Arrogant Mike DeWine, Ohio lawmakers using deceit to cancel voters' will on marijuana.

Ohioans will remember blatant disregard for the voters on marijuana

I have been a Republican my entire adult life, but I have never felt as disrespected or disenfranchised by my own party and my legislature as I do right now.

On Nov. 7, the people made their voices heard loud and clear on some very important issues. Issue 1 and Issue 2 both passed with commanding margins of 14 points each, much to the dismay of Republican lawmakers in this state who have since committed to work tirelessly to undermine or even reverse entirely the results.

Major changes made to marijuana issue: DeWine, Senate want medical dispensaries to sell recreational marijuana

Stealing the election: Sneaky Ohio Republican senators disrespect voters with rushed marijuana amendment

Contrary to disingenuous statements made by the governor, some legislators, and others who apparently cannot accept defeat in a free and fair election, Ohio voters were engaged and knew exactly what they were voting for, as they have demonstrated in not one but two separate elections this year, even after repeated attempts by the legislature to sneakily and underhandedly subvert their will and minimize their influence in the political process altogether.

I would encourage you to contact your alleged representatives to let them know how you feel about this, but they've made it abundantly clear through their actions that they do not care what you think.

Regardless of where you stand on these issues specifically, surely, you'll agree that the will of We the People should be respected and paid the highest deference.

Such blatant disregard for the voters cannot go unanswered come the next election.

Tyler Ward, Minerva

What's your thought? How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch

Deliver the marijuana law Ohio voters approved

How dare the Republicans pull a George Santos on Issue 2.

The people of Ohio voted to allow marijuana as it was placed on the ballot; not in a Republican adjusted way.

That they think it is fine to cast aside the will of Ohio voters and create a stringent GOP designed law is not OK! We voted for what was on the ballot. Deliver it.

In full color: 10 Cartoons about George Santos being a 'terrible liar'

Every year the GOP shoves more of its Gestapo Mindset on civilians. Republicans are destroying democracy.

Ken Dardis, Newbury

Statehouse has no right to overturn people's will on marijuana, abortion

There seems to be some confusion at the state capital.

Votes on gerrymandering (twice), minority rule, abortion and marijuana where 'The People' have overwhelmingly expressed opinions in opposition to 'the people' elected to represent 'The People'.

Thomas Suddes: Lawmakers need constitutional proficiency test. Plan to seize power on abortion proof

Despite the vote, 'the people' are again trying to end run around the will of 'The People' on women's reproductive rights and pot.

Apparently 'the people' have decided, once again, that the concept of 'The People' is aspirational, but only possible as long as it meshes with the view of 'the people'.

Otherwise, not so much.

Dave Schwendenman, Columbus

Right and wrong not right and left

No matter our differences, most of us believe that all people deserve to live in peace.

Our policies for people seeking asylum should respect human dignity and take place in full public view. Doing what’s right means upholding people’s basic rights to safety and fairness.

We cannot turn an issue of human rights into political bickering.

We all have a stake in making the world a safer place, so we need to fairly examine each person’s asylum case in a safe space and quickly integrate the people requiring asylum into our communities.

This isn’t a matter of right or left, but quite simply a matter of right and wrong.

Sara Patrick, Strongsville

Why Cable TV is looking more and more attractive

Re "Channel 10 viewers lose some access to football," Dec. 5: The article on the DirecTV versus Channel 10 dispute was very timely.

I am extremely unhappy about the loss of this channel. After losing Channel 4 for almost three months this past summer, my patience is wearing thin.

At the very least we subscribers deserve a credit on our monthly statements every time this happens. Cable TV is looking more and more attractive.

Donna Sheetz, Columbus

Spending $100,000 on a trip doesn't sound broke

As property owners my husband and I listened to the Columbus school board complain during the lead up to the election about how they lacked money for even the most basic services needed to maintain schools.

More: NAACP questions nearly $100,000 San Diego trip for Columbus school officials

It was a shock to open the paper this morning to read that Columbus schools OK'd nearly $100,000 for a San Diego conference in October.

Our reaction we thought Columbus schools were broke and how could they afford to send 27 people to San Diego for a conference given their financial woes. Couldn't they have gone to the conference virtually and saved $100K?

Jean Hoitsma, Columbus

We don’t need a radioactive future

Scrub, scrub, scrub ... the Ohio Legislature is busy greenwashing again, trying to turn nuclear power into ‘green’ energy via Ohio House Bill 308.

Can sponsors Dick Stein, R-Norwalk; and Sean Brennan, D-Parma; and 24 Republican and 7 Democrat co-sponsors really convince the public that nuclear energy is in the same sustainable and renewable category as wind, solar, efficiency and conservation?

Contact your Ohio state representatives and senators today and tell them to dry their hands and get busy doing the real hard work of developing and leading Ohio’s energy future instead of diverting funding and wasting precious time and resources by misleading and promoting dangerous, dirty, outdated, and more expensive nuclear options.

We don’t need or want a speculative and waste-filled radioactive future to confront climate change in Ohio.

Chris Trepal, Lakewood

We must come together

Americans value our freedoms – especially our freedom to elect leaders who govern in our name.

Multiple grand juries of everyday Americans have indicted the former MAGA president for his criminal conspiracy to defraud, deny and overthrow the will of the people.

Yet MAGA Republicans cheer him on and want to overturn our legal system to allow him to get away with it, while they take away our freedoms and rule for the wealthy few.

We must come together to ensure all involved are held accountable, so we can protect our country and our freedoms.

Faith Greer, Stow

Watch the big money donor

Mayor Andrew Ginther raised $1.6 million for his successful reelection campaign, and the nine successful Columbus city council candidates (including six having no opposition) together raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.

How those officials treat their big-money donors should be monitored.

More: Ginther: Columbus area communities must stop adding jobs without allowing new homes, people

Shortly before retiring, longtime Columbus city attorney Rick Pfeiffer warned about large campaign contributions in the December 2017 Columbus Monthly magazine.

He explained: “People don’t give you all that money because they think you’re an intellectual, that you’re going to give good judgment. They want you to do something.”

A Feb. 11, 2019, Dispatch editorial said although Columbus officials deny making decisions based on campaign contributions, “the correlation between who gives lots of money and who does business with or seeks action from the city is striking.”

Politics: Rick Pfeiffer's last mosey

The correlation is more than coincidental according to Ohio State University professor emeritus Kevin Cox.

He wrote in his 2021 book "Boomtown Columbus: Ohio’s Sunbelt City and How Developers Got Their Way" that : “there is a pattern in Columbus of developers smoothing the way through campaign contributions.”

In famed prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi’s 1998 book No Island of Sanity, he described harms of large campaign contributions: “Big business and special-interest groups have been financing ... elections for both parties in America for decades, and getting substantial benefits in return that are directly antithetical to the general public’s interest and welfare.”

What is Columbus? Columbus isn't La-La Land, Beantown or the Big D. What it is anguished, but why?

The media should report on any benefits the city government provides to city officials’ big-money campaign donors. This could lead to reforms reducing the possibility of improper influence and harm to the public.

Joseph Sommer, Columbus

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: DeWine, GOP attempt to override Ohio voters on weed won't be forgotten