• "...the founders made it hard to change the U.S. Constitution. To amend it requires a 2/3 vote of both chambers of Congress and a vote of 3/4 of state legislatures.

• "At the state level, the same reasoning applies. But currently, Ohio is among a minority of states that permit constitutional amendments by initiative petition at all. And of those that do allow it, many have high thresholds to adopt constitutional amendments. Florida requires a 60% vote. Colorado requires a 55% vote. New Hampshire requires a 66% vote. Illinois requires a 60% vote."

Dean Rieck, "4 Big Lies Opponents are Spreading About Ohio Issue 1," June 26, 2023,  https://www.buckeyefirearms.org/4-big-lies-opponents-spreading-about-ohio-issue-1.

• “Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes;” 

Declaration of Independence, 1776 https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

• "Issue 1 presents a pivotal opportunity to create stronger safeguards for Ohio’s legislative process. A YES Vote on Issue 1 will protect Ohioans from those seeking to enact anti-business policies like the current effort to massively increase Ohio’s minimum wage and eliminate the tipped wage. This August 8th, The Ohio Chamber of Commerce urges a YES Vote on Issue 1."

Steve Stivers, CEO, Ohio Chamber of Commerce, "Endorsements," Vote Yes Ohio, accessed June 25, 2023, https://www.voteyesohio.com/endorsements.

• “This could completely change the outcome of the pro-abortion measure that may not even make it to the ballot for a vote in November. It could cause the extreme pro-abortion initiative to fizzle completely, and that is what we hope and pray will happen – so that Ohio babies can live.”

Troy Newman, President, Operation Rescue, accessed June 22, 2023, https://www.operationrescue.org/archives/ohio-resolution-passed/.

• "There is nothing radical about requiring a 60% vote to amend the State Constitution. We need to rally against out of state interests and extreme groups who want to make their radical agenda PERMANENT in our constitution. Our Founding Fathers intended to make it hard to amend the Constitution: It takes a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress and three-fourths of the states to amend the US Constitution..."

Vote Yes Ohio, accessed June 23, 2023, https://www.voteyesohio.com/.

• “Our constitution is not a policy document, that’s why we elect men and women to be state reps and state senators and we have a governor. Let’s debate those issues, abortion, minimum wage, family farming, in the statehouse, in this building, not in the state constitution.”  Mike Gonidakis, Ohio Right to Life

Michelle Alfini, "Former Gov. Bob Taft, former Rep. Michael Curtin host forum opposing Issue 1," Spectrum News, June 28, 2023.

• "It's hard to collect signatures in all 88 counties, rather than 44 (as required now). There's confusing language about every elector versus those who have voted in the primary because every elector, the registration numbers change every day, multiple times a day, as people move or turn 18 or they pass away."  Jen Miller, Executive Director, Ohio League of Women Voters

• Jo Ingles, "Opponents of proposed constitutional change to make it harder to pass amendments talk about strategy," WYSO, June 9, 2023.
  
  

• "Ohioans must remain diligent in seeing what this vote is really about: a thinly veiled attempt to endanger the lives of millions by restricting access to fundamental healthcare."

Lauren Blauvelt, VP of Government Affairs and Public Advocacy, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, "Anti-choice advocates losing Ohio. August election is about abortion.", The Columbus Dispatch, May 19, 2023.

• “The desperate plot to silence the voters will fail. We are confident Ohioans will defeat the anti-democracy amendment in August then pass our reproductive freedom amendment this fall.”

Dr. Lauren Beene, Executive Director, Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights/Protect Choice Ohio, accessed June 22, 2023, https://protectchoiceohio.com/sjr2.

• "Issue 1 restricts your freedom and takes away our rights. It permanently shreds our Constitution, ends majority rule in Ohio and takes away your right to decide what happens here by undermining the sacred principle of ‘one person, one vote.’ Keeping a simple majority as it’s been for more than 100 years is just common sense." 

One Person One Vote, accessed June 23, 2023, https://votenoinaugust.org/facts/.

• “A state constitution is a living document. This is an 1851 document. There’s a lot of things that need to be updated to reflect the times.”  Michael Curtin, Democrat, Ohio House of Representatives

Michelle Alfini, "Former Gov. Bob Taft, former Rep. Michael Curtin host forum opposing Issue 1," Spectrum News, June 28, 2023.

