An American Civil Liberties Union-backed measure that parents argue would allow children to obtain abortions and genital mutilation surgeries without parental consent got enough signatures to make the ballot in Ohio.
Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom, which organized the drive in the Buckeye State, announced a collection of more than 700,000 signatures by the July 5 ballot access deadline.
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The 710,131 signatures surpassed the 413,487 required for access, allowing the measure to be included on Ohioans' ballots on Election Day in November 2023.
"The ACLU paid out-of-state signature collectors to lie to Ohioans about their dangerous amendment that will strip parents of their rights, permit minors to undergo sex change operations without their parents’ knowledge or consent, and allow painful abortion on demand through all nine months," Amy Natoce, press secretary for Protect Women Ohio, a group opposed to the measure, said. "The ACLU’s attempts to hijack Ohio’s constitution to further its own radical agenda would be pathetic if it wasn’t so dangerous.”
While the ACLU and other proponents maintain the measure only pertains to abortion, many in Ohio are concerned with broad language.
It does not include age limitations and refers to "reproductive decisions" generally, which include but are "not limited to" procedures like abortion. Many opponents say the measure has the high potential to expand into gender transition procedures for children.
"Every individual has a right to make and carry out one's own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to decisions on contraception, fertility treatment, continuing one's own pregnancy, miscarriage care, and abortion," the measure states.
Drs. Lauren Beene and Marcela Azevedo of Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, which launched the "campaign to enshrine reproductive freedom and abortion access in the Ohio Constitution," referred to the two separately in a Wednesday press release, suggesting an expansive scope of the measure. ORF did the same.
“This is a historic day for Ohio and for reproductive freedom," Lauren Blauvelt and Kellie Copeland of Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom said. "We cannot thank our volunteers enough for this herculean grassroots effort to ensure patients and doctors, not government extremists, are in control of making private medical decisions. ... Today, we take a huge step forward in the fight for abortion access and reproductive freedom for all."
Several Ohio OB-GYNs have also spoken out about the amendment passing, with Columbus-based Dr. Viviana Napier saying, "In many areas of the country, the effects of limiting parental rights are on display — children falling prey to abuse and trafficking schemes, being subjected to therapies backed by no evidence, and undergoing surgeries out of fear and false pretenses."
“This amendment is too extreme for Ohio," CatholicVote Ohio Director Logan Church said. "As part of its unrelenting attack on parents, the ACLU’s proposed amendment seeks to cut parents out of their child’s most important and life-altering health decisions – including abortions and sex change operations."
The ACLU has filed lawsuits in multiple states to challenge laws barring children from accessing transgender drugs and surgeries. Similarly, the organization has argued in court and on its website that parental consent laws ignore "the reality that some parents may not be supportive," according to ACLU policy strategist Sean McCann. They have also argued that parental consent puts an "unconstitutional undue burden on unemancipated minors."
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Ohioans will know if the measure has made the ballot by July 25, after the secretary of state's office has had a chance to verify the signatures. If the number of valid signatures does not meet the threshold, proponents of the amendment will be granted an additional 10 days to get valid signatures.
The Ohio ACLU did not respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.