Buckeye Reporter

In a statement to the Buckeye Reporter, Rep. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield) argued that the liberal groups that are opposing Issue 1 are doing so in order to pass future Constitutional amendments related to school curriculums and books as well as parental rights. These groups, including the Red Wine and Blue "porn moms," have been active on social media urging Ohioans to vote and calling for out-of-state help and support.

"Radical Liberal groups are fighting tooth and nail–largely with out of state funds–to defeat Issue 1 on Tuesday so they can continue to push their extremist agenda into our Constitution. From trying to dictate that obscene content is taught in our schools to blatantly opposing parental rights, these groups have shown they'll stop at nothing to destroy the fabric of our state's Constitution with an injection of their radical ideals."

Issue 1 would raise the threshold necessary to pass an amendment to Ohio's State Constitution from 50%+1 to 60%. It would also require signatures gathered to support amendments to include voters from all 88 of Ohio's counties and restrict "do-overs" on signature submissions, which would give signature-gatherers one chance to properly obtain signatures for a proposed amendment, as previously reported.

The Ohio Secretary of State's office points out that the changes made in Issue 1 are "designed to help protect the Ohio Constitution from continued abuse by special interests and out-of-state activists," so that it can serve as a framework for the state's government as they assert it was intended to be.

According to the Cleveland Reporter, Red Wine and Blue, a Shaker Heights-based group of "suburban wine moms" that's been fighting to keep pornographic books in Ohio K-12 school libraries, has been active in opposing Issue 1. The group's issue priorities include banning parental notification of teenage abortions in Ohio, requiring public schools to include instruction in so-called "Critical Race Theory," and to teach sex education far earlier, as young as first grade, while barring schools from teaching children that there is such a thing as biological sex.

To these ends, Red Wine and Blue is promoting books like Gender Queer and This Book Is Gay, which emphasize "transsexual" themes and even feature comic graphics depicting homosexual sex acts. While technically pornographic, the group holds they still have educational value, and that schools aren't encouraging children to have sex or to become gay. According to the Cleveland Reporter, Katie Paris, a political consultant and the group's founder, has argued that the books are just as appropriate to each as "Shakespeare or Ernest Hemingway, (or) the Bible."

On July 28, the group issued a nationwide call to action video stating that "[w]hether you're in Ohio or not, we need your help to get out the vote for the August 8 special election." The video ends with a graphic stating "Restore Roe, Vote No August 8th."

The Ohio Chapter of the Children's Defense Fund has similarly urged supporters to vote against Issue 1 on Tuesday.

According to their May 26, 2023 email newsletter, the Ohio Children's Defense Fund was active in opposing Ohio House Bill 68, the Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation Act. The email argued that the bill represented "huge legislative, parental, and medical overreach."

According to the bill, the Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation Act would prohibit physicians and mental health professionals from performing "gender-affirming" treatments on otherwise physically healthy children without consent from parents or legal guardians. It would also require that mental health professionals take into account any emotional or mental co-morbidities before recommending such treatments. The bill also requires that in terms of sports, children and teens would be required to compete according to their biological sex rather than based on their chosen identity or gender.

On July 28, the Ohio Education Association held a rally in opposition to Issue 1 and in March, the group tweeted out an article entitled "Controversy Over Gender and Race Has Teachers 'Walking on Eggshells.'" According to the group's tweet, "restrictions" being passed by State Legislatures about how "educators can talk about issues like race and gender in the classroom" have left teachers "feeling the pressure."

The group Equality Ohio has also voiced their opposition to Issue 1 in an August 2 tweet, the group urged "mobilization" against the measure. Equality Ohio opposes HB 245 as an alleged "ban on drag," "attack on performing arts," and "censorship over safety." In a statement, the group's policy director noted the lack of interest concerning legislative action on guns and targeted intimidation.

Spectrum News reported that House Bill 245 "would place limits on drag performers who display a gender identity other than the one assigned at birth, if the performance is considered harmful to children or obscene." The report notes that the bill's sponsor, Ohio Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania), stated that the bill was not designed to attack drag or artistic expression, but was solely meant to address sexualized acts being performed in front of children.

Also opposing the measure, according to prior reporting from the Buckeye Reporter is a "a roster of left-leaning advocacy groups." 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.

The Communist Party of Ohio also reportedly joined the Vote No in August coalition and recently gathered to “stand with drag queens and families” during a protest outside a "Drag Story Hour" event at the Near West Side Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland Reporter reported.

As previously reported, Ohio is one of only 15 states which allow for ballot-driven amendments to their constitutions. Of those fifteen, four of them, Illinois, Arizona, Florida, and Colorado, have thresholds for passage above a simple majority.