To the Editor:

If you’ve driven past the many signs proclaiming “Vote Yes on Issue 1! Protect the Constitution!” wondering what needs protecting, it’s quite simple: authoritarianism.

Issue 1 was rammed through the Ohio General Assembly to be put on the ballot for Aug. 8. Never mind that the General Assembly passed a law in December 2022 banning August elections before breaking its own law a few months later; that flagrant violation has become the norm on State Street. The real issue is that the Assembly believes you, the voter, are too dumb to realize your rights are being pulled out from under you with Issue 1.

Issue 1 raises the threshold for an amendment to be put into law by voters from 50% to 60%. This change may seem small, but this is the same logic by which nothing gets done in Congress – the Senate has a similar 60% majority, which kills most legislation before it even begins. In Ohio, we have proudly lived by majority rule for 112 years. The Assembly now wants to take that away.

Why, you may ask? The Assembly believes Ohioans cannot think for themselves. As amendments for minimum wage, marijuana legislation and abortion come down the pipe, they believe Ohioans cannot decide these issues for themselves. They want to instead raise the threshold to stop any legislation, even if it is the will of the voters. Remember, these issues are not even law and could be repealed by voters in the next election. The Assembly is fearful of what Ohio voters have to say and would rather stack the deck in favor of big, corrupt and undemocratic government.

Don’t believe me? Had Issue 1 been the law of Ohio since its most recent constitution in 1912, of the 158 amendments that have passed, 65 amendments – 40% – would not have passed Issue 1’s threshold. These laws include:

• 1912: Eight-hour workday (59%)
• 1923: Allowing African-Americans to vote (56%)
• 1949: Allow candidate choice in voting (57%)
• 1954: Term limits for governors (54%)
• 1976: Stopping felons from voting or running for office (56%)
• 2006: Raising the minimum wage (57%)
• 2015: Preventing monopolies (51%)

Nothing is more un-American than trampling the will of the people. If you are a patriotic American who supports democracy and freedom, Issue 1 is nothing more than an attempt to establish authoritarian rule in Ohio. Vote no; your liberty depends on it.

Trevor Rhodes

Mount Vernon