the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Nov 13, 2023
In Ohio in November, voters approved a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights and all reproductive healthcare. The measure passed in areas that voted majority Republican and in areas that voted for the Democrats. It was the 7th state to vote yes on abortion rights out of 7 attempts since the fall of Roe v Wade.
Far-right activists tried to block the measure in Ohio multiple times. They called a special election in August to make it harder to pass state constitutional amendments, but voters came out in droves to block that. Then, they re-wrote the language on the ballot to make it confusing, and that didn’t work. Then, in recent weeks, they purged names from the voter rolls in an attempt to thwart the measure—and that didn’t work either.
Doctors in Ohio began the petition drive after a 10-year-old rape victim had to travel to Indiana for an abortion due to Ohio’s 6-week abortion ban. Many participated in the grassroots measure, which gathered half a million signatures. Once the signatures were approved, supporters had to mobilize against each attempt to block the measure. Campaigners worked tirelessly to explain that a yes vote sends a message for government to stay the heck out of individual and family reproductive healthcare decisions.
Since the amendment passed, anti-abortion groups are trying to block implementation of the ban. Reproductive rights activists have gained valuable experience that can be put to good use to beat back the next round of attacks!