Issue 1 is a ballot initiative asking Ohio voters to approve an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Ohio on August 8th. It would strengthen the process for approving constitutional amendments by raising the threshold requirements for the necessary votes and signatures.
Why Vote Yes?
Ohio’s dairy community is vulnerable to activist groups who want to dictate how farmers care for their livestock. These activist groups often use state ballot initiatives to set unreasonable farming rules that sound appealing to the general public, with the ultimate goal of eliminating animal agriculture.
For example, the pork industry is currently dealing with California’s Prop 12 whereby citizens voted to establish unrealistic housing standards for raising pigs. These standards must now be met by Ohio pig farmers that want to market their pork in California. Now that the courts have upheld Prop 12, special interest groups have incentive to work state by state to create new anti-agriculture and anti-business regulations. Ohio is one of 19 states that allow for these direct citizen initiatives. The passage of this issue would protect Ohio agriculture and our state’s food security by having a more thoughtful approach to amending the constitution.
Issue 1 is critical for protecting farms and small businesses. We must unite against wealthy, out-of-state activists who aim to control agricultural practices. Their exploitative legislation and deceptive tactics directly threaten Ohio’s agriculture industry, jeopardizing the livelihoods of farmers and small businesses. Voting YES on Issue 1 ensures that future amendments require a 60% majority and representation from all 88 Ohio counties.
The proposed amendment would:
· Require that any proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Ohio receive the approval of at least 60% of eligible voters voting on the proposed amendment.
· Require that any initiative petition filed on or after January 1, 2024, with the Secretary of State proposing to amend the Constitution of the State of Ohio be signed by at least 5% of the eligible voters of each county in the state.
· Specify that additional signatures may not be added to an initiative petition filed with the Secretary of State on or after January 1, 2024, proposing to amend the Constitution of the State of Ohio.
Share this document with others and encourage them to vote YES on Issue 1.
Learn More at VoteYesOhio.com
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