By a 57%-43% margin, voters in Ohio have passed Issue 1, “A Self-Executing Amendment Relating to Abortion and Other Reproductive Decisions.”
The new amendment “outlaws basic health and safety protections for women, eliminates parental notification and consent laws that protect underage girls, and allows abortions up until birth,” according to Human Life Action (National Committee for a Human Life Amendment), which works closely with the US bishops’ pro-life committee on legislative matters.
The Catholic Conference of Ohio urged the faithful to vote against the amendment and promoted a 54-day Rosary novena for the amendment’s defeat.
Ohio voters also voted to legalize marijuana by a 57%-43% margin.
Issue 1, which passed in Ohio’s November election, is distinct from the Issue 1 that was defeated in an August special election. The August ballot initiative, favored by some pro-life advocates, would have made it harder for voters to amend Ohio’s constitution.