Opposition Testimony to Senate Joint Resolution 2<\/b><\/p>\r\n
Ohio House Constitutional Resolutions Committee\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\r\n
Mia Lewis, Common Cause Ohio\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\r\n
May 1, 2023<\/b><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nChair Plummer, Vice Chair Hillyer, Ranking Member Mohamed, and members of the Constitutional Resolutions Committee:\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThank you for allowing me to testify today.\u00a0 I am the associate director of Common Cause Ohio, an organization committed to open and accountable government that serves the public interest.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nFor a while now, the idea of changing the Ohio Constitution to make it harder to get citizen-led initiatives on the ballot and harder for them to pass has been discussed and debated across the state. This committee has heard (and refused to hear) a lot of knowledgeable and considered testimony in opposition to HJR1. SJR2 is now all but identical.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nYou\u2019ve read the op-eds by the historians. You\u2019ve read the editorials by newspapers as diverse as <\/span>the Lima News <\/span><\/a>\u00a0and the <\/span>Columbus Dispatch<\/span><\/a>. You\u2019ve seen the hearing rooms packed with citizens from across the state. You\u2019ve heard a unanimous opinion from four past governors\u2013two Democrats and two Republicans. You\u2019ve read an opposition letter from 240 organizations and counting representing the voices of millions of Ohioans.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nYou\u2019ve been reminded about Ohio\u2019s Constitutional Convention in 1912, Teddy Roosevelt\u2019s speech, and the important deliberations made over months that gave Ohioans our legacy of direct access to the ballot.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nYou\u2019ve heard that since then, Ohioans from across the political spectrum have used this right to improve our state\u2013for example, term limits in 1992, minimum wage in 2006, and victims\u2019 rights in 2017.<\/span>\r\n\r\nYou know now how difficult it is to get an issue on the ballot: hence, only a handful of citizen-led initiatives have made it onto the ballot in the last 20 years<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nYou\u2019ve heard the facts showing that these ballot measures are not overused: There has not been a citizen initiative on the ballot since 2018. Over the past 10 years, there were only four elections with ballot measures through signature collection. In the past 50 years, there were 28 years without a citizen initiative on the ballot. Of those elections that had a ballot measure, only a handful of the elections had more than one issue for voters to consider.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nOhio voters are thoughtful about changes to the Ohio Constitution. <\/span>Since 1913, the first year of implementation of the constitutional initiative, through 2017, Ohioans have voted on 71 citizen-initiated constitutional initiatives. Of these 71, 19 have been approved, for a passage ratio of 27%.<\/span>\r\n\r\nYou have heard the testimony confirming that this kind of change would not protect us from special interests\u2013quite the opposite! These changes could permanently lock out grassroots groups since ONLY special interests would have the resources to collect in all 88 counties, ESPECIALLY without a cure period.<\/span>\r\n\r\nYou\u2019ve heard testimony from former state Representative and Ohio political historian Mike Curtin and so now you fully understand that comparing the pass rates needed to change the US and Ohio Constitutions is a red herring.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nAnd you\u2019ve heard numerous times that subverting the original intent of the 1912 amendment that gave Ohioans direct access to the ballot is the <\/span>exact opposite<\/b> of\u00a0 \u201cprotecting the Constitution.\u201d Pushing through this amendment in a <\/span>special<\/span><\/i>, special election in August is the <\/span>tell<\/b>: While there could be better turnout than usual, allowing 50% of perhaps 8 or 10% of voters this August to permanently change the Ohio Constitution and cement in place minority rule is the very opposite of \u201cprotection\u201d\u2013it is a grievous harm.<\/span>\r\n\r\nIndeed, one by one, the arguments put forward by sponsors of both HJR1 and SJR2 have been refuted and definitely proven false.<\/span>\r\n\r\nNow that these arguments have been thoroughly put to rest, the only remaining question is why, WHY, are you pushing forward with this idea \u2013 why now, after 111 years of direct democracy working as intended? Not just pushing forward, but rushing forward helter skelter, against all common sense and propriety?<\/span>\r\n\r\nCould the answer have anything to do with a certain Illinois billionaire who said \u201cJump\u201d?<\/span>\r\n\r\nOr could it have to do with political pressure from a specific group of Christian conservatives with an agenda that does not match up with that of the majority of Ohioans?\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nYou\u2019ve heard all of this by now. But here we are.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nIf you insist on going ahead regardless, everyone knows you are doing so in direct opposition to what most Ohioans want. You are doing so because you don\u2019t want a check on the state legislature\u2019s power. You are doing so for political expediency or because a billionaire in Illinois is more important to you than millions of Ohioans.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe further you push down this road, the more anger you are stirring up. Ohioans are not stupid. They get the connection between what\u2019s happening in November and your rush for August. They will not be shy to show you what they think. As has been said before\u2013the Ohio that will show up in August is not the Ohio you imagine it to be.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n __________________<\/p>\r\n \r\n Opposition Testimony to House Joint Resolution 1\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\r\n Ohio House Constitutional Resolutions Committee\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\r\n Catherine Turcer, Common Cause Ohio\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\r\n April 19, 2023<\/b><\/p>\r\nChair Plummer, Vice Chair Hillyer, Ranking Member Mohamed, and esteemed members of the Constitutional Resolutions Committee:\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThank you for allowing me to testify today.