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It's just politics. If I lived in Ohio, I probably would have voted "no" (I think), but I also wouldn't vote to enshrine any abortion rights into Ohio's Constitution. The media portrayed this as a referendum on abortion, but it's really two different issues and decisions.
Considering the GOP only decided to hold this vote AFTER the abortion measure made the November ballot, and held this vote in a Special Election in August (a time period they previously said they shouldn't be holding a vote) in order to increase the % needed to pass the abortion measure, it is pretty clear the GOP were the ones that made this issue about abortion. The media just reported on it. Now, it impacts more than just abortion, as it keeps the status quo on how to amend the State Constitution, but make no mistake this was made to be about abortion by the GOP SOS and in the State Legislature, LaRose's own comments on it saying the quiet part out loud made it quite clear
Quote:
"Some people say this is all about abortion. Well, you know what?" LaRose said. "It's 100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution the left wants to jam it in there this coming November."
Issue 1 is "one of the ways we can make sure they aren't successful," LaRose continued.
The ability of majorities of citizens to take action when state legislatures fail to do so or to reverse bad legislation passed by state legislatures should be coveted. Only a few of our states offer this safeguard. What is hard to believe is that 40-some percent of Ohioans are ready to surrender it.
For those who think this gives too much power to the people over the representatives of the rich and powerful - shame on you. And keep in mind that it is no harder to repeal a law or amendment enacted by plebiscite than it was to put it in place should the people so choose at some future date.
Considering the GOP only decided to hold this vote AFTER the abortion measure made the November ballot, and held this vote in a Special Election in August (a time period they previously said they shouldn't be holding a vote) in order to increase the % needed to pass the abortion measure, it is pretty clear the GOP were the ones that made this issue about abortion. The media just reported on it. Now, it impacts more than just abortion, as it keeps the status quo on how to amend the State Constitution, but make no mistake this was made to be about abortion by the GOP SOS and in the State Legislature, LaRose's own comments on it saying the quiet part out loud made it quite clear
I don't disagree with you one bit. It was absolutely political. But, to me, that doesn't change the fact that there were/are two separate elections, with two separate amendments. I likely would have voted "no", last night, if I lived in Ohio. And, I would vote "no" on enshrining abortion into the state constitution.
I don't disagree with you one bit. It was absolutely political. But, to me, that doesn't change the fact that there were/are two separate elections, with two separate amendments. I likely would have voted "no", last night, if I lived in Ohio. And, I would vote "no" on enshrining abortion into the state constitution.
From a legal perspective it was two different issues/votes, but from an intention perspective it was about raising the % needed for the abortion Amendment to pass since the GOP in the state knows the abortion Amendment has majority support. The statements that were made by the supporters of ballot 1, combined with when this vote came about and when the vote was held, (the first August statewide election since the 1920's) makes it obvious. The media made it about abortion, because the supporters of ballot 1 made it about abortion
I don't need to explain anything about any previous votes. I just explained why I feel that a simple majority is not enough, and it doesn't matter what side of any particular issue you are on.
Take away this issue, do you really think that it is a good idea to allow a simple majority vote to change a Constitution?
So what you are saying is that 40% of voters should have veto power over the rest? That doesn't seem quite right to me.
I tend to agree with that 50% is low only because if you cherry pick an issue, give it a murkey explanation, and schedule an election for an inconvenient time- it is feasible a highly motivated minority can cross the 50+1 threshold on an issue that has far from majority support.
TBH- I suspect this went down because Ohio has gerrymandered districts for its own legislature and US House districts so a lot of voters do not want to lose their one opportunity to be check on the state legislature.
That's a fair assessment. It probably should be a bit higher than just a 50% threshold (maybe something like how Texas does it) but the timing of all this was what sunk it. They knew what they were doing.
When it comes down to it, Republicans in the Legislature realized that abortion rights are supported by the voters of the state so they decided to change the threshold at the last minute before the abortion vote. To make it worse, they held the vote during a time they previously were against holding a vote because they were hoping it would bring down turnout to help it pass.
I was thinking about this earlier. If GOP wanted to put some skin in the games since they think 50% is not enough they should have written into this proposition that 60% is required to pass it. Of course it failed by almost 60%.
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