Nov.21

electoral-vote.com

Dem 51

   

GOP 49

Ohio Republicans: If at First You Don't Succeed...

Ohio Republicans are still smarting from their big defeat on Issue 1. And, as you may have heard, there are significant elements in the Party that don't believe in accepting election results they don't like. And so, the state Assembly's Republican caucus has already issued a press release. It quotes various GOP state representatives explaining the various angles of attack they are considering:

• Bill Dean: Issue 1 doesn't repeal a single Ohio law, in fact, it doesn't even mention one.
• Beth Lear: No amendment can overturn the God given rights with which we were born.
• Jennifer Gross: Foreign billionaires don't get to make Ohio laws. This is foreign election interference, and it will not stand.

The press release also contains an unattributed promise that: "To prevent mischief by pro-abortion courts with Issue 1, Ohio legislators will consider removing jurisdiction from the judiciary over this ambiguous ballot initiative." That's a pretty big deal, because there are some significant issues that the courts will need to weigh in on in order to bring the new amendment in harmony with existing state law.

Since Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers of the Assembly (26-7 in the Senate; 67-32 in the House), it is inconceivable they won't pass something, or several somethings, once leadership has decided what angles they want to pursue. It is also inconceivable that this isn't going to end up in court. In fact, it will probably end up in state and federal court. Yet another ballot initiative, either pro- or anti-choice, seems plausible, too. In any event, this clearly isn't over.

Meanwhile, as Republicans across the country continue the fight, politics be damned, the polling on abortion gets more and more grim for them. Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal released a new poll in which 55% of respondents said that women should have access to abortions in all circumstances—no limits. That is very nearly the highest number recorded in the last 50 years. On top of that, 86% of respondents want abortion to be available in cases of rape or incest and 89% percent want abortion available if the mother's life is in danger.

So, the Ohio Republicans are definitely swimming up river. And if they keep doing so into 2024, which they probably will... well, there is a Senate election there next year that Democrats really, really need to win. (Z)