Issue 1 Fails in Ohio Special Election, Raising Stakes for State Abortion Battle

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Issue 1 Fails in Ohio Special Election, Raising Stakes for State Abortion Battle

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/...cial-election-raising-stakes-abortion-battle/

KATHERINE HAMILTON 8 Aug 2023

In the Ohio special election on Tuesday night, Issue 1 — a measure that would have raised the threshold to pass amendments to the state constitution from 50 percent plus one to 60 percent — failed, with media outlets calling the election less than two hours after polls closed.

The Washington Post called the election around 9 p.m. with 39 percent of the vote counted. At that point, 60.5 percent of Ohioans voted “no” on Issue 1, and 39.5 percent voted “yes.” If the ballot measure had passed, it would have also required citizens who want to place an amendment on the ballot to collect signatures from at least five percent of voters from the last gubernatorial election in all 88 counties of Ohio instead of the current 44. It would have additionally eliminated the ten-day cure signature period.

Issue 1 would have likely made it more difficult for a radical abortion amendment proposed by left-wing groups to pass in the state’s November election. With Issue 1’s failure, the pro-life and pro-abortion movements will go head-to-head in the months leading up to the election, the former working to protect the unborn and the latter working to enshrine abortion on demand into the Ohio constitution.

“It is a sad day for Ohio and a warning for pro-life states across the nation. Millions of dollars and liberal dark money flooded Ohio to ensure they have a path to buy their extreme policies in a pro-life state. Tragically, some sat on the sideline while outsider liberal groups poured millions into Ohio,” leading pro-life organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said in a statement following the defeat of Issue 1.

“A broad coalition of passionate pro-life Ohioans came together to fight parental rights opponents and try to take victory from the jaws of defeat. But the silence of the establishment and business community in Ohio left a vacuum too large to overcome. During this crucial election, progressives funneled in millions from outside groups to mislead the people of Ohio,” the group continued.

SBA Pro-Life America added that “attacks on state constitutions are now the national playbook of the extreme pro-abortion Left.”

“That is why everyone must take this threat seriously and recognize progressives will win if their opponents are scared into submission by the pro-abortion Left. So long as the Republicans and their supporters take the ostrich strategy and bury their heads in the sand, they will lose again and again,” the group concluded.

The pro-abortion groups spearheading the abortion initiative rabidly opposed Issue 1, viewing it as a major roadblock for their abortion-on-demand agenda. Many of those groups issued statements of celebration following the election results.
 
Not sure how much abortion played into this vote, but there is no question it's a losing issue for the GOP.

Most American women, of all stripes, value one liberty over all the rest, (which is to say they do not value liberty much at all), the liberty to kill their offspring in the womb.
 
It's all they actually care about

Disgusting and sad
 
In the Ohio special election on Tuesday night, Issue 1 — a measure that would have raised the threshold to pass amendments to the state constitution from 50 percent plus one to 60 percent — failed, with media outlets calling the election less than two hours after polls closed.

Ain't it grand that (50% + 1) will now get to dictate to (50% - 1)? [1]

Muh democracy!



[1] Not that 60% dictating to 40% is really any better.
 
Ain't it grand that (50% + 1) will now get to dictate to (50% - 1)? [1]

Muh democracy!



[1] Not that 60% dictating to 40% is really any better.

At risk of repeating myself, if it’s a law that is a ban, prohibition or punishment, it should require a 90% vote. If it’s repealing an existing law, then 50%+1 is probably a good idea.
 
I feel like this is treating the symptom of a larger problem: Liberal urban cesspools. Ohio should just kick Cleveland and Columbus out of the state and they'll be set.
 
At risk of repeating myself, if it’s a law that is a ban, prohibition or punishment, it should require a 90% vote. If it’s repealing an existing law, then 50%+1 is probably a good idea.

Make it 10% for the latter, and we might be getting somewhere (or at least going in the right direction).

When it come to whether a thing ought to be done, there's nothing at all special about (50% + 1).

In fact, just the opposite - it's about as "unspecial" as you can possibly get (which is probably why small-d democrats are so fond of it).

The founders of America, for all their flaws and hypocrisies, seemed to understand this, and rightly recognized and scorned simple (and simplistic) majoritarianism for the poison that it is.
 
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The entire voting system is so rigged. If you don't get rid of early voting, you can NEVER trust that the will of the voters is being reflected in the results.

I had the jamming problem, too, but got it to go through on the second try. But the fix was in even before "voting day".
 
Ain't it grand that (50% + 1) will now get to dictate to (50% - 1)? [1]

[1] Not that 60% dictating to 40% is really any better.

I'm a non-voter, so whether it's 50%+1, 60%, 2/3, 3/4 or any other kind of "super" majority is irrelevant to me. But your phrasing of "will now" makes it seem like the defeat of Issue 1 brought this about. I'm pretty sure that every amendment to the Ohio Constitution since at least 1913 required only 50%+1 approval from the electorate. Issue 1 wasn't about a principled stand against the tyranny of a minimalist majority - they've had 90 years to deal with that and most everyone was honky-dory with the way things were until it became clear that abortion rights were going to become enshrined in the constitution come November. Since 1913, 71 citizen-led amendments have made it to the ballot (along with 156 from the General Assembly) - but the threat of abortion rights on the ballot is what it takes for them to get "principled"? I'll note also that Issue 1 didn't include a provision that the legislature needed a 60% super majority to pass legislation. So sorry, I'm not buying this make-believe, late-to-the-game "principled stand against the tyranny of the majority".

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Republicans hold supermajorities in both of Ohio's legislative chambers. Increasing the threshold for passing legislation to 60% would have posed no threat to their ability to pass legislation. Yet they didn't include that provision in Issue 1; 50%+1 was fine for the legislature. This had nothing to do with circumventing the tyranny of the majority.
 
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[Y]our phrasing of "will now" makes it seem like the defeat of Issue 1 brought this about. I'm pretty sure that every amendment to the Ohio Constitution since at least 1913 required only 50%+1 approval from the electorate.

Yeah, I misspoke - "will now get" should be "will continue to get".

(Also, "is really any better" should probably be "would really be any better".)

Issue 1 wasn't about a principled stand against the tyranny of a minimalist majority - they've had 90 years to deal with that and most everyone was honky-dory with the way things were until it became clear that abortion rights were going to become enshrined in the constitution come November. Since 1913, 71 citizen-led amendments have made it to the ballot (along with 156 from the General Assembly) - but the threat of abortion rights on the ballot is what it takes for them to get "principled"? I'll note also that Issue 1 didn't include a provision that the legislature needed a 60% super majority to pass legislation. So sorry, I'm not buying this make-believe, late-to-the-game "principled stand against the tyranny of the majority".

I don't disagree with any of this, either.
 
I claim Fort Recovery Ohio as part of my lands so i better not find out any of those dirty squatters are voting for tyranny or killing babies.
 
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