Dear Editor,
Ohioans have had the constitutional right to bring citizen-led amendments to the ballot since the 1912 Ohio Constitutional Convention. It was intentionally written into our constitution as a check on corrupt politicians of that day. Now, just three years after Ohio’s biggest statehouse bribery scandal (FirstEnergy), the politicians want Ohioans to vote away this right. They’ve called an August election, mere months after outlawing August elections, hoping to sneak Issue 1 through while few voters were looking. Issue 1 is not merely about needing 60% to pass amendments to the Ohio constitution. It also includes two signature-gathering restrictions that would make it near-impossible for citizen groups to bring possible amendments to the ballot for a vote.
Citizen groups currently need to gather signatures from 10% of all Ohio voters, including 5% of voters in each of 44 counties (50%). This geographic distribution requirement was designed to provide a good cross-section of rural and urban Ohioans. Issue 1 would change that to 100% of counties, allowing one county to block an initiative that the other 87 counties all want the chance to vote on. Some say that Issue 1 stops special interests, but how? It would certainly make the signature-gathering process more difficult and expensive, but big money groups can just throw money at the problem and get it done. It’s only the cash-poor citizen-based groups that Issue 1 would shut down.
Ohio’s constitution may have too many amendments. But fully 85% of those were politician-initiated. So why does Issue 1 place heavy restrictions on citizens to bring new amendments, but zero restrictions on politicians? Clearly, it’s about a politician power grab, not the number of amendments. Some say that Ohioans should work to pass new laws instead of new amendments. But unfortunately, that is not a viable path for citizens, since Ohio politicians can overturn any citizen-initiated law the very next day if they dislike it. With no protection against this politician power move, constitutional amendments are Ohioans’ only way to pass something that the politicians must abide by.
The “yes” side is using scary culture war messaging, hoping to distract voters from what Issue 1 is really about. Don’t be fooled. Issue 1 is not about guns or abortion or trans issues or birth control or parental consent. Look at the text of the ballot measure: It says nothing about these issues. It is a power grab that would place heavy restrictions on citizen-led left-wing, right-wing, and centrist initiatives alike. Do your own research using nonpartisan sites. I have learned so much from Ballotpedia.org, for example.
Opposition to Issue 1 is broad and nonpartisan. A “no” vote is endorsed by all former Ohio governors (both Republican and Democrat), Ohio’s former Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, the Libertarian Party, the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police and so many more. I hope your readers will stand with this broad coalition and vote “no” to preserve a constitutional right that we have had for 111 years.
Lauren Crane
Marysville