Lawsuit asks Ohio Supreme Court to block abortion amendment from November ballot

DAYTON — In the November election voters will decide on a proposed abortion rights state constitutional amendment.

It would give people the right to make their own reproductive decisions, but a new lawsuit is asking the state supreme court to block it.

If the lawsuit follows through, it won’t only impact people in the Miami Valley but throughout Ohio.

The lawsuit claims the petitions filed to the secretary of state supporting the proposed abortion amendment did not meet the requirements to be submitted.

They believe the petition did not lay out how the amendment would change if passed in November.

“They’re correct in the sense there are some omissions perhaps,” Mark Smith, professor of political science at Cedarville University said.

Smith said the Ohio Supreme Court does not require everything to be spelled out.

“They may say well if this goes into effect then obviously certain things would change,” Smith said.

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Such as the Heartbeat Bill.

“That would basically change the whole culture of abortion in Ohio,” Margie Christie, executive director of Dayton Right to Life.

Christie thinks the lawsuit has a shot at blocking the amendment.

“Any laws that we have in place right now parental notification, parental rights waiting periods any of those would all go away and abortion would be basically on demand so it’s a very scary new future for Ohio,” Christie said.

But other groups like Planned Parenthood have no faith in what they call “a last-ditch effort from conservatives.”They sent a statement which reads in part:

“We have met every requirement to be on the ballot as the Secretary of State has already certified. Once the Court reviews all the relevant facts, we expect this challenge to be rejected.” Lauren Blauvelt, spokeswoman for Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights.

With a topic as polarizing as abortion, Smith is not surprised both sides are doing what they can to support their beliefs.

“Politically speaking it’s explosive and it shouldn’t shock us that people are going to go to these kinds of lengths to affect the November initiative,” Smith said.

The ballot drop boxes are open until next Tuesday to vote on Issue 1 which could impact the November election.

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