Cincinnati congressman Greg Landsman, who represents Ohio’s 1st Congressional District, is weighing in on Issue 1.
"It really is not only dangerously out of touch with what voters want, but it's one of the most un-American things I've ever seen," Landsman told CityBeat during a recent phone call.
The Aug. 8 special election has just one item on the ballot: Issue 1, which Republicans have brought forward to make it harder for voters to amend the Ohio Constitution. By raising the threshold of approval from 50% to 60%, the ballot issue would mean that a simple majority, or 50% plus one vote, would no longer be enough to amend the Ohio Constitution. Passing Issue 1 would impair voters' ability to legalize abortion in the state, which is set for state ballots in November. Other initiatives that would be impacted include proposals on marijuana and raising the minimum wage.
Landsman, who spends his days bouncing back and forth between Washington D.C. and his home district in Cincinnati, said Issue 1 is a hot topic everywhere.
"People are talking about it in D.C." Landsman said. "This is surprisingly top of mind."
While Landsman said everyone seems to be talking about Issue 1 now, he told CityBeat he's never seen Republicans get so laser-focused on protecting the state constitution until now.
"No one ever, as long as I can remember, has been like, 'We really have this problem with the state constitution and we need to protect it.' It is already very, very difficult to change the constitution, that's why it rarely happens. It is a tool though of our democracy so citizens can hold politicians accountable."
Landsman compared Issue 1 to Ohio's failed Issue 2 in 2011, which voters rejected 61% to 39% in a major victory for unions representing the 360,000 public employees whose power the law sought to gut.
The formal title of the proposal that Issue 2 nullified is Senate Bill 5, and it would have limited public employees to collectively bargain for wages, health insurance and pensions. It would also have prohibited all public employees from striking.
"It is local machinists and iron workers and steel workers who are opposed to this. It's local doctors, local healthcare professionals, local parents," he said. "It's all local folks who want to maintain their rights as citizens to vote on a ballot and have it be democratic, which is to have the majority say yes or no."
When and how to vote
Early voting for Hamilton County residents has started and is taking place in one location only, the Board office: 4700 Smith Road in Norwood. All absentee ballot applications must be turned in by Aug. 1. Election day is Aug. 8, and the polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Absentee ballots are due by close of polls.A controversial new law requires voters to present a valid ID to vote in person in Hamilton County. Acceptable forms of ID include:
- Ohio driver's license
- State of Ohio ID card
- Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV
- U.S. passport or passport card
- U.S. military ID card
- Ohio National Guard ID card
- US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card
- An expiration date that has not passed
- A photograph of the voter
- The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the poll list or in the poll book.
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