Ohio high court: Healthcare signatures valid

[The Straight Story]

Ohio high court: Healthcare signatures valid

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The Ohio Supreme Court has rejected a liberal policy group's lawsuit challenging certification of a fall ballot measure that seeks to exempt the state from parts of the federal health care overhaul.

The court's decision clears the so-called Health Care Freedom Amendment for the Nov. 8 ballot.

ProgressOhio had argued that Secretary of State Jon Husted (HYOO'-sted) counted petition signatures that should have been rendered invalid on technicalities. Husted says the challenge revolved around petitions carrying extra information, a practice government should not discourage.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_OVERHAUL_BALLOT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[JohnnyRingo]

1. Don't trust the vote counters.

John Kasich and his band of thieves in Columbus will stop at nothing to continues their rape of the Ohio working class.

While teachers, firefighters, and snowplow drivers worked hard to gain the 400k signatures needed to repeal the union busting SB5, the Tea Party scrambled to obtain the same number on a petition to repeal the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Amendment, aka "Obamacare" to the tea baggers.

The unions had no problem reaching their goal early with nearly 750k names to ensure they had enough valid signatures to put the issue on the ballot. On the other hand, the baggers struggled here over the same time coming right down to just days before the deadline to get their initiative approved.

In the last week the Tea Party began holding "Treats For The Troops" campaigns where red blooded Americans could go to the mall or street fair and visit their table with donations of Twinkies or Ho-Hos to send to the boys in the Middle East so they could have a taste of home. Yes, they really said that. While these troop loving patriots were there they were invited to sign a petition to "save health care" in Ohio.

Even with such ridiculously desperate measures they only turned in a few thousand extra names on time. Unlike the burden on those seeking to repeal SB5 to achieve 400k valid signatures, it's clear that the Tea Party signatures were immediately accepted on face value by Kasich's Sec of State without scrutiny. As the article mentions, it's planned as a wedge issue to get irate Republicans to the polls, even though the law will likely be unenforceable.

Unfortunately, these are the same people who will tally the final vote count. I hope Issue 2 (repeal of SB5) has enough margin to overcome the expected corruption in November. I imagine the "opt out" pushed by the wing nuts is already in the tea bag.