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Hands down, one of the most controversial topics in the nation is abortion rights, and the public may get the chance to vote on it soon.

The Personhood Amendment is a way around the now-staled Heartbeat Bill, which recognizes life at conception. The Personhood Amendment would recognize life of a fertilized egg.

Christopher Banks is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Kent State. Banks explains why the Heartbeat Bill is staled.

“The [anti-abortion groups] that were pushing it wanted too much,” Banks said. “The House leadership and the Assembly leadership got frustrated with that process.”

But the groups weren’t finished just yet.

“That is why they are going to the people themselves,” Banks said. “[They created] a constitutional amendment, called the Personhood Amendment, to do the same thing.”

One of the biggest groups to push the Heartbeat Bill and the Personhood Amendment is the TEA Party.

“There’s a movement spurred on by the TEA Party,” Banks said. “…Basically to try to press these issues in the legislative and judicial area to get the values that the conservatives want into law.”

Four Portage County TEA Party candidates met Wednesday night at Aurora High School. They are the potential candidates for the 76th Ohio House District.

The current candidates are Mary E. O’Toole, Matt Lynch, Kristina Port and Mark Porter.

I spoke with each candidate to get his or her stance on the Amendment.

“I’ve always been Pro-Life,” Lynch said. “We’re in a position now, in Ohio, to pass one of the strictest abortion limitations in the nation.”

Mark Porter is also Pro-Life, but he wants to make sure the safety of the mother.

“I haven’t read the bill yet,” Porter said. “But I do want to make sure there are medical considerations addressed in the bill.”

But could the Personhood Amendment pass in Ohio?

Banks says it’s possible.

“There’s a strong chance it would be popular enough,” Banks said. “Given the political climate.”

Contact Lauren Miller at [email protected].