Responding to Ohio's Issue 1 Approval

On Tuesday night, Ohio voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that establishes a right to abortion. As pro-life and pro-woman advocates, we’re deeply grieved by the implications of this amendment. We encourage you to read the ballot and full text of the amendment entitled “The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety.” Ohio Issue 1 ballot & full text of amendment. 

​The full text of the amendment is below with our concerns noted.

Upon approval, physicians now have the authority to determine the viability of a preborn child, as well as the authority to determine if an abortion is necessary to protect the pregnant woman’s life or health, including mental and emotional health, at any stage of pregnancy. This means the life of a preborn child is in the hands of a medical professional’s subjective judgment. It is also worth mentioning that for-profit abortion providers like Planned Parenthood benefit from abortion access, unlike Pregnancy Centers like My Life Clinic that are entirely non-profit. The open-ended implications of this allowance have raised appropriate alarm, with advocates from both sides of the issue voicing concern.
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What this means for Missouri
Missouri lobbyist, Sam Lee, communicated at this week’s Alliance for Life conference in Kansas City that we, as pro-life advocates, should be aware of the likelihood that Missouri’s legislature is considering following suit. If abortion access is reinstated in Missouri, this could threaten funding for Alternatives to Abortion, a Missouri program that offers services to encourage women to choose life for their baby, as well as the 70% Missouri Pregnancy Resource Center Tax Credit program. As we just saw in Ohio, things can change quickly and Missouri is not immune.

Our calling to you
In today’s culture, we feel it’s vitally important to discuss the broader implications that news like this has for women and children in our state. Our Life Network team will provide updates as much as we can, and we encourage you to take ownership in staying current on the abortion conversation.

In light of this setback, we continue to have hope. The Dobbs decision has made a difference: studies show there were 5,000 less abortions in the two months following the overturn of Roe v Wade. We’re not alone in our face-to-face work with women facing unplanned pregnancies. My Life Clinic is working alongside many pregnancy resource centers in Missouri that are meeting women where they are, loving them well, and answering practical needs.
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Moments like this call us to prayer. We deeply desire for abortion to become unthinkable and we know that this is only possible if hearts are changed. We’re encouraged by The Gospel Coalition’s response to Tuesday’s news here. “We can fight the pro-life fight joyfully in the power of the Spirit, knowing one day the One who conquered death will return to make all things new.”

Recommended reading & responses to Tuesday’s decision:

• After ‘Roe’: The Pro-Life Movement’s Next 50 Years from The Gospel Coalition
• Ohio Newspapers Refuse to Endorse Issue 1 from Secular Pro-Life