A Republican state lawmaker wants to make it easier for citizens to put local changes on the ballot, saying the current rules make it too difficult for citizens to be heard on local issues.
It's quite different from a ballot measure Republican lawmakers pushed forward in 2023 that would have raised the threshold for citizens to put proposed constitutional changes before voters.
Rep. Ty Mathews (R-Findlay) said Ohio law demands backers of challenges to local laws to get signatures from 35% of the community’s voters to take it to the ballot—a level he thinks is too high.
“It's now lowering that 35% down to 20% of signatures that you would need to get on the ballot," Mathews said. That would apply to certain zoning changes, township actions, and municipal and village ordinances.
Mathews said the inspiration for House Bill 985 came from Findlay residents who wanted to vote on a golf course being turned into a large housing development, which Findlay City Council approved in June. He said there are many reasons why local residents might want to weigh in on development in their communities.
"There's a big elephant in the room with data centers coming into communities," Mathews said. "I think that we need to show the people of Ohio that we are fighting for their voice and they do have, and should have, a voice in local economic development decisions."
But HB 985 would have to pass by the end of the year, or it will have to be reintroduced next session. Mathews said he's hoping the bill could be amended into another piece of legislation during the lame duck session after the November election.
It's a contrast to Issue 1, which Ohio voters decided in August 2023. That constitutional amendment would have required future amendments proposed by citizens groups to get 60% voter approval to pass. The change would have only affected citizen-led campaigns, not changes sought by the legislature. Republicans had pushed for Issue 1 though they had outlawed August special elections just a few months before, and said that law didn't affect amendments brought forward by lawmakers. They argued that it was too easy to amend Ohio's constitution, especially for out-of-state groups, and there was concern about upcoming ballot issues guaranteeing reproductive rights and restructuring redistricting. Issue 1 was rejected by 57% of voters.
