Drama and suspense: Will House adopt constitutional change and special election May 10?
Right after I sent in last week’s legislative update, House Speaker Jason Stephens called off the May 3 House session that would have voted on holding a special election in August to amend Ohio’s constitution to make it harder for citizens to do so. Hundreds of Ohioans assembled at Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square the next afternoon, May 3, and processed to the Statehouse to symbolically vote against this plan.
May 10 is the last day that the Ohio Legislature could act to authorize a special election in August for the sole purpose of amending the constitution to require 60% of voters to approve any amendment proposed by citizens. As of this writing, before noon on May 9, we have no way of knowing if the House will vote on either provision, or if they will pass! But once again, concerned voters from all over the state will assemble at Trinity at 12:30 p.m. and go to the House gallery to observe the vote, if it takes place.
Holding the vote and going on record is full of political risk for Ohio Republicans, as is NOT holding the vote, which Speaker Jason Stephens did by cancelling last week’s House session.
I had a fascinating talk this morning with the Rev. Nick Bates, JD, the Lutheran deacon and lawyer who leads the Hunger Network in Ohio and is a key resource in faith-based advocacy for food and housing security, K-12 education, and voter rights. I told Nick I thought this would make a fantastic mini-drama series, but he laughed and said he didn’t think anyone would believe it.
Here are some of the many factors he sees playing out, plus a couple of hypotheses of my own.
- SJ 2 would make it harder to qualify a citizen sponsored amendment for the ballot and require a 60% vote to pass it. SJ 2 needs to win 60 votes in the House tomorrow to pass. As of this morning, it is far from certain 60 representatives will vote for it, or even that 60 supporters will attend the session.
- Voting to hold the special election, which is decried by many as a cynical power grab, anti-democratic, and a waste of $20 million dollars, is also going to anger many Ohio voters.
- August special elections typically have a turnout below 10%. Special elections draw people for whom the issues on the ballot are core voting issues. Other, less interested voters will just stay home. Here’s how Nick sees key constituencies lining up, and why voting for the special election and higher hurdles for citizen-sponsored amendments are both risky.
- Republicans are relying increasingly on labor union support in formerly “blue dog” areas like Southeast Ohio and the Mahoning Valley, but unions understand they may need to work for a constitutional amendment to protect the right to unionize.
Against making it harder for citizens to amend the constitution: All four former living Ohio governors, Libertarians, civil rights advocates. Democrats, pro-choice voters, and labor unions because of the work being done to get a minimum wage amendment on the ballot in 2024. Any and everyone who is upset about the gerrymandering battles of 2022 and the fact that the House Speaker and Senate President used their power in the Redistricting Commission to adopt district maps ruled unconstitutional seven times by the Ohio Supreme Court for breaking the voter-approved rules designed to prevent extreme partisan gerrymandering. We’re forced to vote now in districts that guarantee a veto-proof partisan super-majority instead of the 54% Republican advantage that would result from applying the constitutional rules. Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, a Republican and former Lieutenant Governor, is helping the citizen campaign which hopes to put a new amendment before voters in 2024 to prevent partisan gerrymandering in the future.
Against the special election: Advocates for civil rights. All four living former Ohio Governors, two Republicans and two Democrats. Five former attorneys-general. Ohio election officials who are strained to the limit by the ordeals of the past three years, including the pandemic, threats, a special primary made necessary by the redistricting impasse last August, and major changes in voting rules late last year increasing the pressure on increasingly stressed and anxious Boards of Election and poll workers.
For the special election and the constitutional amendment: People who see abortion as murder. Probably people who want to consolidate and protect the majority party’s power, either because it is beneficial to their business interests (I would put utilities and fossil fuel companies here) or because of passionately-held beliefs (for example for guns as a constitutionally-protected right which should not be curtailed in any way).
This seems to be a perfect place to put a collect for good government.
O God, the fountain of wisdom, whose will is good and gracious, and whose law is truth: We beseech thee so to guide and bless our Senators and Representatives in the Ohio General Assembly, that they may enact such laws a shall please thee, to the glory of thy Name and the welfare of this people, through Jesus Christ, Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 821).
