Ohio GOP advances making constitutional changes tougher

A contingent of Statehouse Republicans in Ohio has pressed forward with plans to make it harder to amend the state’s constitution. The effort is aimed most immediately at thwarting an abortion rights amendment in the works for this fall. Identical resolutions cleared Senate and House committees Wednesday. Each would ask voters to raise the threshold for passing Ohio constitutional amendments from 50%-plus-one to 60%. The Senate version went straight to a floor vote, where it passed 26-7. Senators also passed separate legislation setting an Aug. 8 special election to decide the question. A House vote wasn't immediately scheduled.