Potential constitutional amendments may come before voters this year or next

OSCPA staff report  

Ohio voters should pay attention to several upcoming ballot measures that could appear in November or in 2024. The measures range from abortion rights to marijuana. OSCPA has no official stance on these issues. Below are issues to watch:  

• Abortion rights: The Ohio Ballot Board verified in March that a proposed amendment for the November ballot to cement abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution can now move forward to the full signature-gathering stage. 

• Higher threshold for passage of future amendments: Ohio House Joint Resolution 1 is a proposal which would require 60% of the vote to pass constitutional amendments, and will be decided in August. 

• Minimum wage: Ohio’s current minimum wage is $10.10 per hour, and the new proposal changes the language to raise the minimum wage to $12.75 per hour on Jan. 1, 2025, and to $15 per hour on Jan. 1, 2026.  

• Marijuana: Another ballot issue would legalize the use of marijuana for adults age 21 and older.