Ohio GOP Lawmakers Renew Push to Raise Constitutional Amendment Threshold
Republican lawmakers want to raise the constitutional amendment threshold to 60%, reviving an effort voters rejected in 2023 by wide margins.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Ohio Republican state lawmakers are launching another attempt to raise the threshold required to amend the state constitution, reviving an effort that voters rejected in 2023.
Republican state Senator Jerry Cirino of Kirtland is leading the new proposal to increase the voting requirement for constitutional amendments from a simple majority to a 60% supermajority, according to legislative sources.
Previous Effort Failed at Ballot Box
The renewed push comes nearly three years after Ohio voters decisively defeated a similar measure in August 2023. That proposal was rejected by voters who saw it as an attempt to block upcoming ballot initiatives.
The 2023 effort was tied to stopping reproductive rights amendments and preventing anti-gerrymandering reforms. The Republican lawmaker who sponsored that measure had told colleagues the proposal was specifically designed to halt both the reproductive rights amendment and any future redistricting reform efforts.
Context of Ongoing Voting Rights Debates
The constitutional amendment threshold proposal emerges amid broader Republican efforts to restrict voting access in Ohio. Lawmakers have passed multiple bills making it more difficult to vote and have faced criticism for extensive gerrymandering that predetermined outcomes in at least 121 elections scheduled for 2026.
Republican legislators also overrode voter preferences regarding the 2023 legal marijuana law, adding new regulations despite the measure’s passage at the ballot box. Governor Mike DeWine signed legislation in December 2025 banning intoxicating hemp and implementing additional marijuana regulations.
The gerrymandered legislative districts have allowed Republicans to maintain supermajorities despite statewide elections showing more competitive results. Critics argue this has enabled lawmakers to pursue policies that don’t reflect the will of Ohio voters.
Constitutional Amendment Process Under Scrutiny
Ohio’s constitution currently allows amendments to pass with a simple majority vote. The Republican proposal would require a 60% threshold, making it significantly more difficult for citizen-initiated amendments to succeed.
Voter advocacy groups have characterized the effort as an attack on fundamental democratic rights. They argue that requiring supermajorities gives outsized power to minority factions and makes the constitution nearly impossible to change through the democratic process.
The timing of the renewed effort coincides with ongoing ballot initiative campaigns on various issues. Citizen groups have been working to place measures before voters that address redistricting reform, voting rights, and other policy changes.
Legislative leaders have not yet announced specific timelines for advancing the constitutional amendment threshold proposal. Any such measure would need to pass both chambers of the legislature before appearing on a statewide ballot for voter consideration.
