In Ohio, voters are set to decide this November whether to amend the Buckeye State's constitution to include a radical, leftist-backed provision that would gut parental rights, remove health standards that protect women, and allow abortion at any time in a woman's pregnancy. The measure is, unsurprisingly, backed by groups such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU as Townhall has reported previously.
But before November's general election, Ohio voters will have the chance to vote in an August 8 special election called to consider whether the standard to amend the state's constitution should be raised to require 60 percent, replacing the current 50 percent-plus-one standard. Known as "Issue 1," the measure would also require a proposed amendment to receive signatures in support from five percent of the electors in each county in Ohio, rather than the 44 counties currently required.
Supporters of Issue 1 argue that "special interests target Ohio, seeking to inject their own personal views and objectives into our state’s most sacred document" because "Ohio is one of the few states that allow these interests to directly enshrine their social preferences and corporate motives into the Constitution at the same threshold as everyday laws." Proponents say that common sense dictates "this should not be the case" and instead, "constitutional rights should be broadly supported and shielded from well-financed special interests."
Opponents of Issue 1, however, argue that raising the standard to amend Ohio's constitution are "unfair," "unnecessary," "disturbing" and "anti-democratic." These opponents are, not shockingly, Democrats and left-wing groups such as Planned Parenthood, the same ones pushing for the radical amendment set to be put to voters in November.
There's just one massive, hypocritical problem with these groups' opposition to Issue 1, as Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose pointed out in a Twitter thread this week:
🧵Among the liberal activist groups opposing Issue 1, the strongest opponents are absolute hypocrites.
— Frank LaRose (@FrankLaRose) July 12, 2023
They claim to be against raising the threshold to amend our founding document, while requiring similar or larger requirements to amend their bylaws. Take a look…
For example, the Ohio Democrat party's constitution and bylaws sets of threshold of 60 percent for amendments. The Same 60 percent support is needed for Ohio Dems to make a pre-primary endorsement. Yet the state party has been tweeting endlessly about how "our democracy" depends on defeating Issue 1 to avoid raising the threshold to amend the state constitution to the same level required to amend the party's bylaws.
The ACLU has called Issue 1 "disturbing," but also requires a higher standard — "a two-thirds vote" — be met to amend its organization's bylaws.
Planned Parenthood of Ohio went so far as to call Issue 1 "anti-democratic," but they too have a higher threshold to amend its organization's bylaws than the state constitution. I guess Planned Parenthood is proud to be an "anti-democratic" organization then?
Hypocrite 3️⃣: @PPAOhio called Issue 1 “anti-democratic” change but require 66% to change its bylaws.
— Frank LaRose (@FrankLaRose) July 12, 2023
The same goes for many of the NAACP chapters across the Buckeye State and, as it turns out, most Democrat or left-wing entities in Ohio. Most have a threshold greater than a simple majority in place to protect their organizations from being changed without broad support, a standard that makes sense for the state constitution as well.
So why do they believe it's "disturbing" and "anti-democratic" for the same standard to be employed to protect Ohio's constitution? LaRose has a notion as to why left-wing groups would prefer to keep the constitution easy to modify:
They are opposing Issue 1 because they like abusing the loophole and legislating through deep-pocketed special interest funded amendments.
— Frank LaRose (@FrankLaRose) July 12, 2023
We need to protect our constitution and #VoteYesOhio
Join the conversation as a VIP Member