Innovation Ohio

What you need to know about Ohio Politics and Policy

About State Issue 1: Reproductive Freedom

Issue 1 will appear on the November 7, 2023 ballot. It will ask voters to add a “Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety” amendment to the Ohio Constitution.

A Yes Vote on Issue 1:

  • Grants every individual the 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.
  • Prevents patients, doctors, and from being penalized for exercising reproductive freedoms.
  • Prohibits abortion after fetal viability except when the mother’s life is at risk.

A No Vote On Issue 1:

  • Keeps decisions regarding contraception, fertility treatments, miscarriage care, and abortion with politicians.
  • Allows politicians to restore Ohio’s six-week abortion ban and place additional restrictions on reproductive health care.
  • Forces Ohio patients to have to travel to other states to access abortion care and miscarriage management.

Ohio Lame Duck 2022

This week, the Ohio legislature begins its Lame Duck session.

In Ohio, Lame Duck occurs every two years between Election Day and December 31st, before the newly elected legislators are sworn in.

Any bill that hasn’t yet passed must be signed into law by the end of the year. Otherwise, the bill dies and must be reintroduced next term.

Ohio’s Republican Statehouse supermajority often tries to quietly pass their most controversial bills during Lame Duck.

Throughout this chaotic period, we’ll be tracking some of the most important legislation and sending out regular calls to action.

Make sure you’re following Innovation Ohio on social media as well:

We’ll need your help to fight for and against life-altering bills over the next several weeks.

Your calls, emails, tweets, and testimony matter. Your voice matters.

Desiree Tims Releases Statement After Ohio Republicans Call Child Rape Survivor a Liar

COLUMBUS — Today, Desiree Tims, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio, released the following statement following the arrest of a man accused of raping and impregnating a 10 year-old Ohio child, who was forced to leave the state to receive abortion care. Ohio Republicans have spent the past several days claiming on national television that the story was false. 

“Ohio’s MAGA Republicans passed a deadly 6-week abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest. Then, when their actions forced a 10 year-old child to leave the state for abortion care, they called the child a liar.

“Today, they have no excuses left. It’s time for Mike DeWine, Dave Yost, and Ohio’s MAGA Republicans to own the truth: they passed a heartless law.

“One out of every five Ohio children does not know where their next meal is coming from. Over half a million Ohio children live in poverty. Instead of tackling issues like these, MAGA Republicans have been on national TV re-traumatizing a child rape survivor. We should all be ashamed of their actions.

“We will keep fighting every day to end these barbaric bans and restore Ohioans’ freedoms. Our families and children deserve so much better.”

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