It's Time to Defend Our State Constitution

Yesterday, hundreds of union leaders and activists attended the Ohio AFL-CIO Legislative Conference to advocate on issues important to working people and to protect our democracy. Conference attendees were address by House Democrat Minority Leader Allison Russo and Republican Representative and Chair of the House Finance Committee, Jay Edwards.

Issues such as the state Biennial Budget, protecting the rights of university workers, unemployment compensation and funding public schools were discussed in meetings with over 80 legislators. But the most pressing topic was the attack on citizens' rights to amend the Ohio Constitution. Known as House Joint Resolution 1 and Senate Joint Resolution 2 (HJR1/SJR2), if passed it would eliminate over 110 years of direct democracy that allow Ohio citizens to amend the Constitution with a simple majority vote. Currently, just like any election, it takes 50%+1 of voters to amend the Constitution after a very onerous process to get the amendment to the ballot. But an Illinois billionaire is bankrolling an effort to divert the will of the people by raising the threshold to secure ballot placement and to pass an amendment to 60%+1 of the vote, essentially allowing 40% of voters to determine the election outcome.

The union attendees yesterday were Republicans, Democrats and Independents. They represented public and private employment from a vast array of occupations and industries. And they all know this extreme power grab to thwart the will of the people is unfair, undemocratic and destroys the principle of one person, one vote.

"What this legislature has done today is a direct attack on our democratic rights. By attempting to restrict the rights of Ohio voters to repeal extreme laws passed by the legislature, these legislators are attempting to go around the will of the people of Ohio," said Ohio AFL-CIO President in a statement today. "It is undemocratic, unpopular and unamerican. The entire labor movement in Ohio stands in opposition to this attempt to circumvent voters. We will mobilize and defeat this attack and protect the sacred principle of one person, one vote and preserve majority rule in Ohio."

Despite hearing from hundreds of union members and thousands of Ohioans, Republicans in the Ohio House and Senate have approved to put HJR1/SJR2 on the ballot in August. The Ohio AFL-CIO and its affiliates are united in solidarity to defeat this measure on the ballot.