The Ohio Republican Party is pushing back against a “repugnant perversion” of Ohio State Issue 1 recently published in The Columbus Dispatch.
Issue 1, if approved by voters, would mandate a 60 percent approval percentage for any future constitutional amendments, call for signatures from all 88 counties, and do away with the opportunity to “cure” petitions by collecting additional signatures if necessary.
The Dispatch claimed in their editorial ran on Tuesday that “Issue 1 is about driving a dagger into Ohio — The Heart of All — by killing a 111-year-old right Ohio voters have had to control our destinies at the ballot box even when unscrupulous or insincere lawmakers try to stand in the way or ignore our will. Far too many Ohio elected officials have forgotten there is a difference between serving Ohioans and ruling us. We do not need dictators in the Statehouse.”
The Ohio Republican Party argued that rather than discuss the issue’s merits; the editorial misleads readers on the facts and resorts to “calling the Ohio General Assembly names in a manner that is highly disrespectful to both our trusted lawmakers and the Ohioans they represent.”
Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou said the editorial uses words like “insincere, hypocrites, and dictators” while publishing unchecked hyperbole that feeds right into the talking points of far-left special interests.
“Issue 1 does not “kill a 111-year-old right.” That is patently false, and they know it. It preserves the ability for citizens to amend the Ohio Constitution while ensuring changes are widely popular and in the best interest of the vast majority of Ohioans by garnering at least 60 percent support. It ensures voters in all 88 counties have a voice in what statewide issues are on the ballot. It ensures the rules are followed when collecting signatures,” Triantafilou (pictured above) said.
Triantafilou noted that the policy issues the editorial describes, such as abortion, recreational marijuana, gun control, workers’ rights, increased minimum wage, and term limits, are rightly debated but that the states’ primary policy document, the Ohio Revised Code, should govern them. However, he refuted the claims that issue one changes citizens’ role in determining state laws via initiated statute, referendum, or typical legislation.
According to the GOP chairman, the left’s tactics appear to have blinded The Dispatch editorial board.
“Ohio’s Constitution is a foundational document meant to secure individual liberties and establish our form of government. This elevated document absolutely should have an elevated standard to amend. The Dispatch Editorial Board knows this, but appears too blinded by the tactics of the left to care. Ohio’s Constitution is not for sale, and Ohioans will turn out in droves to vote yes on August 8,” Triantafilou said.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose claimed that editorials like this are why The Dispatch is “hemorrhaging readership.”
The Ohio Star contacted The Dispatch for comment but did not receive one before press time.
Voters will decide whether to approve State Issue 1 during a statewide special election on August 8th.
The ballot question comes when pro-abortion activists are working to pass a proposed constitutional amendment in November that would legalize abortion throughout the state.
A second proposed amendment that would eventually raise the state’s minimum wage will likely appear on a 2024 ballot.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Alex Triantafilou” by Alex Triantafilou.
