'Slap in the face': Ohio GOP passes bill to shut reproductive rights out of state constitution

19 April 2023

Ohio State House GOP members voted Wednesday to advance legislation that will keep "reproductive rights from being enshrined in the state constitution."

Heartland News tweeted, "OH committee erupts as the GOP chair prevents 100+ people from testifying against making citizen ballot measures more difficult. The bill would help prevent reproductive rights from being enshrined in the state constitution. OH State Rep. Russo (D) 'This is a slap in the face.'"

Last month, News5 Cleveland reported:

House Joint Resolution 1 is the revived resolution to make it harder to amend the Ohio constitution. Previously called H.J.R. 6 in previous General Assembly (the 134th, for those keeping count), it would require those petitions to receive a 60% supermajority vote to pass, instead of the simple 50% +1. This means that about 40% of the state would get to choose the law.

"Mr. Chairman," Russo said before the vote, "we have over 100 witnesses who have submitted testimony — we have dozens who still have not provided their testimony to this committee."

Russo continued, "To enforce this vote — it is undemocratic, it is unfair not only to democracy but to the people we represent and the people who have taken the time to come to the statehouse and have their voices heard. This is absolutely outrageous."

In the video, protestors can be heard chanting "Shame! Shame!"

The Dayton Daily News reports:

[The legislation has] received scorn from state Democrats and groups like Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom and Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, who are leading the initiative to codify legal abortion into the state constitution. The bills also have fanned the flames of factional feuds within the House GOP.

Watch the video below or at this link.

News 5 Cleveland full report is available at this link. Dayton Daily News' report is here.

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