Statehouses like Tennessee’s and Ohio’s do their dirty work hoping that no one’s paying attention.
Too often, it works.
So let’s pay close attention! Better yet, let’s fight back.
TODAY in Ohio, a disturbing GOP effort to further lock in their rigged power and trample rights takes another step forward.
These rigged Ohio legislators know that a majority of Ohioans support abortion access. Polls make that crystal clear.
Which means they know that a referendum to enshrine the freedom to choose into Ohio’s Constitution would gain more than 50% of the vote, negating the abortion ban they passed. Such a referendum is now moving forward.
Do these legislators respect Ohio’s majority will?
Of course not! (That’s why they gerrymander in the first place)
Instead, they’re hard at work trying to change the Ohio Constitution in advance of that referendum to require a 60% vote by citizens for any future referenda to succeed.
They’re so desperate, they’re trying to ram their change through an August referendum after they themselves eliminated August elections earlier this year, claiming they were a waste of money and not democratic because so few people vote in August.
But now that they NEED an undemocratic election to lock an undemocratic restriction into our state’s constitution, they’re eager to change Ohio law again to bring back August elections for their referendum.
And of course, they are lying every step of the way. They claim that their change is to protect Ohioans from so-called outside interests, when in fact, they are the ones catering to outside interests and they don’t want the majority of Ohio to be able to interfere.
Even the idea of raising the threshold to amend Ohio’s constitution is coming from outside Ohio. It’s right out of the national/ALEC right-wing playbook, and has been tried in multiple states.
That’s how shameless their rhetoric is. Pure projection.
The good news is that these anti-democratic measures can be stopped. One failed last November in Arkansas.
But framing their anti-democratic effort early is critical. Making noise right now is also critical. Which is why we are kicking off this ad campaign.
We want Ohioans in the very districts where these legislators live to see and hear what their representatives are doing. And to understand the consequences on issues they care about.
The hope is to stop the bill in its tracks and not even have an August election. But even if they move forward, we must make sure it’s framed correctly long before any election itself.
If you want to help us run this and other digital ads as robustly as possible, please contribute whatever you can here. Every dollar will be driven right back into spreading the word about this attack on democracy. You can give here.
And it’s also a key time to make calls. ☎️ ☎️
The third hearing on this resolution (SJR 2) is in the Ohio Senate TODAY, before the General Gov’t Committee at 2:30:
Please call Chair Rulli at 614-466-8285 & Vice Chair Schuring at 614-466-0626. Urge them to vote No!
Then call your own State Senator and urge a no vote if this passes out of that committee.
(Find your state Senator here.)
There will be a third hearing on this (HJR 1) at the Ohio House on Wednesday. Please call the following reps and urge a No Vote:
•Chair Phil Plummer — 614-644-8051
◦Vice Chair Brett Hillyer — 614-466-8035
Rep DJ Swearingen — 614-644-6011
◦Rep Adam Mathews — 614-644-6027
If it passes the committee, please call your GOP State Rep to urge a No Vote — find your state rep here.
Also call Speaker Jason Stephens — 614-466-1366 — and Majority Floor Leader Bill Seitz — 614-466-8258 …so that they too know that Ohioans oppose this power grab.
Again, rigged legislatures like to do their dirty work when no one is watching. When things are quiet. They’re hoping no one is paying attention.
Do the exact opposite! Shine a light on it all!
Please take these steps, and share this newsletter whenever you can so that others do the same.
