Ohio Republicans pass a measure that could make it harder to enshrine abortion rights
“This is essentially just a way to cheat the system. It is pretty clear this initiative is coming from anti-choice extremists within the Ohio legislature with the goal of finding a way to change the rules so that Ohioans themselves don’t get a vote in how they want to govern their bodies,” said Dr. Marcela Azevedo, the president and founder of Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, a group that has led efforts among reproductive rights groups in the state for nearly a year.
Read more at NBC News
Florida advocates set to launch campaign to get abortion rights on the ballot in 2024
The time crunch is exacerbated by new restrictions on citizen-led ballot initiatives levied by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature. Among other hurdles, lawmakers upped the vote threshold needed for passage to 60 percent. Republicans are considering proposals to further increase the threshold, which could effectively kneecap the campaign before it even makes the ballot.
Read more at 19th News
‘It destroys democracy’: Republicans bid to rewrite Ohio’s abortion rules
A similar push by Republicans failed this month in Missouri, where voters could see an abortion rights amendment up for a direct vote as soon as 2024. Similar bills have been introduced to restrict the use of ballot initiatives in North Dakota, Oklahoma and Idaho.
Read more at The Guardian
“They’re Afraid of the Majority”: Republicans Are Pushing a Quiet Assault on Direct Democracy
After reproductive rights activists secured major victories in Kansas, Kentucky, Vermont, Michigan, Montana, and California last election cycle, Republican lawmakers across the country have introduced a flurry of legislation intended to blunt the ballot initiative process.
Read more at Vanity Fair