Ohio Constitution

Ohio Republican lawmakers are pushing a special August election to vote on a resolution that would make it harder to amend the Ohio Constitution. The plan has also received a million-dollar cash infusion from an out-of-state GOP mega-donor.

The political action committee Save Our Constitution is running ads to pressure lawmakers and Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) for the resolution requiring 60% voter approval for amendments.

There are two vacant seats in the Ohio House and it is thought that might change the number of votes needed to pass the measure.

A supermajority of Ohio's bipartisan elections officials voted to formally oppose the plan to allow an August special election to vote on the resolution to require 60% voter approval for future constitutional amendments.

Republican Ohio lawmakers are considering a bill that would create a special August 2023 election to put a constitutional change before voters in advance of November election.

Republicans in the Ohio House and Senate move measures to make it harder to amend the constitution and a plan to put a vote on that onto the August ballot, before a reproductive rights amendment comes to the ballot as expected in November.

But one provision would not affect the reproductive rights amendment supporters are trying to get on this fall’s ballot.

The Ohio Ballot Board has unanimously approved the petition summary for the proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, which voters could see next fall.

With an effort to enshrine abortion rights looming this fall, an influential mix of Republican politicians, lobbying organizations and business interests is positioning to try to make another change to the state's founding document first.

The change of course comes as Ohio Republicans aim to make it harder to amend the constitution harder before a reproductive rights amendment could possibly appear on the November ballot.