State Issue 1: Amending Citizen Initiative & Our State's Constitution

On Aug. 8, Ohioans will head to the polls for a special election on Issue 1. If approved, Issue 1 would make changing the state’s constitution more difficult. Specifically, the ballot proposal would amend the state constitution, raising the threshold for future constitutional amendments and requiring a 60% supermajority of Ohio voters to pass, instead of the current 50% plus one vote. Additionally, getting on the ballot would require signatures from voters in all 88 counties, as opposed to the 44 county threshold currently in place.

In putting Issue 1 on the August ballot, Republican lawmakers have said they hope to make it more difficult to amend the constitution in the future, specifically citing efforts underway to put a constitutional amendment legalizing abortion on the November general election ballot. Other supporters of Issue 1–including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Restaurant Association and the Ohio Hotel and Lodging Association–have cited an anticipated ballot issue to raise the minimum wage next year as the primary reason for their support.

Local opponents of the issue include Cleveland City Council, Greater Cleveland Congregations, and Northeast Ohio Voter Advocates. In a statement urging Ohioans to vote no on Issue 1, Cleveland City Council said the proposed amendment “would destroy citizen-driven ballot initiatives as we know them, upending Ohioans right to make decisions thereby making it more difficult to amend the state constitution.”

Join us for a forum moderated by Rick Jackson, and hear from both advocates and opponents of State Issue 1.

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The livestream will be available beginning at 12:00pm. Have questions? Tweet them at @TheCityClub or send a text to 330.541.5794.