Abortion Ballot Fight Ramps Up After Ohio Initiative Defeated

Ohio abortion rights backers have a clearer path to victory in November now that voters refused to make it harder to amend the state constitution.

Those pushing for a reproductive rights amendment will only need to convince a simple majority of the electorate rather than the 60% sought by the Republican-led legislature and Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

About 57% voted against the proposal (Issue 1) to raise the threshold for future constitutional amendments after some ad campaigns emphasized the potential impact on the abortion question to come in the fall election. The initiative was closely watched as ...