Current:Home > NewsGOP megadonor pours millions into effort to hinder Ohio abortion amendment -Streamline Finance
GOP megadonor pours millions into effort to hinder Ohio abortion amendment
View
Date:2025-04-13 00:58:46
Ohio voters are heading to the polls on Tuesday, Aug. 8, to vote on Issue 1. The following story was first published on July 28.
New campaign finance records show Illinois Republican megadonor Richard Uihlein is funding the bulk of the campaign aimed at thwarting a constitutional amendment on abortion in Ohio.
Ohio is likely the only state this year to have a measure on the ballot to enshrine abortion access into the state constitution, setting up a test case for how the issue may drive voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election. A USA TODAY Network/Suffolk University poll released this week found 58% of Ohioans support a constitutional amendment.
That support may not be enough to pass. Currently, such amendments require support from a simple majority — 50% + 1 vote. But the GOP-led state legislature set up a special election for Aug. 8 to raise the threshold to 60%. That measure is known as Ohio Issue 1.
Uihlein, an Illinois shipping supplies magnate with a history of donations to anti-abortion groups, was the top funder of Protect our Constitution, the main group supporting Issue 1. Uihlein gave $4 million to the group, the bulk of the $4.85 million raised.
Last month, a CBS News investigation found Uihlein had an outsized role in getting Issue 1 on the ballot. In April, he gave $1.1 million to a political committee pressuring Republican lawmakers to approve the August special election. Financial disclosures show a foundation controlled by Uihlein has given nearly $18 million to a Florida-based organization pushing similar changes to the constitutional amendment process in states across the country.
Uihlein didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ohio Republicans pushing to change the rules over constitutional amendments originally billed the effort as one that would prevent outside interests from influencing the state constitution. But supporters, including Secretary of State Frank LaRose, have since acknowledged the change would make it harder for a constitutional amendment on abortion to pass.
Last year, voters in Kansas and Michigan chose to preserve abortion access in their state constitutions with just under 60% approval.
Once the August special election was approved, money began to flow in on both sides. The central group opposed to raising the threshold for passing an amendment to 60%, One Person One Vote, raised a total of $14.4 million. The Sixteen Thirty Fund gave $2.5 million to the effort, campaign finance records show. The group, based in Washington D.C., has spent millions on left-leaning causes, including the campaign against the confirmation of then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
- In:
- Abortion
- Ohio
Caitlin Huey-Burns is a political correspondent for CBS News based in Washington, D.C.
TwitterveryGood! (84)
Related
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Flavor Flav and the lost art of the hype man: Where are hip-hop's supporting actors?
- Trial starts in case that seeks more Black justices on Mississippi’s highest court
- Hiroshima governor says nuclear disarmament must be tackled as a pressing issue, not an ideal
- Breaking debut in Olympics raises question: Are breakers artists or athletes?
- 'The Pairing' review: Casey McQuiston paints a deliciously steamy European paradise
- SEC, Big Ten domination headlines US LBM Coaches Poll winners and losers
- Teresa Giudice Explains Her Shocking Reaction to Jackie Goldschneider Bombshell During RHONJ Finale
- Elon Musk’s Daughter Vivian Calls Him “Absolutely Pathetic” and a “Serial Adulterer”
- Chiefs make Harrison Butker NFL's highest-paid kicker with contract extension, per reports
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Ex-Trump attorney Jenna Ellis to cooperate in Arizona fake electors case, charges to be dropped
- Ex-Trump attorney Jenna Ellis to cooperate in Arizona fake electors case, charges to be dropped
- Before 'Cowboy Carter,' Ron Tarver spent 30 years photographing Black cowboys
- 'Most Whopper
- Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' Son Olin's Famous Godfather Revealed
- South Carolina school apologizes for employees' Border Patrol shirts at 'cantina' event
- 2024 Olympics: Gymnast Laurie Hernandez Addresses Her Commentary After Surprising Beam Final
Recommendation
Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
Teresa Giudice Explains Her Shocking Reaction to Jackie Goldschneider Bombshell During RHONJ Finale
The Small Business Administration expands clean energy loan program
Olympics 3x3 basketball is a mess. How to fix it before the next Games.
Connie Chiume, South African 'Black Panther' actress, dies at 72
The 2024 MTV VMA Nominations Are Finally Here: See the Complete List
Pregnant Cardi B Reveals the Secret of How She Hid Her Baby Bump
Ferguson thrust them into activism. Now, Cori Bush and Wesley Bell battle for a congressional seat