ACRP endorses Issue 1

Brian Haytcher, Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio
·1 min read
5

Jul. 27—The Ashtabula County Republican Party Executive Committee has endorsed Issue 1 in the upcoming special election.

The amendment raises the threshold for amending the Ohio Constitution from 50 to 60 percent, and requires petitions to be signed by five percent of electors from each of Ohio's 88 counties.

The issue also prevents additional signatures from being submitted to the Secretary of State's office after a petition to amend is submitted.

According to a press release from the ACRP, the U.S. Constitution has been amended 27 times, but the Ohio Constitution has been amended 172 times.

The press release attributes this to the U.S. Constitution requiring a two-thirds majority to amend, while the Ohio Constitution only requires 50 percent plus one vote to amend.

The release claims it is too easy to amend the state Constitution, and that amendments should only be approved with a super-majority.

The current requirement of having 44 of 88 counties gives larger counties more say in what amendments appear on state-wide ballots, according to the release.

The special election will take place on Aug. 8.