preventing abortion rights, and therefore is likely to fail at the ballot, even in a special election. Abortion rights advocates are motivated voters, and making these things single issue votes mean it is more likely that the abortion-rights position will win. It’s annoying, but it’s a manageable headwind. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
March 22, 20232 yr 3 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said: I’m somewhat “eh” on this - the change will obviously be about preventing abortion rights, and therefore is likely to fail at the ballot, even in a special election. Abortion rights advocates are motivated voters, and making these things single issue votes mean it is more likely that the abortion-rights position will win. It’s annoying, but it’s a manageable headwind. It also makes fixing gerrymandering a lot harder, and gives the legislature almost no reason to ever compromise.
March 22, 20232 yr 3 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said: I’m somewhat “eh” on this - the change will obviously be about preventing abortion rights, and therefore is likely to fail at the ballot, even in a special election. Abortion rights advocates are motivated voters, and making these things single issue votes mean it is more likely that the abortion-rights position will win. It’s annoying, but it’s a manageable headwind. Don't vote to restrict your own freedom. It makes it harder to get any public issue passed, like gerrymandering reform. This should be a hard no, not "meh".
March 22, 20232 yr Just now, Mendo said: Don't vote to restrict your own freedom. It makes it harder to get any public issue passed, like gerrymandering reform. This should be a hard no, not "meh". This amendment would definitely remove power from citizens and give more authority to the legislative body. That's the opposing message at this attempt. Don't let the legislature take away the power of the citizens.
March 22, 20232 yr Author 2 hours ago, ryanlammi said: It also makes fixing gerrymandering a lot harder, and gives the legislature almost no reason to ever compromise. 2 hours ago, Mendo said: Don't vote to restrict your own freedom. It makes it harder to get any public issue passed, like gerrymandering reform. This should be a hard no, not "meh". 2 hours ago, freefourur said: This amendment would definitely remove power from citizens and give more authority to the legislative body. That's the opposing message at this attempt. Don't let the legislature take away the power of the citizens. Ha, clearly I didn’t articulate my point very well. I’m “eh” on what they are doing because I’m confident that the increased threshold proposal will fail miserably, therefore reinforcing our rights as Ohioans to directly change laws. I fully agree that it is EXTREMELY important that we get out and vote No on this stupid proposal, I’m just quite confident the No’s will win because it’s so clearly attached to abortion rights (and the gerrymandering issue, as Ryan pointed out). When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
March 22, 20232 yr 17 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said: Ha, clearly I didn’t articulate my point very well. I’m “eh” on what they are doing because I’m confident that the increased threshold proposal will fail miserably, therefore reinforcing our rights as Ohioans to directly change laws. I fully agree that it is EXTREMELY important that we get out and vote No on this stupid proposal, I’m just quite confident the No’s will win because it’s so clearly attached to abortion rights (and the gerrymandering issue, as Ryan pointed out). Right, but the fact that Republicans are even attempting this, whether or not it has a chance of passing, is a problem. Failing to subvert democracy shouldn't be cause for celebration, it should make us all angry that it's even being tried.
March 22, 20232 yr I'm not confident at all this measure would fail. I find it more likely to pass than anything.
