Catholics for Choice Statement on the Failure of Issue 1 in Ohio
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Contact: John Becker, Press Secretary
Phone: 202-203-0931
Email: jbecker@catholicsforchoice.org
Catholics for Choice Statement on the Failure of Issue 1 in Ohio
WASHINGTON — Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, issued the following statement from President Jamie L. Manson, M.Div., after the defeat of Issue 1 in Ohio, which would have raised the threshold for passage of an amendment to the state constitution from a simple majority to 60%, and doubled the signature requirement from 44 to all 88 of the state’s counties:
“Thankfully, a majority of Ohioans saw Issue 1 for what it was — an anti-democratic power grab that would have effectively stripped voters of their own power to amend the state constitution. This was a ballot measure that no one other than extreme anti-choice special interest groups asked for, intentionally put before the voters in a low-turnout single-issue election, with the express purpose of changing the rules to prevent Ohio voters from passing an amendment in November that protects reproductive freedom.
“Opponents of abortion rights know they can’t win a fair fight this fall, so instead they tried to rig the game and thwart the will of the people under the guise of ‘good governance.’ The passage of Issue 1 would have annihilated the principle of ‘one person, one vote’ and taken Ohio one giant step closer to minority rule.
“The Catholic social teaching principles of Rights and Responsibilities as well as the Call to Participation teach us that all people must have a fair, equal, and meaningful say in their own governance. We are grateful that the voters of the Buckeye State defeated this attack on their democracy and pray that they will act with similar courage to preserve their reproductive rights in November.”
Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to a person’s well-being and respect, and affirm the capacity of all people to make moral decisions about their lives.
