COLUMBUS, Ohio – Today, Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie J. Antonio  (pictured)(D-Lakewood) issued a keen statement after Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, her public policy nemesis among some other anti-abortion Republicans in Ohio, announced that a proposed amendment to codify abortion access in the state constitution has enough valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

"I applaud the dedicated citizens who tirelessly gathered signatures to place this proposed amendment on the November ballot," said Sen.Antonio, a Lakewood Democrat whose 23rd state Senate district of Ohio also includes 14 of Cleveland's 17 wards."This is a critical step in ensuring that every individual can make personal healthcare decisions without government interference. The hard work and determination of Ohio citizens have made this important milestone possible. Today, the results of their efforts showcase the power of grassroots perseverance and the collective voice of Ohioans standing up for reproductive rights and justice."

Secretary of State LaRose on Tuesday certified petitions for a ballot initiative in November in Ohio where voters will determine whether to enshrine the legal right to an abortion in the Ohio Constitution. a controversial issued that has upset grassroots community activists and rocked political circles in Ohio.

Ohio advocates for reproductive rights and abortion access made their last big push collecting petition signatures late last month and by the July 5 deadline . The coalition, which includes an array of groups, including local Black and other seasoned activist groups and organizers  in Cleveland that have pushed for reproductive rights for women for years,  turned in  some 710,000  signatures-by the July 5 deadline, more than double the roughly 313,000 signatures needed to place the abortion rights issue before voters via the Nov. 7 general election.The campaign needed 495,938 total valid signatures from 55 counties to qualify for the November ballot.

Republicans have placed a ballot initiative before voters for an Aug. 8 special election dubbed State Issue 1 It asks voters to raise the threshold for future constitutional amendments from a simple majority to a super-majority, or 60 percent of voters, an effort, say abortion supporters, to derail their abortion ballot initiative for this fall.

Many who want to pass the constitutional amendments change say a special August election is necessary to prevent out-of-state, special interest groups from amending Ohio’s constitution Opponents of Issue 1., mostly abortion rights advocates, call the assertion political bull designed to further disenfranchise women in Ohio and to strip voters of one person-one vote.  But it has also become a tug-of-war between Republicans and Democrats from the White House on down, and Ohio, once a pivotal state that has turned red in recent years, is center-stage.

Last year, on June 24, 2022, the nation's high court ended access to abortion for women nationwide and gave individual states the authority to legislate abortion, including to restrict or outright outlaw the procedure all together, causing a firestorm of protests throughout the country.