Ohio Republicans Vow to Fight Abortion Amendment as Democrats Plot to Repeal Protections

While Ohio Democrats have set to work on repealing pro-life protections after voters codified the supposed “right” to abortion in the state constitution on Tuesday via Issue 1, Ohio Republicans are eyeing ways to fight back.

Twenty-seven members of the Ohio House of Representatives issued a statement following the passage of the amendment, saying:

Unlike the language of this proposal, we want to be very clear. The vague, intentionally deceptive language of Issue 1 does not clarify the issues of life, parental consent, informed consent, or viability including Partial Birth Abortion, but rather introduces more confusion. This initiative failed to mention a single, specific law. We will do everything in our power to prevent our laws from being removed based upon perception of intent.

In a press release on November 9, the Ohio House said, “deceptive Ohio Issue 1 misled the public but doesn’t repeal our laws” and added that legislators “will be introducing several bills to address this issue in the coming weeks.” Members also said they were considering removing authority from state courts to review cases related to Issue 1.

“To prevent mischief by pro-abortion courts with Issue 1, Ohio legislators will consider removing jurisdiction from the judiciary over this ambiguous ballot initiative,” lawmakers said. “The Ohio legislature alone will consider what, if any, modifications to make to existing laws based on public hearings and input from legal experts on both sides.”

Republicans hold strong majorities in both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is also a Republican, and the seven-seat Ohio Supreme Court has a 4-3 Republican majority.

“Issue 1 doesn’t repeal a single Ohio law; in fact, it doesn’t even mention one,” said State Rep. Bill Dean (R-Xenia). “The amendment’s language is dangerously vague and unconstrained and can be weaponized to attack parental rights or defend rapists, pedophiles, and human traffickers.”

“We will continue to be a voice for every child in their mother’s womb who cannot speak for themselves,” State Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) added.

And Senate President Matt Huffman – who’s running for the House next year and is expected to challenge Stephens for speaker if they both win – also said: "This isn't the end. It is really just the beginning of a revolving door of ballot campaigns to repeal or replace Issue 1."

— Karen Kasler (@karenkasler) November 8, 2023

Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman (R) also reportedly said the passage of Issue 1 is not the end.

“It is really just the beginning of a revolving door of ballot campaigns to repeal or replace Issue 1,” Huffman said, according to Statehouse News Bureau reporter Karen Kasler.

House Speaker Jason Stephens said this yesterday: “I remain steadfastly committed to protecting life, and that commitment is unwavering. The legislature has multiple paths that we will explore to continue to protect innocent life. This is not the end of the conversation.”

— Karen Kasler (@karenkasler) November 8, 2023

Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) also stated that he “remains steadfastly committed to protecting life, and that commitment is unwavering,” according to Kasler.

“The legislature has multiple paths that we will explore to continue to protect innocent life. This is not the end of the conversation,” Stephens continued.

On the other side of the aisle, Democrat State Reps. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) and Beth Liston (D-Dublin) announced Thursday that they will be introducing The Reproductive Care Act to roll back several abortion laws.

A policy fact sheet about the bill states that it would eliminate Ohio’s currently blocked six-week abortion limit, as well as its current 20-week limit. It would also remove the mandatory 24-hour waiting period for abortions and transfer agreements for abortionists that require them to have hospital privileges within a certain distance from their clinics.

The legislation would additionally prohibit regulatory entities from disclosing abortion-related information to law enforcement in other states and would allow telehealth abortions. It would also allow the revision of existing statutes to address “misinformation” about abortion, including what pro-abortion Democrats deem as “not medically accurate or evidence-based.” Parental consent would be maintained under the law, the policy sheet states.