In the heat of the debate surrounding Ohio’s Issue 1, an abortion ballot measure, opponents have unleashed a new advertisement that stirs controversy.
Launched by the pro-life organization Created Equal, the video responds to a recent pro-abortion ad, recounting the tragic tale of a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim who underwent an abortion in Indiana in 2022.
“This horrific case of abuse never should have occurred, and what this young girl and her child have suffered is devastating. But the truth is if Issue 1 passes parents will have no control over this life-changing decision and predators will be free to prey on children with impunity,” Created Equal responded.
While the Created Equal ad also features the story of the 10-year-old, it takes a different angle, suggesting that if Issue 1 passes, it could potentially erase parental notification laws.
“Extremist abortion advocates are airing ads filled with propaganda and lies,” Created Equal President Mark Harrington said. “If Issue 1 passes all restrictions and regulations protecting women and babies that have been enacted in Ohio over the last several decades including parental consent will be wiped out in a single day. Ohio voters must defeat this radical measure.”
Pro-abortion rights groups in Ohio have submitted a petition of 710,000 signatures to the secretary of state for a ballot measure on abortion.
If enough signatures are deemed valid, the question of whether abortion should be legal in the state will be on the election ballot in… pic.twitter.com/KI3RaCH3YN— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 7, 2023
The ad raises concerns about enabling a scenario where a sexual abuser could “drive your daughter to an abortion, and you’d be left in the dark.”
Critics of Issue 1 are sounding the alarm, emphasizing that the amendment’s impact extends beyond abortion. Some argue it could jeopardize parental rights, open the door to abortions throughout pregnancy, and even allow minors to undergo sex-change procedures.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and constitutional scholars highlight the broad language of the amendment, particularly the term “individual,” suggesting that it might allow minors to obtain abortions without parental consent.
The proposed amendment, introduced by Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, a coalition including URGE, ACLU of Ohio, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, aims to establish an individual right to reproductive medical treatment, explicitly including abortion.
It also seeks to provide legal protections for those assisting in such treatment, prohibit the state from impeding abortion before viability, and grant treating physicians the authority to determine viability on a case-by-case basis.
“When you pass a constitutional amendment, it doesn’t just automatically erase everything and start over. But it would mean that laws that conflict with it cannot be enforced, should not be enforced,” Jessie Hill, an attorney for the ACLU of Ohio, said.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s legal analysis, while noting that the ballot language doesn’t reference parental consent laws, raises concerns about the challenge they might face.
The term “individual” in Issue 1 could trigger challenges to parental-consent statutes, potentially altering the landscape of abortion regulations in the state.
The ACLU of Ohio, one of the architects of the amendment’s broad language, has vaguely indicated that existing parental consent and notification laws might be impacted if the measure passes, adding a layer of complexity to an already contentious issue.
