To the editor:
There's a special election coming up Aug. 8 to amend the Ohio Constitution. Special elections are called when there's something urgent to address. What's so urgent? Republicans in the Statehouse want to alter the century-old amendment procedure, setting a higher bar for citizens to vote through future amendments. Does that sound urgent? Nobody felt the need to change it last year, or earlier this year when Republicans basically banned August special elections.
Well, I guess it's urgent if they fear a proposal on the November ballot might pass with a simple majority vote. By changing the threshold for passage to 60 percent, they hope that in August they can block the will of the people come November. I know that sounds petty and shortsighted, but seriously, that's their thinking.
Why "shortsighted?" Well, suppose in the near-future Republican citizens decide to put a pet issue on the ballot for a referendum? Suppose, for example, they propose a ballot issue making it mandatory that every school district in Ohio allow armed teachers. How disappointed would they feel if it failed with 59 percent of the vote in favor? Or suppose there was a movement to ban sanctuary cities. How ironic if a 40.5 percent minority blocked the measure? We all know how Republicans hate it when minorities get their way.
In 1912, Ohio citizens forced a Constitutional Convention where they fought for and won voter-led initiative and referendum; the very right this special election aims to roll back. By the way, nothing in this amendment changes how the Constitution is amended by politicians. It only affects our rights as citizens. As it currently stands, our elected representatives can propose amendments, and pass them with three-fifths of the assembly voting yes. That's 60 percent. It currently requires a supermajority of elected officials to alter the Constitution, but only a simple majority of we-the-people to do the same. In that regard, we have more power than the politicians - by design. Now those politicians want to strip us of our advantage.
Realistically, they could pass this amendment with 60 percent of delegates voting for this change, but they know they wouldn't reach that threshold. In fact, they know they probably won't get a supermajority in this election, either. In a case of extreme irony, they're counting on a simple majority passage of an amendment that would require a supermajority to overturn in the future. Talk about stacking the deck.
Here's the thing: I'm not asking you to vote no because it's the right thing to do. I'm also not asking Republicans to vote no because it behooves them to do so. I'm asking Republican voters to vote no on Issue 1 to stick it to Dems in the future. Don't make it easy for us to screw you over on your pet issues in elections-yet-to-be.
If issue one passes, a minority of liberal pansies -- like me -- will be empowered to stop your regressive agenda. We all know you can't allow that, right?
J. David Core
Toronto