Protect Women Ohio | Facebook
Protect Women Ohio | Facebook
Protect Women Ohio, a parent coalition against an upcoming ballot referendum in Ohio, is warning that the proposed amendment, Issue 1, will not only threaten parents' ability to be involved in their child's decisions but also empower predators in the state. Protect Women Ohio tweeted about the issue on October 2 and has released an analysis of Issue 1.
According to Protect Women Ohio, voting for Issue 1 will "strip away parental rights" and have detrimental effects on families. The coalition argues that the language of the proposed amendment is "dangerously vague" and predicts that if passed, it will compromise parental rights and endanger minors and crime victims.
The proposed change to Ohio's constitution seeks to insert Section 22, "The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety," to Article 1. Protect Women Ohio calls this language vague and concerning, as it could potentially allow for complex and risky procedures to be performed on minors without parental knowledge or consent. This raises concerns about minors at risk of sex trafficking being able to receive "no-questions-asked" abortions, potentially emboldening traffickers.
Furthermore, Protect Women Ohio argues that Issue 1 could undermine Ohio's existing parental involvement requirements and grant rights related to contraception, fertility treatment, pregnancy care, miscarriage, abortion, and reproductive organ removal to individuals, including minors and non-residents.
Supporters of Issue 1, however, believe that voting YES on the referendum ensures individuals can make decisions that are best for them and their families when it comes to contraception and abortion. They also argue that it protects people from extreme abortion bans.
In August, a Republican-backed proposal in Ohio to make it tougher to amend the state's constitution failed. President Biden applauded the outcome, stating that it was a measure to weaken voters' voices and erode women's freedom to make their own healthcare decisions. The result was called "a sad day for Ohio" by the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group, a major national organization opposing abortion rights.
The upcoming ballot referendum in Ohio follows the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade, granting individual states the authority to determine their own regulations on abortion rights.