COLUMBUS — A ballot question seeking to make it more difficult to amend the Ohio Constitution was cleared for an August ballot on Thursday, and teams of Republican and Democratic lawmakers assigned to write pro and con arguments, respectively, to be presented to voters.
kAm%96 AC@46DD 367@C6 E96 ~9:@ q2==@E q@2C5 7@==@H65 E96 C2F4@FD =68:D=2E:G6 7=@@C D6DD:@? 2?5 >@?E9D @7 5C2>2 =625:?8 FA E@ 2AAC@G2= @7 E96 >62DFC6[ H9:49 :D 2:>65 2E E9H2CE:?8 2? 677@CE E@ 6?D9C:?6 23@CE:@? C:89ED :? E96 DE2E6’D 4@?DE:EFE:@? E9:D 72==] p3@CE:@? :D 4FCC6?E=J =682= :? ~9:@[ FA E@ a_ H66<D’ 86DE2E:@?[ 2D 2 =2HDF:E 282:?DE 2 ?62C\32? 6?24E65 :? a_`h :D 2C8F65]k^Am
kAm~? E9:D pF8FDE’D 32==@E[ G@E6CD H:== 36 2D<65 H96E96C @C ?@E E96J DFAA@CE C2:D:?8 E96 E9C6D9@=5 7@C A2DD:?8 7FEFC6 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 2>6?5>6?ED 7C@> E96 D:>A=6 >2;@C:EJ ~9:@ 92D 925 :? A=246 D:?46 `h`a E@ 2 e_T DFA6C>2;@C:EJ] pD 2 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 2>6?5>6?E :ED6=7[ E96 e_T BF6DE:@? H:== @?=J ?665 E@ A2DD 3J 2 D:>A=6 >2;@C:EJ @7 d_T\A=FD\@?6]k^Am
kAm%96 3:A2CE:D2? A2?6=[ 492:C65 3J #6AF3=:42? ~9:@ $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 uC2?< {2#@D6[ G@E65 2=@?8 A2CEJ =:?6D E@ 46CE:7J E96 32==@E =2?8F286[ H9:49 s6>@4C2ED 2EE24<65 2D F?72:C 2?5 :?244FC2E6] %96 2C8F>6?ED E92E G@E6CD D66 @? E96:C 32==@ED 2C6 5F6 E@ {2#@D6’D @77:46 3J |@?52J]k^Am
kAmxDDF6 `’D #6AF3=:42? 324<6CD 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ 492C24E6C:K6 E96 677@CE 2D 2 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= AC@E64E:@? 24E 2:>65 2E <66A:?8 566A\A@4<6E65 DA64:2= :?E6C6DED @FE @7 ~9:@’D 7@F?52E:@?2= 5@4F>6?ED] p>@?8 8C@FAD DFAA@CE:?8 E96 9:896C 32C 2C6 2?E:\23@CE:@?[ AC@\8F? C:89ED 2?5 3FD:?6DD 8C@FAD @AA@D65 E@ 2 3FC86@?:?8 2>6?5>6?E E92E H@F=5 C2:D6 ~9:@’D >:?:>F> H286]k^Am
kAms6>@4C2ED H:== FD6 E96:C 2C8F>6?ED E@ A2:?E E96 e_T E9C6D9@=5 2D 2? 2DD2F=E @? ~9:@’D =@?8 9:DE@CJ @7 5:C64E 56>@4C24J] $@>6 s6>@4C2E:4 =2H>2<6CD =65 2 “@?6 A6CD@?[ @?6 G@E6” 492?E 2?5 >2C49 27E6C =2DE H66<’D G@E6 7C@> E96 7=@@C @7 E96 ~9:@ w@FD6 — 649@:?8 4C:6D @7 2 =2C86 4C@H5 @7 AC@E6DE6CD 82E96C65 @FED:56]k^Am
kAm$9@F=5 6:E96C D:56 @3;64E E@ E96 @E96CD’ A9C2D:?8[ E96J 4@F=5 7:=6 DF:E :? E96 ~9:@ $FAC6>6 r@FCE[ H9:49 9@=5D 6I4=FD:G6 A@H6C E@ D6EE=6 5:DAFE6D :? 42D6D H96C6 =2H>2<6CD 7@CH2C5 2? 32==@E BF6DE:@? DEC2:89E E@ G@E6CD]k^Am
kAms6>@4C2E:4 =2HJ6C s@? |4%:8F6[ C6AC6D6?E:?8 E96 ~?6 !6CD@? ~?6 '@E6 r2>A2:8?[ 5:D28C665 H:E9 E96 E:E=6 {2#@D6’D @77:46 82G6 E@ E96 :DDF6[ H9:49 56D4C:36D :E 2D “6=6G2E:?8 E96 DE2?52C5D” E@ BF2=:7J 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 2>6?5>6?ED @7 ~9:@’D 32==@E] |4%:8F6 DF886DE65 “>@5:7J:?8” 2D >@C6 ?6FEC2=[ ?@E:?8 E92E :E’D 282:?DE ~9:@ =2H 7@C 32==@E =2?8F286 E@ 3:2D G@E6CD :? @?6 H2J @C 2?@E96C]k^Am
kAmxE H2D E@@ D@@? E@ D2J %9FCD52J H96E96C 9:D 4=:6?E H:== 7:=6 2 =682= 492==6?86[ |4%:8F6 D2:5]k^Am
kAm|4%:8F6 2?5 s6>@4C2ED @? E96 3@2C5 2=D@ 2C8F65 7@C :?4=F5:?8 E96 4FCC6?E d_T\A=FD\@?6 DE2?52C5 :? E96 32==@E =2?8F286[ D@ E92E G@E6CD <?@H H92E E96J’C6 492?8:?8[ 3FE E96 3@2C5 C6;64E65 E92E :562]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@A@D2= 2=D@ 42==D 7@C 5@F3=:?8 E96 ?F>36C @7 ~9:@ 4@F?E:6D — 7C@> cc E@ 2== gg — H96C6 324<6CD @7 7FEFC6 :?:E:2E:G6 A6E:E:@?D H@F=5 ?665 E@ 82E96C D:8?2EFC6D :? @C56C E@ BF2=:7J 7@C E96 32==@E] pD A9C2D65 3J {2#@D6’D @77:46[ E96 BF6DE:@? 2=D@ 2AA62CD E@ D:8?:7:42?E=J C2:D6 E96 A6C46?E286 @7 G@E6CD ?66565 :? 6249 4@F?EJ[ 7C@> dT @7 E9@D6 H9@ G@E65 :? E96 =2DE 8F36C?2E@C:2= 6=64E:@? E@ dT @7 “2== 6=:8:3=6 G@E6CD]”k^Am
kAm{2#@D6 D2:5 9:D :?E6?E:@? H2D E@ <66A E96 32==@E =2?8F286 D:>A=6[ H9:49 s6>@4C2E:4 DE2E6 $6?] q:== s6|@C2 D2:5 H2D 5:D:?86?F@FD] “xE’D D?62<J 2?5 :E’D :==682=[” 96 D2:5]k^Am