Gun safety events
Mother’s Day of Action for Gun Safety May 13: Guns are now the leading cause of death for American children. For Mother’s Day, instead of cards, flowers (or thoughts and prayers) Moms Demand Action is calling on Congress to reinstate the assault weapon ban. This link explains the context: almost 120 people are killed every day in our country and hundreds more impacted by homicides, suicides, domestic violence, unintentional shootings and police use of force. Moms plan two rallies in Southern Ohio this Saturday, Bereaved Mothers Day:
- 10 a.m. in New Albany Market Square, New Albany (meet at the Library)
- 10 a.m. in Cincinnati, Wasson Way Bike Trail at Dana and Montgomery Avenues
- 9:30 a.m. in Columbus, Moms Demand Action will be holding a membership meeting at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Hilltop branch, 511 South Hague Ave. 43204
Meanwhile, the Ohio Senate speedily passed and the House Insurance Committee will hold its first hearing May 10 on SB 58, prohibiting local governments from passing ordinances creating license requirements, fees, or requiring liability insurance for gun owners. If it passes, this will further impede the efforts of local communities that are striving to prevent gun violence. For example, Columbus is locked in litigation with the state over the city’s ordinances prohibiting high-capacity magazines and requiring safe gun storage.
May 17, National Trauma Survivors Day resource fair, St. Andrew’s Evanston, 5 to 7 p.m.: St. Andrew’s is hosting an amazing event including grief support, safe gun storage, art therapy, music, and free food. They are partnering with gun violence survivors, the Evanston Community Council, the Evanston Bulldogs (youth group), Cincinnati’s interfaith coalition EquaSion, and Amnesty International’s Ohio Ending Gun Violence Task Force. If you can loan a 10 x 10 pop-up tent or would like to volunteer, email Alyson Gerwe of St. Andrew’s.
Moms urge State Senate to allocate $5 million for violence prevention: “Everytown research shows that organizations working to prevent and diminish gun violence are effective, yet the budget passed by the Ohio House of Representatives provides no funding for them,” writes Ohio Moms volunteer Mimi Karon. “The Ohio Senate is now considering HB33 and we need to impress upon members how important this is. Please ask Senators in the Health Committee to amend this budget to include $5 million funding for violence prevention programs across our state.
“Supporting gun violence prevention should not be a controversial issue in our state. Funds go to nonprofit organizations like those we partner with throughout the state such as Cleveland Peacemakers, Columbus Mothers of Murdered Children, Stop the Pain, and The Musketeer Association help those most impacted by this crisis.” Here’s an Everytown for Gun Safety fact sheet on the epidemiology of gun violence, and an overview of effective strategies.
The Senate Health Committee is holding hearings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 10. This update will reach you too late to submit testimony, but you can call your own Senator as well as those on the health committee and ask them to add an amendment for $5 million to go towards violence prevention.
Pray for immigrants, study the options, and contact your member of Congress
The appalling toll when a Texas SUV killed or wounded 18 people outside a Catholic Charities migrant shelter in Texas on Sunday intensifies the tension as the Title 42 pandemic policies allowing the US to expel migrants is scheduled to end May 11. Please pray for peace and safety for the lives of all concerned. Migrants who succeed in crossing the border will again be able to request asylum.
This link takes you to the immigration and refugee policy resources of the Episcopal Public Policy Network, and action alerts including for the young adults covered by DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) as the policy continues to work through federal litigation.
Episcopal hunger advocates to meet legislators Thursday
I’m thrilled that 13 people representing seven congregations serving urban, rural, and suburban communities are bearing witness to legislators Thursday on the opportunity to use the state budget to strengthen food security as inflation and the end of expanded pandemic federal food aid hits our communities hard, particularly the elderly. The delegates represent Good Samaritan in Amelia, Church of the Advent in Cincinnati, Epiphany in Nelsonville, St. John and St. Philip in Columbus, Trinity in Newark, and St. John in Worthington. Please pray for the delegation and for the legislators in their discernment.
Advocacy briefings are compiled by Ariel Miller, a longtime community advocate and member of Ascension & Holy Trinity, Wyoming. Connect with her at arielmillerwriter@gmail.com
