To the editor:
In 1992, a term limit Amendment passed overwhelmingly by 68 percent. This amendment was a change to the relationship between the government and the citizens. However, the amendment led to the ouster of legends in Ohio politics such as Bill Batchelder and ushered in the bribery scandal of people like Larry Householder. The term limit amendment also gave lobbyists more power in Columbus. I've heard firsthand stories of lobbyists telling elected representatives: "We'll just wait you out and get the next guy," if the representative does not want to go along with the lobbyists' agendas.
In 2015, there was a proposed "marijuana amendment" in Ohio. The amendment read in part: "Endow exclusive rights for commercial marijuana growth, cultivation and extraction to self-designated landowners who own 10 predetermined parcels of land in Butler, Clermont, Franklin, Hamilton, Licking, Lorain, Lucas, Delaware, Stark and Summit counties." There should not be a constitutional amendment that only a few "self-designated landowners" with "exclusive rights" benefits. Constitutions are not written, or amended, to create monopolies.
In November 2015 David A. Graham of The Atlantic wrote of the failed Ohio marijuana amendment: "Voters may have rejected a constitutional amendment because of concerns about monopoly control, not because they oppose looser laws."
The readers should know the old standard of signatures from 44 counties and a simple majority vote still applies to ballot initiatives. That is something critics of the new law leave out of their argument; ballot initiatives are still an option.
When I first saw Secretary LaRose's proposal I was opposed to the idea. After some thought I remembered constitutions are a broad contract between the citizens and the government. Constitutions explain the rights of the people and set the limitations of the government. Constitutional amendments are not a way of bypassing the Ohio Legislature.
There should be a high standard for amending Ohio's Constitution -- it should not be changed a whim based on the latest fad, or empty dreams of out of state corporations.
John Morrow
Wellsville