CLEVELAND — Debate continues over Ohio Issue 1 with less than two weeks left until the August special election. Issue 1 calls for raising the threshold for passing future changes to the Ohio Constitution from a simple majority to 60%.
"This is a step backward for Ohio, not a step forward," former Ohio Gov. Richard Celeste said.
Joining Celeste for a debate Wednesday in front of a mostly anti-Issue 1 crowd at the City Club of Cleveland were Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery and state representative Susan Manchester.
"It's about protecting the constitution by trusting the people to approve it at 60% majority," said LaRose.
LaRose and Manchester support a "Yes" vote on Issue 1.
"All that Issue 1 does is says that if you're going to make that permanent, long lasting, really forever change to out constitution that you should be able to build a broad bipartisan majority of at least 60%," said LaRose.
Meanwhile, Celeste and Montgomery want Ohioans to vote "No" on the issue.
"Issue 1 is an effort to diminish the voice of the people by raising what's required to amend our constitution from fifty-percent plus one to 60%," said Celeste. "To make it almost impossible to get the signatures to put an issue on the ballot."
Both parties agree that the early voting turnout has been encouraging for an August election, but hope the debate spreads more information to Ohioans.
"We had a good robust debate and that's what democracy is all about," said LaRose.
"Hopefully there was a substantial amount of information that was conveyed," said Celeste.
Republicans behind Issue 1 have said that it has nothing to do with thwarting an abortion rights question this fall. However, early summer campaign messaging on social media and in churches urges a yes vote “to protect life.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story