Committees formed to SUPPORT Issue 1:

PROTECT OUR CONSTITUTION

Selected Contributions TO Protect Our Constitution include:

• Richard Uihlein
• 55 Green Meadows
• Save Ohio Jobs, LLC
• CME Group, Inc.
• Ohio State Association of Nurse Anesthetists
• Wholesale Beer and Wine Association
• James & Susan Haslam
• Cleveland Right to Life
• NFIB

PROTECT OUR KIDS OHIO

Selected Contributions TO Protect Our Kids Ohio include:

• Protect Our Constitution
• American Principles Project PAC
  

PROTECT WOMEN OHIO

Selected Contributions TO Protect Women Ohio include:

• Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America
• Protect Women Ohio Action, Inc.
• Archdiocese of Cincinnati
• Catholic Dioceses of Cleveland
• Diocese of Columbus
• Tony, Jack & Jerry Maas
• Protect Women Ohio Fund
• Ohio Right to Life Society
• Langdon Law
• CMC Group, Inc.

Committees formed to OPPOSE Issue 1:

ONE PERSON ONE VOTE

Selected Contributions TO One Person One Vote include:

• Sixteen Thirty Fund
• Tides Foundation
• American Advocacy Action Fund, Inc.
• Ohio Education Association
• National Education Association
• Karla Jurvestson
• Ohio Organizing Campaign
• ACLU of Ohio
• American Civil Liberties Union
• Article IV
• Democracy Fund
• Hopewell Fund
• Lynn J Schusterman Trust
• North Fund
• Ohio Progressive Collaborative
•  Every Eligible American
• Ohio Organizing Collaborative
  
• The Fairness Project

• "We're talking about protecting Ohio from becoming California.  There are all kind of bad ideas out on the west coast that they want to try to buy their way in here with and that ad lays out just a few of them.  What they didn't even get into is extreme livestock care standards that would put farmers out of business, a radical increase in the minimum wage that would put people out of work. The list of bad things coming our way if we don't vote Yes on Issue 1 is pretty long."

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Ohio Issue 1 Debate, NBC4 Columbus, July 25, 2023, 30:50

• In response to ad produced by Protect Women Ohio (29:26 mark):

"...the Planned Parenthood ballot amendment is less than 250 words.  You don't have to be a lawyer to read it.  I've debated this on your program, Colleen.  It absolutely takes away parental consent if they're successful, which they won't be, in November.  That's how dangerous it is.  It absolutely allows for a late-term abortion up to and through the ninth month of pregnancy.  That's truth in advertising.  If someone doesn't like it, sue us.  No one's sued us yet on it.  It's absolutely factually accurate and that's what's coming from Planned Parenthood if we don't protect our constitution  with a Yes vote on August 8th."

Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis, Ohio Issue 1 Debate, NBC4 Columbus, July 25, 2023, 30:22.

• "If [the people of Ohio] want to put something in the Constitution and it passes it's not going to be divisive because...a super majority of people agree with it."

Ohio State Representative Jim Hoops (R), Spectrum News Forum on Ohio State Issue 1, July 20, 2023., 15:54.

• "We can use our real political power to change the culture of guns in this state.  It starts by voting No on Issue 1, by the way, to make sure we can maybe put a ballot measure on our state constitution to have common sense gun reform."

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Cleveland Press Conference, July 26, 2023.

• In response to ad produced by Protect Women Ohio (29:26 mark):

"Scurrilous.  It's complete trash.  It's complete myth.  That ad has been fact-checked by newspapers across this state.  It's been fact-checked by this station.  It's been fact-checked by independent viewers all over the state.  It's garbage.  It's 100% untrue."

Former Democratic member of Ohio House of Representatives Mike Curtin, Ohio Issue 1 Debate, NBC4 Columbus, July 25, 2023, 30:03.

• "State constitutions are meant to be living documents that are responsive to the individual needs of states and citizens."

Ohio State House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D), Spectrum News Forum on Ohio State Issue 1, July 20, 2023, 16:25.