March 23, 20232 yr Author 1 hour ago, Mendo said: I'm not confident at all this measure would fail. I find it more likely to pass than anything. I realize that it’s easy to be pessimistic when living in Ohio, but I think there is reason for optimism on this issue. Voters don’t generally vote directly to reduce their own rights. Furthermore, keep in mind that the state anti-gerrymander amendment in 2015 got 71.5% of the vote and 2018 Congressional district anti-gerrymander amendment got nearly 75% of the vote. The fact that Republican “leaders” blatantly violated this constitutional amendment shouldn’t undermine the clarity that voters had on a yes/no vote. (If anything, that situation makes a strong case for simplifying the voter-initiative process, not making it harder. If we had been able to adopt the original voter initiative, instead of compromising and accepting the watered-down version from the legislature, we’d currently have an independent redistricting commission and we would have avoided this whole gerrymandered mess.) My main takeaway from the above is that when directly voting on voter rights, voters will overwhelmingly vote to keep their rights. And when directly voting on abortion rights, voters will vote to keep abortion rights. Both of these issues have been presented in straightforward amendments that will be difficult for the forced-birth advocates to obfuscate. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
March 23, 20232 yr 3 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said: I realize that it’s easy to be pessimistic when living in Ohio, but I think there is reason for optimism on this issue. Voters don’t generally vote directly to reduce their own rights. Furthermore, keep in mind that the state anti-gerrymander amendment in 2015 got 71.5% of the vote and 2018 Congressional district anti-gerrymander amendment got nearly 75% of the vote. The fact that Republican “leaders” blatantly violated this constitutional amendment shouldn’t undermine the clarity that voters had on a yes/no vote. (If anything, that situation makes a strong case for simplifying the voter-initiative process, not making it harder. If we had been able to adopt the original voter initiative, instead of compromising and accepting the watered-down version from the legislature, we’d currently have an independent redistricting commission and we would have avoided this whole gerrymandered mess.) My main takeaway from the above is that when directly voting on voter rights, voters will overwhelmingly vote to keep their rights. And when directly voting on abortion rights, voters will vote to keep abortion rights. Both of these issues have been presented in straightforward amendments that will be difficult for the forced-birth advocates to obfuscate. This is the true worry. They ignored the will of the voters and the constitutional amendment and just did whatever they wanted and won. Let's say this amendment fails and a later abortion rights measure passes. What exactly prevents Republicans from just ignoring the results of both when they've already shown they can get away with doing so with no consequences?
March 23, 20232 yr Author 7 hours ago, jonoh81 said: This is the true worry. They ignored the will of the voters and the constitutional amendment and just did whatever they wanted and won. Let's say this amendment fails and a later abortion rights measure passes. What exactly prevents Republicans from just ignoring the results of both when they've already shown they can get away with doing so with no consequences? That’s fair and I understand the concern. From my perspective, the issue with the anti-gerrymandering amendment is that the legislature was able to water it down and word it in such a way that they could circumvent. If the original voter led version had been adopted, it would have been MUCH harder for them to violate. The language of the abortion rights amendment is simple and straightforward. It will be extremely difficult to purposefully misinterpret. When we consider law and the courts as a whole, there are aspects that we rightfully disagree with courts’ interpretations; however, overwhelmingly judges follow the law and established precedent, even when they personally disagree. We have to maintain hope! Remember, we are in the majority on this issue. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
March 23, 20232 yr Agree with the above. The abortion rights group will just push for votes on two referendums in Ohio. I'm not going to get complacent, but I'm confident (right now) that the August special ballot fails.
March 24, 20232 yr Author I’m not convinced that they will even get the stupid 60% amendment on the ballot in August. Speaker Stephens is pushing back. For anyone who was whining about Dem Reps helping Stephens get the Speakership, here’s a good example of why that was a good idea. We’re not going to like many of his policy positions and we shouldn’t pretend he’s a moderate, but at least D’s can work with him and there’s agreement on certain important issues. If Merrin had won, so many things would be worse. “Ohio's legislative leaders are split over whether to put a proposal to make it harder to pass constitutional amendments before voters in an August primary. So it's unclear what the next move is for Republicans who are hoping to stop a reproductive rights amendment that voters may see in November from being successful. Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said he supports a bill introduced by two Republican senators that could allow an August special election on a resolution to require 60% voter approval to amend the constitution. But House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said he doesn't want to hold one less than a year after a law was passed to eliminate most August elections.” When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
