OK, I know that the campaign for the one issue August election here in Ohio is ugly.\u00a0\u00a0But I just saw a \u201cVote Yes for Issue One\u201d advertisement that was a complete \u201cBig Lie\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0Vote for Issue One so that schools don\u2019t try to make you kids transgendered?\u00a0\u00a0Vote for Issue One to keep control (the \u201cpromise\u201d) of your children, to keep them from \u201cforced\u201d gender or identity changes?\u00a0\u00a0I mean come on, do you really think schools are trying to change your kid\u2019s gender?\u00a0\u00a0We can\u2019t even get them to stop chewing gum, look at their cell phones, or turn in their homework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Issue One was slipped onto the ballot for August 8th<\/sup>, soon after that same legislature said we shouldn’t do August ballots.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s technical:\u00a0\u00a0about how to amend the Ohio Constitution.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s got nothing to do with schools or sex or gender.\u00a0\u00a0Here\u2019s the simple truth:\u00a0\u00a0since the year 1912 Ohio citizens had the right to amend the Constitution by a mass public vote:\u00a0\u00a0Majority wins.\u00a0\u00a0But if Issue One passes, it will require 60% of the voters to amend.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n And Issue One goes even farther.\u00a0\u00a0To even get an initiative on the ballot, the new Issue would require signatures of 5% of voters in EVERY county in Ohio, regardless of how big or small. (Today signatures are required from half the counties in the state).\u00a0\u00a0It allows ANY small county to literally VETO any initiative, regardless of the percentage of statewide vote they actually have.\u00a0\u00a0How much power de we want to give to Vinton County (12,608), or Monroe (13,007), Morgan (13,427) or Noble (13,956), all smaller than my City of Pataskala (15,008 “strong”)?\u00a0\u00a0Should any one of them be able to veto the entire rest of the state (11.78 million)?<\/p>\n\n\n\n But wait, there\u2019s more. Issue One also changes how the State Board \u201ccounts\u201d the more than 400,000 signatures it takes to put an initiative on the ballot. Currently, once the State counts the signatures, petitioners have ten days to fix illegible ones (see my writing) or add more signatures as necessary. Under Issue One \u2013 they would have to start completely over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Issue One would basically make changing the Ohio Constitution ONLY possible through the State Legislature. And that\u2019s exactly what Ohio\u2019s State Legislature wants. They want one less check on their own powers. If you went to Watkins Memorial High School and I was your social studies teacher, you might think that\u2019s OK. After all, I taught you that to amend the United States Constitution, it takes two-thirds of the Congress, and three-fourths of the States to agree. It\u2019s really, really, hard to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But there\u2019s a difference between the US Constitution and the fifty individual state Constitutions. The US Constitution was written as a \u201cgeneral\u201d document, with lots of room for interpretation. The State Constitutions are specific documents, hundreds of pages long. The average State Constitution is five times longer than the US Constitution. The US Constitution has seven original sections, and twenty-seven amendments. The Ohio Constitution has nineteen sections and 170 Amendments. It\u2019s like a combination of the US Constitution AND the US Code of \u201cregular\u201d laws. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The US Constitution and the State Constitutions are NOT the same, and do not serve the same purpose. They never have. In fact, the United States Supreme Court requires State Constitutions to be much more specific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So here\u2019s the \u201cBig Truth\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0The Republicans in the State Legislature are afraid of losing to a \u201cpro-choice\u201d women\u2019s health amendment in November.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s a valid argument for the entire state to have, and it\u2019s on for the November ballot.\u00a0\u00a0But, instead of fighting that \u201cfair\u201d fight, Issue One changes the rules for November so that it would be near impossible to pass.\u00a0\u00a0These Republicans simply don\u2019t believe in majority rule. And don\u2019t just ask me, a Registered Democrat.\u00a0\u00a0Ask John Kasich and Bob Taft, former Republican Governors or Maureen O’Connor, former Republican Chief Justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gerrymandered districts already tilt the legislature.\u00a0\u00a0IF Ohio was fair, then there would be something close to a 55% Republicans, 45% Democrats in legislature.\u00a0\u00a0Instead the Ohio Senate is 79% Republican and the House is 68%\u00a0<\/strong>Republican.\u00a0\u00a0Even the most rabid Republican can\u2019t really believe that represents the Buckeye State. Ohio\u2019s State Legislature even ignored a state Constitutional amendment (passed by this same process) and rulings by the State Supreme Court that required fairer districts.\u00a0\u00a0They refused to change \u2013 so Ohio is still highly gerrymandered.\u00a0\u00a0Now they want to change the rules to make sure they have even more power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The November vote on the women\u2019s health amendment will be a tough one. But at least in that fight, folks can be clear what the issues are. This Issue One isn\u2019t about that. It isn\u2019t about schools, gender, sex, or even abortion. It\u2019s about power.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThere\u2019s More<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Constitutions <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Big Truth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n