The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 31, 2023
Today’s Script: (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)
Today’s Links now below the script
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
Ohioans are mobilizing against Issue 1, an effort by the anti-voter state legislature raising the bar to pass a citizen ballot initiative to 60%. The legislature’s proposed constitutional amendment comes up for a vote on August 8th.
From our past reports, you know that Ohio is one of several states rushing to raise the threshold to pass a ballot initiative from a simple 50%+1 majority to 60% or more, and to make the qualifying signature rules more difficult. Ohio’s current rules have been in place since 1912.
Why the rush? Successful 2022 ballot initiatives in Kansas and Michigan enshrined reproductive rights and protected voting, and signatures are already being collected in Ohio for a reproductive rights ballot initiative this November. Earlier this month, Ohio Republicans resurrected a special election in August, removed just last year because of low turnout and its $20 million dollar price tag.
Democracy groups are challenging the proposed language of Issue 1 in court, which, because the proposal hasn’t yet passed, requires only a 50%+1 majority. The conservative Ohio Supreme Court isn’t likely to change Issue 1’s language. So, pro-democracy coalitions and reproductive rights groups are doing it the old fashioned way: Mobilizing voters to show up for the summertime special election and vote down the assault on the power of the voters.
Dive deeper into the fight to protect citizen ballot initiative rules for Ohio and other states at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
NPR – Ohio election officials scramble ahead of August vote on state constitution changes
The Guardian – ‘It destroys democracy’: Republicans bid to rewrite Ohio’s abortion rules
Ohio Capital Journal – Ohioans vote on Issue 1 on Aug. 8. What does it say?
Ohio Capital Journal – Ohio Ballot Board moves abortion amendment initiative forward
Pew Research Center – Views about abortion among adults in Ohio
Associated Press – Abortion-rights proposal moves a step closer to Ohio ballot
Ohio Citizen Action – One Person = One Vote Campaign
Ohio Capital Journal – Ballot measure making it harder to amend Ohio’s Constitution facing second lawsuit
NBC News – Ohio banned August elections. Then the GOP planned one that could help preserve an abortion ban.
Groups Taking Action:
Ohio Voter Rights Coalition, Ohio Citizen Action, Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, All Voting is Local, VoteNoinAugust.org Campaign
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