March 24, 20232 yr Author I appreciate that Sen Pres Matt Huffman is explicitly connecting the stupid 60% amendment to the abortion rights amendment. The more clear the connection is to voters, the more likely the 60% thing will fail. Quite frankly I think that even without the implications on protecting abortion rights, the 60% thing would fail. There just isn’t any evidence that the existing process is “too easy”. We’ve got a bunch of examples of “special interest” proposals and amendments going down in flames with the current rules. “But Senate president Matt Huffman is calculating the question differently, and to him, the math adds up. Huffman’s take “If we save 30,000 lives as a result of spending $20 million, I think that’s a great thing,” Huffman told reporters after a Senate session Thursday. “Now I know a lot of people don’t look at it that way, but that’s the way I look at it.” His comments are an explicit connection between efforts to raise the threshold for amending the constitution and undermining an abortion rights amendment. Organizers are currently gathering signatures for that proposal and hope to have it on the ballot this November.” When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
March 24, 20232 yr 5 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said: I appreciate that Sen Pres Matt Huffman is explicitly connecting the stupid 60% amendment to the abortion rights amendment. The more clear the connection is to voters, the more likely the 60% thing will fail. Quite frankly I think that even without the implications on protecting abortion rights, the 60% thing would fail. There just isn’t any evidence that the existing process is “too easy”. We’ve got a bunch of examples of “special interest” proposals and amendments going down in flames with the current rules. “But Senate president Matt Huffman is calculating the question differently, and to him, the math adds up. Huffman’s take “If we save 30,000 lives as a result of spending $20 million, I think that’s a great thing,” Huffman told reporters after a Senate session Thursday. “Now I know a lot of people don’t look at it that way, but that’s the way I look at it.” His comments are an explicit connection between efforts to raise the threshold for amending the constitution and undermining an abortion rights amendment. Organizers are currently gathering signatures for that proposal and hope to have it on the ballot this November.” He's also pretty much saying that he doesn't care if people disagree with his position, and that he believes he should fully force his personal morality onto the general public and not even give them an opportunity to vote on the matter. Pretty sure that's not democracy. Edited March 24, 20232 yr by jonoh81
April 1, 20232 yr A woman was on Court Street in Cincinnati today collecting signatures in the rain and people were lining up to sign the petition. People seemed to already know about it and have strong support. Power to the people.
April 2, 20232 yr "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 2, 20232 yr Author Now we have Ohio “Right to Life” leaders connecting the 60% threshold amendment to abortion restrictions. I appreciate these rare instances of honesty from them - again, the more clear the connection, the more likely the 60% amendment will fail. (I think it would fail anyway, but the obvious connection makes it even more likely to fail.) When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
April 2, 20232 yr ^LOL, what would he argue, if the Ohio constitution guaranteed abortion rights, and he wanted to chamge it?
May 9, 20232 yr Potential August Election Could Decide Fate of Abortion Rights in Ohio This Fall Supporters of the push to make it a lot harder for voters to amend the Ohio Constitution have given many, sometimes-inconsistent reasons for wanting to do it. But clearly a major one is to try to block an abortion-rights amendment that is currently in the works. To pull off the maneuver, abortion opponents are trying to partially repeal a ban on August elections they passed just months ago so they can put the amendment on the ballot in a low-turnout contest. But the last time anti-abortion groups tried something like that it blew up in their faces — in a state that is considerably more conservative than Ohio. In the face of intense public opposition, Ohio House Republicans are coming down to the wire as they decide whether to put a measure on the August ballot that would raise the portion of votes needed to pass a constitutional amendment from 50% to 60%. It also would make it far harder for voters to get amendments on the ballot by requiring that a certain number