Ohio voters enshrine abortion as a ‘constitutional right’ in the state

On Tuesday, the majority of voters passed Issue 1 in Ohio, a ballot measure that will enshrine abortion as a “right” in the state constitution, protecting access to abortion throughout pregnancy. The measure passed with approximately 57% of the vote in favor, and 43% against.

With the passage of Issue 1, Ohio’s constitution will include “an individual right to one’s own reproductive medical treatment, including but not limited to abortion” and “allow the state to restrict abortion after fetal viability, except when ‘necessary to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health’.”

‘Health’ has historically been defined so broadly as to allow abortion in nearly any circumstance, including for reasons of “familial” or “financial” health; this was seen in Roe v. Wade‘s partner decision, Doe v. Bolton.

The wording of the amendment was accused of being deceptive, confusing, and vague, making it sound as though state legislators would retain the ability to protect preborn babies from abortion late in pregnancy as most Americans want. However, the amendment left it up to the abortionist — the person profiting financially from the abortion — to decide whether or not the preborn child at risk of abortion is “viable,” an arbitrary term that abortionists have admitted means essentially nothing. This means, based on the abortionist’s subjective definitions of “viability” and “health,” abortion could be committed at any point in pregnancy for any reason in Ohio.

READ: Infant mortality is up for the first time in 20 years. Is incentivizing abortion to blame?

The amendment also protects sexual predators, as it revokes Ohio’s parental notification law regarding abortion. This allows abusers to take their victims for abortions and then continue with the abuse. As Live Action’s Aiding Abusers investigation exposed, the abortion industry, particularly Planned Parenthood, has a history of aiding sexual abusers despite being a mandated reporter of suspected abuse. Children as young as 12 years old were found to be repeatedly abused by adult sexual predators as Planned Parenthood committed abortions on them and returned them to their abusers because, as one staffer said, it was too much of a “hassle” to report the potential crime.

“Big Abortion won, while women, parents, and babies lost,” said Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International. “Women lost common-sense protections. Parents have lost the ability to be involved in a key, and dangerous, component of their child’s medical and emotional health. And babies have been denied their bodily autonomy to grow as God intended. The work of pregnancy help will now be the only thing that can help women from the entrapment of the abortion profiteers.”

Protect Women Ohio stated in an email following the vote (emphasis added):

We know that Issue 1 does not represent Ohio values. It took $35 million in out-of-state funding and ads filled with fear and deceit to push through the most radical abortion agenda in the country. An agenda that will cement late-term abortion in our Constitution, strip parents of their rights, and wipe out health and safety protections for women. This is not the Ohio way, and we are united in our fight against these extreme policies.

Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action, stated in a press release:

The truth will ultimately prevail. The truth always trumps temporary political victories. What is the truth? Human life begins at the moment of fertilization. Abortion is an act of homicidal violence that kills a living human person. A civilized nation prohibits homicide and should, of course, prohibit abortion. A bedrock of our legal system is the equal protection of our laws for every person, regardless of race, age, location, or social status. That guarantee of equal protection is enshrined in our Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment. It is anathemic to vote on the basic human rights of defenseless, unpopular minorities — especially children. In the United States today, preborn children may be the most unpopular minority….

The pro-life movement must adapt to win. We have to throw out the old playbook and dive headfirst into a strategy that can win the hearts and minds of the American people and translate into electoral victory. That strategy starts with fully embracing and educating on the truth. Human life is valuable and must be legally protected. Human life begins at fertilization. Abortion is a murderous act of violence. Embracing the truth with courage is the first step towards the next political victory.

The amendment was backed by heavy hitters in the abortion industry. Reporting reveals that Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, the group behind the ballot measure (comprised of a coalition of organizations including the ACLU of Ohio, Abortion Fund of Ohio, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, and the abortion facility Preterm-Cleveland), raised more than $39.2 million this year through mid-October and spent $26.2 million. More than $28.7 million of the money received came from cash donations since August. Nearly $20 million was spent on television ads in support of the measure.

Some of the largest donors came from out-of-state and included the New York-based Open Society Policy Center (associated with philanthropist George Soros) and the New York-based American Civil Liberties Union. Former NY mayor Michael Bloomberg was also a major donor along with Oklahoma billionaire Lynn Schusterman and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

Now that Issue 1 has passed, Ohio can expect to become an abortion destination, which could mean it will soon welcome sexual abusers who are driving minors across state lines for abortions — just as in the current legal case in which a teen was taken to Oregon from Idaho for an unwanted abortion. Two people have since been arrested for her kidnapping. 

The pro-abortion win could also inspire abortion advocates in other states to draft similar ballot measures to protect abortion there as well.