Ballot initiatives eyed to boost turnout in ’16

Raising minimumwage, marijuana may end up on 2016 ballot in Ohio

Issues such as marijuana legalization and raising the minimum wage may end up on Ohio ballots in November 2016, impacting presidential election turnout.

Political operators in swing state Ohio are eyeing hot-button ballot issues that could drive voter turnout for their candidates, similar to a tactic used successfully in 2004 when a gay marriage ban propelled conservative voters to the polls and helped Republican George W. Bush win Ohio and the White House.

The race in Ohio was one of the closest in the nation in 2004, where George W. Bush defeated John Kerry, 51-49 percent.

Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges said the Democrats are weighing several issues — a hike in the minimum wage, a green energy proposal, legal marijuana – as possible ballot questions that would drive liberal voters to the polls in 2016.

“I appreciate him speculating on what we might be doing,” responded Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper.

Pepper said outside groups that are genuinely concerned about minimum wage workers and pay stagnation are discussing whether to pursue a ballot issue in 2016. “There are discussions but it’s a lot of folks. Those reflect a sincere concern about workers and the fact that this legislature isn’t doing anything about it,” Pepper said.

In October, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine certified a proposed constitutional amendment to raise the state minimum wage to $12 an hour, up from $8.10 per hour. In 2006, Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment, backed by unions, that ties the state minimum wage to inflation.

Pepper said the state party isn’t orchestrating putting issues on the statewide ballot as a getout-the-vote strategy.

Meanwhile, Borges said he will start talks on whether the GOP should put forth a ballot issue that would stoke up Republican voters, such as something limiting state benefits extended to immigrants. “That might really juice turn out,” he said.

He added that “I don’t know what it’s going to be but I’m certainly not going to wait for the Democrats to decide how to manipulate it to their advantage.”

There are two routes to the statewide ballot: gathering more than 300,000 valid petition signatures or asking the General Assembly to put a question before voters. Going through the legislature, which is controlled by the GOP, is faster and far less expensive.

“We want to take a look at a variety of hot-button issues that might help us,” Borges said. “I’m trying to convene a group right now. I want all the stakeholders around the table. We would weigh it all – maybe ultimately deciding the best thing to do is do nothing at all.”

Major recent issues

Ballot initiatives have been used to drive voter turnout as well as change state policies. In the past 15 years, Ohio voters have done the following via ballot issues:

Banned gay marriage (2004),

Tied the state minimum wage to inflation (2006),

Banned indoor smoking in workplaces (2006),

Placed limits on interest rates charged by payday lenders (2008),

Approved casinos for four cities (2009),

Rejected a law that would have cut collective bargaining for public employee unions (2011),

Rejected recreational and medical marijuana (2015),

Made it difficult to establish monopolies in the state constitution (2015).

Possibles on ’16 ballot

There is no shortage of ballot initiatives in the works. In addition to the $12 minimum wage proposal, groups are approved for petition signature gathering for the following proposals:

Ohio Clean Energy Initiative would require the state to issue bonds for clean energy projects;

Strengthening Term Limits would limit state legislators to no more than 12 years in the General Assembly;

Ohio Drug Price Relief Act would mandate that state government agencies receive the state negotiated drug prices as federal agencies get;

Fresh Start Act would allow people with misdemeanor convictions to erase their records if the offense is no longer considered a crime;

Legalize Ohio 2016 would legalize marijuana for recreational and medical use.