of the already-huge number signatures needed come from each of Ohio’s 88 counties. That’s twice as many as the current 44. There are constituencies beyond the anti-abortion movement behind the effort to restrict access to the state Constitution. The Ohio Restaurant Association is supporting it as efforts gather steam to pass an amendment raising the state minimum wage to $15 an hour. The Buckeye Firearms Association, which fears gun-control amendments, is backing it as well. And there are legislative Republicans worried that a tighter anti-gerrymandering amendment will be passed after a GOP-dominated redistricting commission ignored seven state Supreme Court rulings saying the congressional and legislative maps it adopted violated earlier amendments that had passed with more than 70% of the vote. But fear of an abortion-rights amendment is also a powerful part of the coalition behind the push to lock down the state Constitution. Ohio Right to Life supports the effort, and one of the effort’s leaders, Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, last year told colleagues that stopping an abortion-rights amendment was one of his main purposes. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/potential-august-election-could-decide-fate-of-abortion-rights-in-ohio-this-fall-ocj1/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 10, 20232 yr 19 hours ago, ColDayMan said: Potential August Election Could Decide Fate of Abortion Rights in Ohio This Fall Supporters of the push to make it a lot harder for voters to amend the Ohio Constitution have given many, sometimes-inconsistent reasons for wanting to do it. But clearly a major one is to try to block an abortion-rights amendment that is currently in the works. To pull off the maneuver, abortion opponents are trying to partially repeal a ban on August elections they passed just months ago so they can put the amendment on the ballot in a low-turnout contest. But the last time anti-abortion groups tried something like that it blew up in their faces — in a state that is considerably more conservative than Ohio. In the face of intense public opposition, Ohio House Republicans are coming down to the wire as they decide whether to put a measure on the August ballot that would raise the portion of votes needed to pass a constitutional amendment from 50% to 60%. It also would make it far harder for voters to get amendments on the ballot by requiring that a certain number of the already-huge number signatures needed come from each of Ohio’s 88 counties. That’s twice as many as the current 44. There are constituencies beyond the anti-abortion movement behind the effort to restrict access to the state Constitution. The Ohio Restaurant Association is supporting it as efforts gather steam to pass an amendment raising the state minimum wage to $15 an hour. The Buckeye Firearms Association, which fears gun-control amendments, is backing it as well. And there are legislative Republicans worried that a tighter anti-gerrymandering amendment will be passed after a GOP-dominated redistricting commission ignored seven state Supreme Court rulings saying the congressional and legislative maps it adopted violated earlier amendments that had passed with more than 70% of the vote. But fear of an abortion-rights amendment is also a powerful part of the coalition behind the push to lock down the state Constitution. Ohio Right to Life supports the effort, and one of the effort’s leaders, Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, last year told colleagues that stopping an abortion-rights amendment was one of his main purposes. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/potential-august-election-could-decide-fate-of-abortion-rights-in-ohio-this-fall-ocj1/ Of course the GOP wants to change the rules. They don't want people to have a say - not just on this issue, but anything. However, even Kansas voted overwhelmingly to support abortion rights. You would think that the GOP would recognize that this is a loser for them, but they can't help themselves. Because of gerrymandering and right wing media, they live in a bubble.
May 10, 20232 yr 2 hours ago, ohpenn said: Of course the GOP wants to change the rules. They don't want people to have a say - not just on this issue, but anything. However, even Kansas voted overwhelmingly to support abortion rights. You would think that the GOP would recognize that this is a loser for them, but they can't help themselves. Because of gerrymandering and right wing media, they live in a bubble. They know it's unpopular, which is why they are engaging in anti-democratic tactics like this. It's not about the will of the people, it's about enforcing a specific form of Christian nationalism on everyone.
May 10, 20232 yr 1 minute ago, jonoh81 said: They know it's unpopular, which is why they are engaging in anti-democratic tactics like this. It's not about the will of the people, it's about enforcing a specific form of Christian nationalism on everyone. That's the thing though, they aren't Christian. Their policies are counter to that of the Gospel. They are like Archie Bunker. They wouldn't know what Jesus said if it were readily available in a book that was discussed every Sunday. They like the branding and cosplay though.
