Former Ohio attorneys general fight supermajority amendment aimed at thwarting abortion rights question

Ohio Republican state lawmakers pressed forward Tuesday with a plan to raise the threshold for passing future constitutional amendments in August, with an eye toward thwarting a November abortion rights question. Five former Ohio attorneys general of both parties joined a growing chorus in opposing their plan.

Two Ohio House committees had separate possible votes scheduled — one on a bill establishing a $20 million special election this summer, and another on a joint resolution that would place an issue on that ballot asking to raise the threshold for passing constitutional amendments from 50%-plus-one to 60%.

Five former attorneys general wrote a letter to every state senator and representative Monday opposing the plan, a move that follows opposition from former Republican Govs. Bob Taft and John Kasich and former Democratic Govs. Ted Strickland and Richard Celeste.