Anti-abortion amendment rejected by attorney general

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(The Center Square) – Ohio’s attorney general rejected language in a proposed state constitutional amendment that would eliminate a woman’s right to an abortion, a provision that voters overwhelmingly added to the constitution just three years ago.

Dave Yost turned away the proposed ballot language for the amendment that would shift decisions on regulation of abortion to the legislature, removing constitutional protections that voters approved in 2023.

The new proposed amendment that, if approved, would be on the November ballot is entitled, “Reproductive Healthcare and Legislative Authority Over Abortion.”

The attorney general’s office received the proposed language May 21.

“Under Ohio law, the attorney general must determine whether a petition’s title and summary are fair and truthful representations of the proposed amendment,” Yost said in a release.  “The submitted summary did not meet that standard. “

According to Yost, the language in the proposed summary of the amendment defines abortion the same way it is described in an existing Ohio state law. That is misleading, Yost said.

“In reality, the proposed amendment gives the General Assembly much broader authority to define and regulate abortion,” Yost wrote. “Thus, the summary cannot be certified because it contains a material misstatement of the scope of the amendment’s character and import.”

However, there may still be time to change the language, Yost said.

“Petitioners may revise and resubmit their materials for further review,” Yost said in a news release. “Similar petitions have frequently been resubmitted after addressing identified deficiencies and have subsequently continued through the statutory process.”

In 2023, Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment establishing a constitutional right to reproductive freedom including abortion and birth control.