Ohio Lawmakers Working on the 60% Voter Threshold Again

“If we save 30,000 lives as a result of spending $20 million, I think that’s a great thing”

Columbus-A proposal to raise the voting threshold to pass a state constitutional amendment is resurfacing with new talks about putting it before voters in August, in a move that could deal a heavy blow to the chances of an abortion-rights amendment passing in Ohio.

Hearings began Wednesday for House Joint Resolution 1, which w require 60% of the vote to pass a constitutional amendment, up from the current simple majority of 50% plus one vote. Opponents packed the Statehouse hearing room on Wednesday morning, a day after Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, a Lima Republican, said he wanted to see the proposal on ballots in August, rather than November. By Wednesday afternoon, a bill creating a special election in August was introduced in the Ohio Senate, Senate Bill 92. READ MORE