Buckeye Reporter

State Treasurer Robert Sprague, a Republican, is urging Ohioans to vote for Issue 1, saying it will prevent monied out-of-state interests from changing the state constitution.

If passed, Issue 1 would require a 60% supermajority of voters to change the state constitution, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. It would also require that any petition to put a constitutional amendment on the state ballot would need signatures from five percent of voters from every county and that adding signatures to make up for an initial deficiency of signatures would be prohibited.

"Passage of State Issue 1 ensures that we secure a greater consensus of support among the public to do something as serious as amending our state's founding document," Sprague wrote in a June 6 tweet. "In turn, this will help us avoid turning Ohio's Constitution into a policy document vulnerable to the whims of out-of-state interest groups with big pockets. This August, I am supporting Issue 1 and I urge my fellow Ohioans to do the same."

Republican Secretary of State Frank La Rose (R-Akron) also voiced his support for Issue 1. "Because of the ease of amending Ohio’s founding document, the Ohio Constitution has become a tool used by special interests to permanently change our form of government to their liking," LaRose told Buckeye Reporter. "In just the past three petition-based amendment campaigns, special interests have spent more than $50 million on media advertising, political consultants and more to support their passage."

An issue looming in the background is the potential for a "pro-choice" amendment to the state constitution. Buckeye Reporter previously reported that there were six abortion-related statewide ballot measures across the U.S. last year, the most in history, according to Ballotpedia.com. In 2022, California approved a constitutional right to "reproductive freedom," which guarantees funding of abortions and contraceptives for all state residents. Some opponents of Issue 1 agree that abortion is an issue. For example, Judy Jacobson, @srem125, responded to Sprague's tweet, “How odd, the process has been the same for 100+ yrs. But NOW the reproductive health care for women initiative is likely to be voted on it's an issue.”

Buckeye Reporter previously reported that "a roster of left-leaning advocacy groups" has come out against Issue 1. These groups include Black Lives Matter Cleveland, Black Lives Matter Dayton, Pro-Choice Ohio, Black Out and Proud, the Cleveland Bi+ Network, Columbus New Liberals, Democrat Socialists of America-Cleveland, Ensuring Parole for Incarcerated Citizens, New Voices for Reproductive Justice and the Ohio Federation of Teachers.