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I'm Ashamed (of Ohio Voter Suppression)

Letters to the Editor
August 10, 2012

Columbus Dispatch,

In the 2012 Ohio Voter Information Guide Jon Husted says:  “The Secretary of State’s office is committed to ensuring that each Ohioan who is eligible to cast a ballot is able to do so.”

We learned, in the 2004 election, that 5 hour lines at the polls on Election Day kept some of those, who were eligible, from casting their ballot.  That was corrected in 2008 by allowing early in-person voting.

Justice Yvette McGee Brown

Candidate for Ohio Supreme Court.

Justice Brown is a long time advocate for children and families and helped establish the Center for Child and Family Advocacy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.

Visit her website.

Contribute

Issues: 

Action Alert: Five Days Left to Change Ohio.

We have just 5 days left to make history in Ohio by putting citizens in charge of Fair Districts.

In response to heavy interest from thousands of Ohioans, Voters First has just opened new signing locations all across the state. It is now easier than ever to find a location to sign a petition and get involved.

Coffee and Conversation on July 7th Discusses Gun Violence and How to Stop It

Join us at 9:00 a.m. this Saturday, July 7th, for our next Coffee & Conversation meeting. Marian Harris from the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence will be our speaker. The mission of the Coalition is to provide information to the public, advocating the reduction and prevention of gun violence in our communities.

Petition Drives

Petition drives/direct democracy are being used increasingly in Ohio to change the Constitution and pass or repeal laws. If you need more information to decide whether to sign a petition or to help a petition drive, check out this area. 

Issue 5 (2008) was an referendum to support a recently passed law that restricted the rates that could be charged by payday lenders in Ohio. It passed by 63.6% to 36.4% See this page for more information about other issues on the 2008 Ohio ballot.

Ohio 2012 ballot measures (Ballotpedia.org)

2023 was a important year for petition drives. In the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision, a 6-week abortion ban enacted by Ohio's Republican legislature went into effect and was stayed by a court a few weeks later. But, while in effect there was the 10-year-old rape victim who was forced to go to Indiana in order to get an abortion. Predictable callousness by Republican officials galvanized a doctor-led petition drive to enshrine protections for reproductive rights into the Ohio Constitution. This effort succeeded (despite misleading ballot language) and Issue 1 was passed by a 13 point margin in the November 2023 general election.

This success was especially notable in light of an effort by the Ohio legislature and office holders to restrict the ability of Ohioans to initiate and pass constitutional amendments through the petition process. This change to the Ohio Constitution was put forth in an August 2023 Special Election (suspicious, since they had just done away with most August elections). This effort (also Issue 1) failed.

There was also a petition drive to legalize marijuana use through statute on the 2023 November ballot as Issue 2 which passed by a wide margin.

Looking forward to 2024, a new petition drive to reform the process of drawing the dictrict maps that are used to elect representatives will begin. In 2015 and 2018, there were petition drives to place what were hoped to be the answer to gerrymandering in Ohio. Both reforms passed with votes in excess of 71%. However, the reforms were developed in conjunction with the legislature and then they chose to not even follow the rules they had helped to create as well as ignoring the Supreme Court of Ohio when they tried to enforce the Constitiution.

The 2024 effort will center around removing political actors from the process of drawing district lines entirely. The organization heading this effort is Citizens Not Politicians. Pease consider donating, volunteering, and signing the petition when you see one.

March Membership Meeting Report - Richard Gunther and Changing Ohio's Redistricting Rules

UAPA Membership meetingOhioans for Fair Districts logo
Upper Arlington Public Library, Friends Theater
3/20/12, 7:00 pm

Dick Gunther, Ohioans for Fair Districts

UAPA Membership Meeting on March 20 Focuses on Fair Redistricting

fBe engaged and plan on attending UAPA's next membership meeting on March 20, Upper Arlington Main Library, 2800 Tremont Road. The meeting will be held downstairs, and runs from 7:00- 8:30 p.m.  Richard Gunther, professor emeritus of political science, OSU, will speak about the current Constitution-changing petition effort to replace the existing redistricting process with a balanced approach that emphasiz

Women Volunteers in Action Workshop on March 24

wJoin us for Women Volunteers in Action, a day of training to increase women’s grassroots leadership in the party.  If you want to get involved as a volunteer for the first time or you're a campaign vet and want to learn how to be more effective, we promise this training is for you.

Coffee & Conversation - Richard Gunther and Redistricting

Coffee & Conversation

March 3, 2012

31 attendees.

Kathy Panning: Thanks to Jeff, Park Creek Kitchen Owner, for opening for us this morning and everyone please come here to eat to support Park Creek Kitchen.

February Membership Meeting - John Patrick Carney and Health Care Reform

Upper Arlington Progressive Action Membership Meeting

Thursday, February 23, 2012, 7pm,

UA Public Library

13 people attended.

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