2022 was a momentous year for the pro-life movement. In June, the US Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson, declaring the US Constitution to be agnostic on abortion and opening a fifty front, state by state war on the right to life.
The abortion industry, along with their allies in corporate America, the media, and the Democrat party, quickly mobilized to stoke pro-abortion voters into a frenzy for the next election. The result was a 2022 midterm election dominated by pro-abortion advertising and propaganda in which the abortion industry won every campaign it fought.
Now, Ohio pro-lifers are fighting for their life as the full force of the pro-abortion political/corporate establishment is coming down on their state. With an outside funded, outside run ballot initiative amendment cleared for the November ballot, Ohio pro-lifers moved through the state legislature to amend the state constitution in an attempt to make it harder to amend the constitution through the ballot initiative. The Ohio Reproductive Freedom Amendment which has already earned a spot on the November ballot would completely eliminate the right to life of children before birth from the Ohio constitution, replacing it with a right to kill preborn children at any time for almost any reason.
Tomorrow, Ohio will vote whether to approve Issue 1 and force the Reproductive Freedom Amendment (and all other ballot initiated amendments) to get approved by 60% instead of by a simple majority.
What Issue 1 Would Require, if Approved
A Yes vote will require ballot initiative to receive a 60% vote in order to amend the constitution. A No vote would allow a 50% plus 1 vote to amend the constitution.
In practicality, the 60% vote makes it harder for special interests to modify the constitution by brute force.
That is because with enough money, special interests can hire petition circulators to gather the required signatures to put almost any amendment on the ballot.
With the necessary advertising budget and the active collaboration from a handful of powerful segments of society outside groups are almost guaranteed the ability to achieve a 50% plus one vote on almost any issue, whether it be the legalization of drugs, restrictive gun control, or liberalized abortion.
While those opposing Issue 1 are portraying themselves as the defenders of democracy, the truth is that higher bars for constitutional amendments are common ways to protect the constitution from the whims of campaigns.
For example, the US Constitution can only be amended after two thirds of both houses of congress vote in favor of an amendment. That has to be followed by three fourths of the state legislatures ratifying the amendment.
In Ohio itself, the state legislature can only propose a constitutional amendment if it passes a joint resolution by a three fifths margin followed by a majority vote in a state wide referendum.
In effect, Issue 1 is simply applying the same standard the legislature has to undergo for a constitutional amendment to the ballot initiative process.
Funding Disparities Proved Fatal to ProLifers in 2022
Between the summer and the fall of 2022, Abortion referendums and ballot initiatives were quickly put on the ballot by Democrats to coincide with the midterm elections and drive up voter turnout. Although the disastrous job performance of President Biden was destroying the economy, demoralizing the military and threatening to tear the country apart, Democrats doubled down on their radical pro-abortion platform and used it, in part, to win every abortion ballot issue in the midterm.
The media, dutifully reported the results of the 2022 midterm pro-abortion ballot measures as Americans rejecting the pro-life cause. However, as reported by the Heritage Foundation’s midterm election report, Democrats spent $450 million on pro-abortion attack ads to Republican’s paltry $10 million in counter-ads. Likewise, American ProLifer’s own review of the funding behind the ballot measures clearly shows a similarly grotesque disparity in fundraising in every single state where abortion was on the ballot.
In Kentucky abortion supporters raised 5 Million to pro-lifers 1 Million dollars.
In California, pro-aborts raised $15 Million to pro-lifers $300,000.
In Montana, pro-aborts raised 1 Million dollars to pro-lifers zero dollars.
In Vermont, abortion proponents raised $570,000 to pro-lifers $20,000 dollars.
Finally, in Michigan, pro-aborts out-raised pro-lifers by $45 Million to $17 Million.
The Heritage Foundation’s midterm election report calculated that Democrats spent $450 million on pro-abortion attack ads to Republican’s paltry $10 million in counter-ads
Reproductive Freedom Coalition Assaults the Right to Life
Shortly after the unprecedented leak of the supreme court decision in the Dobbs case, the radical left began to organize a coordinated state and federal government offensive.
The strategy started with President Biden’s creation of the White House Abortion Taskforce and the ensuing executive orders, which called for a coalition of pro-abortion lawyers, non-profits, corporations and politicians to come together to push for the legalized killing of children before birth.
This coordinated effort culminated with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Reproductive Freedom Alliance of governors and their strategy to pass state constitutional amendments through ballot initiatives.
The ballot initiative was chosen strategically to use the radical left’s disproportionate fundraising and media access advantage and to circumvent state legislatures.
The vote in Ohio tomorrow will mark a line in the sand which if crossed may lead to a barrage of special interest funded ballot initiated constitutional amendments throughout the country.
Regardless of the outcome of tomorrow’s vote, Ohio’s Reproductive Freedom pro-abortion amendment will still be on the ballot this November, but overcoming a 60% burden may prove enough of a hurdle to stop the political and media complex pushing for abortion on demand throughout the land.
It is time to pray for Ohio!
Stay tuned to AmericanProlifer.com and to our Twitter account for breaking news on the results of the Ohio vote.
Prohibit the introduction of abortion into Ohio Constitution.
No negotiation.
“declaring the US Constitution to be agnostic on abortion”
Strictly speaking this is true because by the 10th Amendment it is a state issue.
“With an outside funded, outside run ballot initiative amendment cleared for the November ballot”
How is this even allegedly legal? Imagine if the US government openly funded a coup that overthrew a beloved foreign government because their wasn’t any law which prevented it from funding forces that aimed to overthrow the government.
However, the source of the money and people doesn’t matter. No conspiracy is moral.
“completely eliminate the right to life of children before birth from the Ohio constitution, replacing it with a right to kill preborn children at any time for almost any reason.”
No, it wouldn’t. An unjust law isn’t law. No government can tolerate murder. The natural right to life is already in the Bill of Rights portion of the Ohio Constitution.
“The strategy started with President Biden’s creation of the White House Abortion Taskforce and the ensuing executive orders, which called for a coalition of pro-abortion lawyers, non-profits, corporations and politicians to come together to push for the legalized killing of children before birth.”
If impeachment won’t succeed, someone has got to “take care of” this EVIL person. The executive “orders” are likely unlawful and the purpose certain is. I say that the US House of Representatives ought to immediately submit articles of impeachment. Even the near certainty that it won’t succeed ought not to dissuade moral representatives from attempting to hold President Biden accountable.
The “right to life” is explicitly protected by the 5th and 14th amendments.
Great research and article. Thank you.