Parents know what is best for their children, not the government. That statement should be common sense, but unfortunately, parents in Ohio could soon be cut out of life-altering medical decisions affecting their children.

This November, there is a critical amendment on the ballot that would essentially eviscerate parental rights. If this amendment, known as Issue 1, were to pass, parental consent and notification requirements for medical procedures would be eliminated.

If that sounds extreme, it’s because it is. Issue 1 would allow minors to get an abortion or other “reproductive decisions,” such as gender transitions, without any knowledge or involvement by a parent.

And as a constitutional amendment, Issue 1 will supersede state law, making current law unenforceable and preventing state legislators from making future changes or clarifications. This means it would be up to the courts, not the people, to interpret Issue 1 and its application.

The tricky legal language of the amendment was intentional on the part of the radicals at the American Civil Liberties Union, who not only wrote the ballot amendment but are funding the campaign to pass it as well. Nowhere in Issue 1 do the words “woman” or “adult” appear, nor is there any mention of age. It also blocks any law that would “burden” or “interfere” with an individual’s reproductive decisions. Simply put, the amendment would make a parent's involvement the “burden” that “interferes” with their child’s decision to have an abortion or gender transition operation.

The ACLU has an extensive history of fighting against parental consent and notification requirements. They actually go as far as to tout it on their website . Their partners in the push to pass Issue 1, URGE and Planned Parenthood , also proudly and publicly oppose parental consent. These groups have also worked to include gender transition procedures to be included under the umbrella of reproductive healthcare.

In addition to the attack on parental rights, Issue 1 would legalize abortion on demand for any reason up until the moment of birth. Allowing no-limits abortion at any point in the pregnancy, even when the unborn child can feel pain, is cruel and wildly out of step with the majority of Ohioans .

Again, the amendment’s authors used intentionally vague language to guarantee limitless late-term abortion. Issue 1 would legalize late-term abortions to protect the "health" of the mother. That seems simple and straightforward enough, but courts across the country have interpreted "health" to include not just a woman's physical health but also mental health, financial health, emotional health, and social health. So through this interpretation, late-term abortions will be legal for any reason.

Furthermore, if Issue 1 were to pass, Ohio’s 22-week abortion ban would no longer be enforceable. Make no mistake, late-term abortions would be legal, and the groups in favor of Issue 1 do not deny it .

It is clear that Issue 1 is far too extreme for our state. The amendment is a grotesque attempt by extreme groups to circumvent our legislative process to impose their agenda on Ohioans. But we can stop this radical takeover from happening. We can vote against Issue 1 at the ballot box next month.

I encourage all Ohioans to vote “no” on Issue 1 on Nov. 7. It's imperative we preserve parental rights and keep late-term abortion illegal in Ohio.

Keith Faber is Ohio's auditor of state. He is a former Ohio Senate president and former Ohio state representative.