Ohio GOP blamed by anti-abortion group for amendment loss, claims it’s not a pro-life test.

Anti-Abortion Advocacy Group Blames‌ Ohio GOP for Defeat in‍ Contentious Vote

The recent⁣ vote in Ohio on whether to increase the difficulty of amending the state constitution was not a⁣ defeat for the anti-abortion movement, according to Susan‍ B. Anthony Pro-Life America. The advocacy group placed ‍the blame​ on the Ohio⁢ Republican Party for failing to mobilize voters.

“There should be no pro-life defeat message [from Ohio],” stated⁢ Marjorie⁤ Dannenfelser, president of SBA, during a press call on Tuesday. “That was not a test of pro-life [in Ohio]. … This was a failure on the part‌ of the GOP.”

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Last week, Ohioans rejected Issue 1, a ⁣ballot measure that would ⁢have made it harder to⁢ amend the state constitution through referendum by requiring a 60% majority. This decision ​to maintain the simple majority status quo will have implications for the⁢ upcoming November ballot, which includes an abortion protection amendment seeking‌ to enshrine abortion rights.

Dannenfelser attributed the ⁤defeat in the August special election to Ohio Republicans and the business community, who failed to effectively rally ​voters ⁤around the broader implications of stricter rules for constitutional amendments.‍ These implications⁢ include potential threats to gun rights and increased taxation limits.

Billy Valentine, SBA’s vice president for political affairs, expressed during the press conference that the pro-Issue 1 side “got crushed” in ‌early voting due to insufficient funding from the​ Ohio Republican ⁣Party leading up to the election.

Valentine ‌revealed that while the pro-Issue 1⁣ votes narrowly carried the Election Day turnout, they were unable to overcome the anti-Issue 1 votes that dominated the early ‌voting period starting on July 11.

“The Ohio GOP did not do its job ahead of early voting,”​ Valentine⁣ emphasized.

According to ​Valentine,⁣ the sentiment against Issue 1, led by the American Civil⁢ Liberties Union and Planned‌ Parenthood, was a⁢ broad and nonpartisan message that resonated with a wide range of voters, including Trump supporters.

Valentine also noted that the pro-Issue 1 side lost‌ support in 15 counties in northeastern Ohio, which had voted for former President⁢ Donald Trump‍ in‌ 2020. This loss was attributed to ​successful union ‌mobilization in a region dominated by blue-collar industries.

When asked about the involvement of national-level leadership from the pro-abortion movement in Ohio,⁣ Valentine stated that the November abortion amendment is‌ “anything but a grassroots effort” from pro-abortion groups.

Abortion rights groups ⁣are currently pushing⁢ for abortion amendments in⁣ Arizona, Florida, Missouri, and North Dakota for‍ the ‌2024 election cycle.

Valentine argued that in response to abortion rights activism, ⁢the “answer is‌ national protections,” ⁣with⁢ a federal limit on abortion being the “only hope for unborn children” in states like California, New York, and Illinois, where there are no gestational limits on abortion.

In Ohio,⁤ Valentine declared, “we’ll fight on and carry the ‍fight into November.”

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