\u00a0 I am the executive director of Common Cause Ohio and we are committed to open and accountable government that serves the public interest. \u00a0 That\u2019s why we have worked so hard over the years to establish fair rules for creating voting districts and why we and many others have turned toward citizen initiatives when the state legislature failed to act.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nSince 1912, Ohioans from across the political spectrum have utilized the right to amend our Constitution via the petition process.\u00a0 Direct democracy gives voters the ability to make a real impact and has helped engage Ohioans in the political process. There is no justifiable reason, after over 100 years, to make this already challenging process even harder.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nCitizen initiatives are not overused<\/span><\/a>. There hasn\u2019t been a citizen initiated ballot measure before voters since 2018. The last successful citizen-led ballot measure focused on victims\u2019 rights and was\u00a0 on the ballot in 2017. Over the past 10 years, there were only four elections with ballot measures through signature collection. In the past 50 years, there were 28 years without a citizen initiative on the ballot. Of those elections that had a ballot measure, only a handful of the elections had more than one issue for voters to consider.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThis is in part due to how difficult it is for Ohioans to collect enough signatures and place a proposal on the ballot for voters to consider. I am a strong proponent of direct democracy and I have been involved in citizen initiatives to place redistricting reform on the ballot. I was the chair of Voters First an effort in 2012 and the chair of Fair Districts = Fair Elections in 2017.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nHouse Joint Resolution 1 moves the bar for county requirements\u2013 5% of the gubernatorial voter\u2013 from 44 to 88 counties. The current requirement is adequate to ensure that there is support for measures from all over the\u00a0 state.\u00a0 All 88 counties would be a true obstacle for citizen groups.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe elimination of the \u201ccure period\u201d in HJR 1 is simply unreasonable.\u00a0 Ballot campaigns do their best to validate the signatures but it\u2019s extremely challenging. The Board of Elections work in bipartisan pairs to confirm signatures and there can be a miss match.\u00a0 Removing these additional days to collect adequate signatures can only be viewed as an attempt to eliminate a right that Ohioans have had for more than 100 years.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nOhio voters are cautious about amending the Ohio Constitution. In the past 20 years, voters approved only 36% of citizen-led ballot measures. The last time that more than one citizen-initiated change to the Ohio Constitution was approved at the same time was in 1992.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThere are already protections in place to address concerns about monopolies, <\/span>the Ohio Initiated Monopolies Amendment of 2015<\/span><\/a>. These changes to the Ohio Constitution were passed by Ohio voters to address concerns about wealthy interests abusing the process.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nRequiring a 60% supermajority to pass ballot measures breaks the intention and balance of the Ohio Constitution.\u00a0 This higher threshold thwarts the tradition of majority rule and will likely have the <\/span>opposite<\/span><\/i> of the sponsor\u2019s desired effect: it will make it almost impossible for anyone <\/span>except<\/span><\/i> big money special interests to pass ballot measures in Ohio successfully.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nI urge you to oppose House Joint Resolution 1. Thank you for this opportunity to share my concerns with you.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n ______________<\/p>\r\n Opposition Testimony to Senate Joint Resolution 2<\/b><\/p>\r\n Senate General Government Committee<\/b><\/p>\r\n Mia Lewis, Common Cause Ohio\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\r\n April 18, 2023<\/b><\/p>\r\nChair Rulli, Vice Chair Schuring, Ranking Member DeMora, and members of the General Government Committee:\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThank you for allowing me to testify today. I am the associate director of Common Cause Ohio. For over 50 years Common Cause has advocated for an open and accountable government that serves the public interest.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nIn our democratic republic, Teddy Roosevelt explained, we delegate power to you, our elected representatives, to do the work of legislating so that we can improve society. But sometimes, when perhaps you are not listening to the people, it is necessary and proper for Ohio voters to take their concerns directly to the ballot. \u201cDirect Democracy\u201d lets the people speak when the legislature would silence them.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nRoosevelt said to Ohio\u2019s Constitutional Convention in 1912: \u201cI protest against any theory that would make of the constitution a means of thwarting instead of securing the absolute right of the people to rule themselves.\u201d SJR2 would do just that\u2013thwart the absolute right of the people to govern themselves\u2013and that\u2019s why, in order preserve the purpose and intent of our Constitution, you must vote no.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nSince the outcome of that Convention in 1912, Ohioans from across the political spectrum have used the petition process to amend our Constitution. <\/span>Used<\/b> but not <\/span>abused<\/b>. <\/span>Citizen initiatives are not overly common<\/span><\/a>\u2013nor could they be: the process is burdensome, arduous and taxing. Trust me, no one starts an initiative campaign just for the heck of it.<\/span>\r\n\r\nWe are not suffering through a deluge of frivolous, ill-intentioned or pernicious ballot measures. Quite the contrary. There hasn\u2019t been a citizen initiated measure on the ballot since 2018. Over the past 10 years, there were only four elections with ballot measures through signature collection. Plus, as you recall, in 2015, voters added protections to make sure that the initiative process could not be abused by wealthy interests.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nSo, what exactly is the problem? After 111 years of a process working as it should, why is there a sudden urgency to fix something that isn\u2019t broken? Citizen-led initiatives allow the people to speak. SJR2 is evidence you don\u2019t want to hear what they have to say.<\/span>\r\n\r\nOhioans from all sides of the political spectrum are looking at the effort to make it almost impossible for citizens to pass a ballot initiative and they know something just doesn\u2019t add up.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n \t