"An Attempt to Fool Voters." Ohio GOP sets up vote to weaken direct democracy
Republicans have attained a near-lock on governance in Ohio. But as they rush to stop a popular drive to protect abortion access in the state, they’re moving to limit voters’ best remaining option to challenge their unfettered power.
Ohio Republicans passed a measure in May that creates an Aug. 8 election to end Ohioans’ right to directly amend their state constitution with a simple majority vote.
Voters will decide on that day whether to adopt a proposal that would increase the threshold to change Ohio’s constitution from 50 to 60 percent, and that would make it harder for residents to get constitutional amendments on the ballot in the first place. If it passes, the measure would dramatically curtail a tool of direct democracy that has existed in the state for more than a century.
“It’s an attempt to fool voters into giving away their power,” said Mia Lewis of Common Cause Ohio, a pro-democracy group that opposes the amendment.
Ohio Republicans’ latest effort follows a recent pattern. In numerous states where they have near-total dominance and the only option to challenge them is through statewide referendums or constitutional amendments, Republicans have moved to attack direct democracy itself.
https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/06/06/an-attempt-to-fool-voters-ohio-gop-sets-up-vote-to-weaken-direct-democracy/
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