The Spectrum: Businesses on Issue 1; new Trump charges

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – This week on The Spectrum:

• “For 14 years, the (Ohio) Chamber (of Commerce) has said we want to make it harder to put things in the Ohio Constitution,” Chamber president and CEO Steve Stivers said.

With the Aug. 8 special election days away, business leaders are pushing back against the Ohio Chamber of Commerce’s endorsement of Issue 1.

“This really fundamentally changes the reputation of our state,” founder and Chief Creative Officer of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Jeni Britton said.

“I would imagine that every organization who understands the importance of being able to bring talent into their organization is concerned,” retired Nationwide Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Gale King said.

Why business leaders said making it harder to amend Ohio’s constitution would be bad for business.

• Fact-checking claims about birth control from the Issue 1 debate.

“There’s no one that has an agenda to ban contraception,” Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis said.

But is that true?

“For me, the whole issue goes back to when does life begin,” Ohio Rep. Gary Click said.

Hear about a bill that stalled at the Ohio statehouse last year that would have banned one of the most effective forms of contraception.

“They have already made it known that this is one of the things they’d like to look into next,” Ohio Rep. Jessica Miranda said.

And why there’s a worry that the bill could be revived.

• Former President Donald Trump was arraigned this week on criminal charges, the third time this year he has been charged.

“Charging Donald J. Trump with conspiring to defraud the United States,” Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith said announcing the charges.

What are the new charges Trump is facing and what it could mean for the 2024 presidential race.

• Republican strategist Matt Dole and Innovation Ohio President and CEO Desiree Tims join the all-star roundtable to discuss the strategies of both sides in the Issue 1 debate as election day looms.