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Making it harder to change the constitution is an inherently conservative position. That's basically what conservative means – it's a desire to keep things mostly how they are (or how they used to be, in the supposed "good old days").

The GOP regularly violates their own rules and norms whenever it suits them. Small government? Personal freedom?

Because it was pushed through as an august election not long after august elections were banned (due to high cost and low turnout), but almost immediately after legalizing abortion wound up on the November ballot. Sure it’s about more than abortion, but it’s also very much about abortion, otherwise it would’ve waited until November.

The reason people focus on the abortion angle is because there is a vote to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution in November. This bill would apply to that vote. It would also make it harder to try again and harder to have grassroots initiatives in general.

I wonder why changing the constitution is suddenly an issue the Ohio GOP wants to vote on…

You are thinking of the Old GOP. New GOP doesn't vote on conservative values. They're just an underfed truffle pig scrounging in the dirt for any crumbs that will increase their power. It's pathetic. Theyll eat their own leg if they get hungry enough.

Currently abortion is not protected in Ohio, which means that we could go to a complete abortion ban, with no exception for rape, incest, or danger to the mother or fetus. There is a proposal that the populace put forward to add a right to reproductive healthcare to the Ohio Constitution. It has already gathered enough signatures and will be voted on in November, but it did not clear the 60% bar that Issue 1 would have set. This was a last minute Hail-Mary pass by extremely hypocritical Republicans to change the rules before the voters of Ohio got a direct voice on reproductive rights. Republicans in Ohio saw what happened when people voted on abortions rights as a single issue in Kansas. They are now willing and boldly showing that they will throw out the democratic principles the US, and Ohio, were founded on in order to prop up a theological government with the intent to punish women simply for not being men.

Issue 1 was about abortions, and it was never anything different.

Headlines are focusing on abortion because this proposal was very clearly meant to make it substantially harder for the later vote on an amendment to protect abortion rights to succeed. The GOP knows that, when put to a direct vote, at least 50% will vote for legal abortion. But in a state like Ohio, 60% just might be a realistic ceiling.

I mean, do you really think it was a coincidence that this proposal was done in this particular moment?

It's because the majority of Americans are actually united on many issues. The chances an amendment passes with 51% is highly unlikely. So anything unconstitutional getting passed is a none issue. That's why no abortion ban has made it to amendment status. Amendments override lower laws. So a body autonomy amendment would take all abortion bans of the table even when the state senate which in this case is held by the GOP despite not having the population vote.

It's because the right want to make sure the people can't go and do something like enshrine fundamental rights like reproductive freedom. Safe from their meddling

Amending the constitution is how states pass laws. This isn’t like the US constitution.

That and this issue was brought up by conservatives in proactive response to an abortion vote in November.

Isn't conservative at least partially about maintaining the status quo? I'd say making it harder to change government is pretty conservative.