Constitutional amendment plan passes committee

A Republican-led resolution that would make it more difficult for citizens to amend the Ohio Constitution moved out of the Ohio Senate General Government Committee on Wednesday, creating an opportunity for it to get a vote in front of the full Senate.

Senate Joint Resolution 2’s future in the House remain in limbo, however.

The resolution, pushed by Secretary of State Frank LaRose, moves the approval threshold to 60% of voters to amend the constitution. Currently, an amendment needs a 50%-plus-one margin to pass. That threshold has been in place since 1912.

The resolution would also change the requirement to place a measure on the ballot from at 5% of all voters in the most recent gubernatorial election in 44 counties to at least 5% in all 88 counties.

It would also eliminate a 10day period where groups submitting signatures can submit additional signatures if needed.

More than 200 groups oppose the resolution.

“Lawmakers are blatantly tossing out the will of the people and violating the long-standing tradition of citizen-initiated ballot campaigns,” The Ohio Voter Rights Coalition said in a statement Tuesday. “We have watched some politicians prioritize special interests over people, but we can still stop this undemocratic, unfair, unpopular, and unnecessary measure. We must protect our freedom to determine our future in Ohio, not permanently change our Constitution to give up our fundamental rights.”

If the resolution makes it to the ballot it would need only 50%-plus-one vote for passage. That election could take place in August, and it would come months after Republicans pushed through legislation that was eventually signed by Gov. Mike DeWine that ended all August special elections to save taxpayers money, Republicans had said.

As previously reported by The Center Square, LaRose has said it’s too easy to change the state constitution and that opens the door for special interests groups to have influence over state law.

Republicans in the House remain split on the companion resolution, HRJ 1.

Rep. Susan Manchester, RWaynesfield, has attempted to bypass the committee process by filing a discharge petition that, if signed by 50 representatives, would remove the resolution from committee consideration and bring it to an immediate floor vote.

That threshold has not been reached.

The move to change how the constitution is amended comes at a time when signatures are being collected to place a question on the November ballot that would guarantee a right to an abortion in Ohio.

A second proposed amendment that would eventually raise the state’s minimum wage would likely appear on a 2024 ballot.