There are many ways to change public policy, and one of the most powerful is amending a state constitution to reflect the priorities and interests of the people. In Ohio, efforts are underway to adopt a Medical Right to Refuse constitutional amendment, after efforts to pass a ban on vaccine mandates stalled in the state Senate.

Approved by Ohio Ballot Board

In a June 24 press release,  Ohio Advocates for Medical Freedom note that the amendment language and ballot summary were approved by the state attorney general on that date. On July 5, the Ohio Ballot Board certified that the amendment covers only one subject, and now if advocates can gather enough signatures the proposal would be put to the voters in 2023. Ohio law requires about 443,000 signatures; proponents are hoping to gather 600,000 signatures to account for some “bad” or legally deficient signatures.    

The Constitutional Amendment

The proposed constitutional amendment is short and to the point:

Section 22: Medical Right to Refuse

(A) An individual’s right to refuse any medical procedure, treatment, injection, vaccine, prophylactic, pharmaceutical, or medical device shall be absolute.

(B) No law, rule, regulation, person, employer, entity, or healthcare provider shall require, mandate, or coerce any person to receive or use a medical procedure, treatment, injection, vaccine, prophylactic, pharmaceutical, or medical device nor shall they discriminate against the individual who exercises this right.

(C) No other provision of the Ohio Constitution shall impair or limit the rights contained herein.

The Right to Refuse

Activists have set up a website to organize both support for the amendment and the signature gathering process. They note that Ohio law allows for constitutional amendments to go before the public in a state-wide vote. As these proponents put it, “We’re approaching the general public and asking Ohioans to pass [a] law that would ensure they, their families, their friends, their co-workers, all Ohioans, have the final say as to what medication goes into their bodies.” The Medical Right to Refuse initiative would “guarantee that all Ohioans maintain autonomy over their body and their medical choices to receive or not receive medications, specifically the right to refuse injections, such as the Covid-19 shot.”