Early voting is underway for Ohio's special election on Aug. 8 when voters will decide the outcome of Issue 1.
Supporters of the measure say if Issue 1 passes, it will help prevent out-of-state special interests from funding campaigns to change Ohio's constitution.
Opponents say it's a thinly veiled attempt to make it harder for a constitutional amendment related to reproductive rights to win passage in November.
About $20 million had been contributed to campaigns both for and against Issue 1 as of July campaign finance filings, and 84% of the money came from outside of Ohio.
If passed, Issue 1 would make several changes that would make it more difficult to amend Ohio's constitution in the future:
It would require the approval of 60% of Ohio voters to amend the constitution, instead of the simple majority that's required now.
A "yes" vote also would require citizen-initiated petitions proposing a constitutional amendment to be signed by at least 5% of the electors in each of Ohio's 88 counties. The current requirement — which would remain if Issue 1 fails — requires signatures from 44 counties.
Passage of Issue 1 also would remove the 10-day period for petitioners to gather more signatures for a constitutional amendment if it's determined they didn't file enough signatures. If Issue 1 fails, that 10-day "cure" period would remain in place.
On Cincinnati Edition, we'll discuss the pros and cons of Issue 1 for the full hour with a panel that includes supporters and opponents of the measure.
Guests:
- Ohio Sen. Rob McColley, a Republican representing Ohio Senate District 1, who supports Issue 1
- Mike Curtin, former editor and associate publisher of The Columbus Dispatch and former two-term member of the Ohio House of Representatives, who opposes Issue 1
- Brandon Kern, senior director for state and national policy at the Ohio Farm Bureau, who supports Issue 1
- Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, who opposes Issue 1
Listen to Cincinnati Edition live at noon M-F. Audio for this segment will be uploaded after 4 p.m. ET.
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