Republican Representative Brian Stewart claims that his HJR1 initiative will make it harder for outside big-money interests to amend Ohio’s Constitution. In fact, Stewart’s HJR1 virtually guarantees that only outside well-heeled special interests, through paid petition-gatherers, will have the muscle to gather enough signatures to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. We all know about big-money interests such as First Energy that spent over $60 million to buy legislator’s support for dirty coal-fired electric plants while quashing renewable energy explorations.
Currently, citizen-led initiatives, such as the effort to place a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions now underway, rely heavily on volunteer workers and require signatures validated from 44 Ohio counties to place the constitutional amendment on the November ballot where it will require just over 50% of the voters to pass it. California, Michigan, Vermont all passed pro-choice amendments in the 2022 elections. Kentucky and Montana voters blocked further restrictions on abortions.
Rep. Stewart doesn’t want that kind of freedom for women in Ohio. Stewarts HJR1 would require signatures from all 88 counties, limit the time for signature certification and would require 60% of voters to approve it. Although Stewart denies it, an internal memo he circulated to fellow Statehouse Republicans clearly states that his goal is to stop a pro-choice amendment and prevent any fair redistricting amendment to our Constitution. Recall that Ohio Republican legislators have refused to stop drawing districts that give them an unfair advantage despite being ordered to do so by the Ohio Supreme Court. Stewart this week continued to deny that anti choice and perpetuating undemocratic districts was his goal although Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney ( D-Westlake) held up copies of Stewart’s memo stating just that for all to see at this past Wednesday’s House Constitutional Resolutions Committee hearing. Republican Senate Republican Senate President Matt Huffman hopes to place HJR1 on a special August ballot, two months ahead of a likely November pro-choice amendment.
Jen Miller, the Executive Director of the Ohio League of Women Voters noted: “ Ohioans have had the sacred right to amend the Constitution through ballot initiatives since 1912, and we call on lawmakers to abandon HJR1 which would make citizen-led ballot initiatives practically impossible…. HJRI is undemocratic and unnecessary…”
We cannot afford the nationwide Republican efforts to suppress voters, allow state legislatures to overturn elections, attack results of free and fair elections, unfairly gerrymander districts and limit the ability of citizens to be heard through ballot initiatives. America is democracy and attacks on democracy are attacks on America.
