Ohio Advances Historic Equal Rights and Marriage Equality Amendments

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Attorney General's Office has certified two pivotal proposed constitutional amendments, clearing a significant hurdle in the journey to enshrine equal rights protections and marriage equality in the state. This move brings the initiatives closer to appearing on a future ballot.

Initially conceived as a single proposal, the Ohio Ballot Board determined last month that the effort contained multiple amendments. Consequently, the provisions for broader equal rights protections and for marriage equality were separated. Organizers, including Ohio Equal Rights, accepted the decision and resubmitted revised titles and summaries for both amendments to Attorney General Dave Yost earlier this month.

Lis Regula, co-chair of Ohio Equal Rights, expressed gratitude for the prompt certification, stating, "Ohio Equal Rights is grateful for AG Yost’s prompt attention to such an important matter to all Ohioans. This efficient and appreciated response lets us continue to work with the community to build a state where fairness is a lived reality."

The amendments, if passed by voters, would add new equal rights safeguards to the Ohio Constitution for various protected classes, and specifically extend these protections to marriage, thereby removing unenforceable language from a 2004 same-sex marriage ban.

The certified amendments will now proceed to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office. To qualify for the ballot, petitioners must collect 442,958 valid signatures from registered voters in at least half of Ohio’s 88 counties for each amendment. If a sufficient number of signatures are verified at least 65 days before an election, the full text of the amendments will appear on the next regular or general election ballot occurring at least 125 days after the petition filing.