May 23, 20232 yr Ohio Abortion Clinics Remain Busy Despite Political Turmoil Abortion clinics in Ohio are still serving patients, and in some cases are as busy as ever, according to administrators. Nevertheless, the clinics and abortion service centers are still recovering not only from the abortion ban that cut their services before it was tied up in court battles, but also from the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re suffering from some of the same challenges that most health care facilities have, which is significant numbers of staff leaving,” said Dr. Adarsh Krishen, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. PPGO’s clinics expanded to telehealth to help with pandemic-era care, and Krishen said the facilities continue to provide care, along with patient navigators who help with everything from financial assessments to transportation and hotel services should the patient need to go to another state for care. “The call center has been ringing off the hook,” Krishen said. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/ohio-abortion-clinics-remain-busy-despite-political-turmoil-ocj1/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 24, 20232 yr Abortion Rights are Popular, But Ohio GOP Willing to Change Voting Rules to Win Earlier this month the Ohio Republican Party central committee met in a downtown Columbus ballroom. The state party has a lot to celebrate. Republicans across the country underwhelmed in 2022, but not in Ohio. The GOP carried the big-ticket statewide races, won every state supreme court race and two ballot measures. But the prevailing mood was a cocktail of triumphalism, frustration, and fear. Plenty of committee members took a victory lap, but their boasts were often framed as a warning. “We’ve changed this state from purple to red,” David Glass said as he cautioned fellow members that a “right to work” platform would threaten that success. Echoing Glass, LeeAnn Johnson, wife of Congressman Bill Johnson, described moving to a solid blue Mahoning County in 2006. “I have watched this region turn slowly into a very red, very Republican, very pro-Trump district,” she argued. “And we have had so much support from the trades from the unions and placing this plank in our platform is going to ostracize the very people that worked hard to get President Trump elected in Ohio.” On a state supreme court endorsement proposal one member insisted, “we must endorse today, we absolutely have to.” Even the primary election in that race is still a year out. But other members justified the urgency by warning that Democrats — who they handily defeated about six months ago — are already campaigning. That sense of precariousness — that Republicans’ success rests on a knife’s edge — may reveal a lot about the supermajority ballot measure likely headed for the August ballot. An abortion rights amendment might go to voters in November. But rather than fight that on the merits, Republicans are doing it the hard way — forcing a debate over how to amend the constitution that threatens to alienate traditional allies and drive a wedge further into the party’s Statehouse supermajority. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/abortion-rights-are-popular-but-ohio-gop-willing-to-change-voting-rules-to-win-ocj1/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 24, 20231 yr Super annoyed that, in typical fashion, the No on 1 folks have dropped the ball on getting ads and yard signs out. I’ve started seeing Yes on 1 signs pop up in rural areas (ugh) and still haven’t seen where I can buy No on 1 stuff yet. “To an Ohio resident - wherever he lives - some other part of his state seems unreal.”
June 26, 20231 yr Signatures Being Gathered in Ohio for Abortion Rights on November Ballot Less than two weeks until the deadline, Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights is saying abortion right advocates will get the signatures needed to put a measure on the November ballot that would enshrine abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution. Abortion advocates attempting to get the amendment on the ballot need to collect 413,000 signatures by July 5. “The signature gathering effort has been going very well and we are on track to be successful,” Dr. Lauren Beene, OPRR co-founder and general pediatrician in Northeast Ohio, said Thursday during a media call. “We will have reached our goals to be able to submit before the deadline coming up in July.” OPRR said they were unable to quantify how many signatures have been gathered so far because the number constantly changes. “We’re actually in the verification and counting phase right now,” Beene said. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/signatures-being-gathered-in-ohio-for-abortion-rights-on-november-ballot-ocj1/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 6, 20231 yr On 6/24/2023 at 7:57 AM, BigDipper 80 said: Super annoyed that, in typical fashion, the No on 1 folks have dropped the ball on getting ads and yard signs out. I’ve started seeing Yes on 1 signs pop up in rural areas (ugh) and still haven’t seen where I can buy No on 1 stuff yet. I'm with ya on this. FWIW (and NEO specific) but Cleveland Heights dems are selling Vote No signs for $5. I haven't gotten mine yet but worth reaching out to them to see what local sources you might have.
July 6, 20231 yr Author On 6/24/2023 at 7:57 AM, BigDipper 80 said: Super annoyed that, in typical fashion, the No on 1 folks have dropped the ball on getting ads and yard signs out. I’ve started seeing Yes on 1 signs pop up in rural areas (ugh) and still haven’t seen where I can buy No on 1 stuff yet. 4 minutes ago, GISguy said: I'm with ya on this. FWIW (and NEO specific) but Cleveland Heights dems are selling Vote No signs for $5. I haven't gotten mine yet but worth reaching out to them to see what local sources you might have. I saw “No on 1” all over Columbus, Westerville, and Upper Arlington this week. I haven’t seen any in northeast Ohio yet, but I haven’t been driving around home much. Someone is distributing them. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
