constitutional amendment

Ohio voters are set to go to the ballot on Aug. 8 to decide on a constitutional change that would make it harder to pass future amendments. The language they will see on the ballot has changed.

The Ohio Supreme Court said some of Issue 1's language is incorrect and told the Ballot Board to fix it, but let other language that opponents argued was unfair stand.

Legal experts say the resolution passed earlier this week by the Ohio Legislature is illegal.

Ohio lawmakers have passed the resolution to require 60% voter approval for constitutional amendments, which includes an election date that could be disputed in a lawsuit.

People from some of the hundreds of groups that oppose the resolution to make it harder to amend Ohio's constitution and a bill to create an August special election to vote on it marched on the Statehouse Wednesday.

Both Republican and Democratic attorneys general say requiring 60% approval for constitutional amendments would make it difficult to pass important issues involving taxes or elections.

The Ohio chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has endorsed the proposed reproductive rights amendment.

The Republican-backed resolution to ask voters to change the Ohio constitution in August and require 60% voter approval on future constitutional amendments could come to the House floor next week, but the vote may be close.

In January, Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill to do away with most August special elections, but he now supports bringing back one this summer for a key vote.

A supermajority of Ohio's bipartisan elections officials voted to formally oppose the plan to allow an August special election to vote on the resolution to require 60% voter approval for future constitutional amendments, including one likely in November on reproductive rights.