Ohio anti-abortion group's amendment clears hurdle

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio’s attorney general has cleared an anti-abortion group to continue with its effort to amend the Ohio Constitution to declare that life begins when a human egg is fertilized.

Attorney General Mike DeWine today certified the petition for a proposed amendment submitted by Personhood Ohio. He said a summary of the issue is a “fair and truthful” reflection of the amendment.

DeWine had rejected the group’s summary in October. Personhood Ohio then changed the amendment’s phrasing to specify that it wouldn’t affect contraception or in-vitro fertilization.

The Ohio Ballot Board must still sign off on the proposed issue before its supporters can begin gathering signatures to put it on the ballot. Roughly 385,000 signatures from Ohio voters are needed for the amendment to appear on November 2012 ballots.