To the Editor:
Re: Vote no on Issue 1 – Protect citizens’ voices in Ohio
Issue 1 will take power away from Ohio citizens by requiring that a 60% supermajority of voters approve any initiative, instead of the current requirement of a simple majority.
As Ohioans, we can be justifiably proud of our history of citizen-led ballot initiatives. Ohioans passed a constitutional amendment 111 years ago giving citizens the right to submit and pass constitutional amendments by a simple majority of voters. At the time, in 1912, Ohio citizens were incensed by the corruption of the state legislature which was controlled by the super-wealthy robber barons of that era. Ohio voters recognized the need for citizen-led ballot initiatives when the legislature wasn’t addressing the issues of the times.
The 1912 amendment to the Ohio Constitution has served us well for the last century. Ohio citizens have used their good judgment in passing or rejecting amendments to the constitution for more than a century. Since 1914, Ohioans have approved only 26% of the citizen-led ballot initiatives. Ohio voters have repeatedly shown both their respect for our constitution and good judgment in evaluating ballot initiatives.
A few (of many) examples of ballot initiatives, which would not have passed under the required 60% voter approval, include the county home rule; increasing the minimum wage and tying it to inflation; creation of the Clean Ohio Fund and the Third Frontier program, which provided funding for economic development. As an example of the benefits, the Clean Ohio Fund has been responsible for cleaning up 400 abandoned or polluted sites and protecting almost 40,000 acres of family farms, amongst other benefits.
For the future of Ohio, citizens need to retain the ability and the right to directly address issues and problems facing our state, especially when the legislature is neglecting their duties to address those problems.
As Ohio citizens, we can be trusted to vote wisely when asked to amend our constitution. Further, by voting "no" on Issue 1, we will preserve the rights of "We the people" to have a meaningful role in governing ourselves.
Janet Chandler
Mount Vernon
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