Signature collecting event scheduled

FOSTORIA—Volunteers throughout Fostoria and the surrounding area are hosting petition signing efforts through June to amend Ohio's Constitution with proposed language securing the right to reproductive freedom. The proposed amendment includes protections for every individual to carry out one's own reproductive decisions including contraception, fertility treatment, continuing one's own pregnancy, miscarriage care and abortion up until the point of fetal viability. Over 1,500 Ohio-based obstetricians and gynecologists in the Ohio section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have endorsed the proposed amendment, "The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety." Volunteer community members will be circulating petitions from noon-4 p.m., May 13, at the UAW 2021 Union Hall, 1675 N. Union St. "I sincerely appreciate the advice and support from Fostoria Police Chief Wedge to ensure that the petition signing event can be hosted in a safe and peaceful way," said Fostoria Ward 1 Councilperson, Amy Mendoza. "Because it is private property, only those wanting to sign the petition will be allowed access. Protesters are only allowed to be on the sidewalk across the street from the entrance to the hall." As part of a nonpartisan citizen-led ballot initiative, the petition requires at least 413,466 signatures, or 5% of the voter turnout from 2022, from voters in 44 of the 88 counties in Ohio. If enough signatures are acquired, registered Ohio voters would vote in November's general election whether to enshrine the proposed amendment language into Ohio's constitution. This effort is underway to counteract the current Ohio law banning abortions when fetal cardiac activity is detected regardless of cases of sexual assault, fatal fetal abnormalities or incest. More information on the local effort to collect petition signatures as well as the overall ballot initiative's proposed constitutional amendment language, future timing of petition signing opportunities, latest news on the effort, fact checks to ads airing against the initiative, and how to get involved can be found online at hancockohdems.org/repro-rights. If you miss this event, others can be found online through Mobilize.us or contact Pam Easterday at pamelaeasterday@yahoo.com.