The REAL reason big-city liberals oppose Issue 1

by Dean Rieck

6:00am Monday, July 24, 2023

Opponents of Issue 1 are throwing a conniption fit over the idea of elevating the standards for amending Ohio's constitution. They keep saying it's "undemocratic" and a "power grab."

But as is often the case, leftist and progressive political activists are projecting their own motives onto others, accusing them of doing what they themselves are guilty of.

Issue 1 not only requires more votes to approve a constitutional amendment (60% vs the current 50% +1); it also requires amendment supporters to gather signatures in all 88 Ohio counties.

Opponents say this is unfair. But unfair to whom? Take a look at the map shown with this article. This is how Ohio counties voted in the last presidential election.

If you were a left-leaning activist collecting signatures to get your radical agenda on the ballot to change Ohio's constitution, where would you collect signatures? You'd target only those counties where you had the best odds of support. For the most part, that would be high-population blue and blue adjacent counties. You would NOT want to deal with all the deep-red rural counties where support would be more difficult to find.

In other words, big city liberals want to deal only with people in their own political strongholds. They don't want rural, small-town Ohioans to have a say.

And if they can get their issue bankrolled by wealthy donors and activist groups, it's much easier to convince half of Ohio to vote in their favor.

That's the game — limit signature collection to blue and bluish areas. Target millions of dollars in advertising to big-city markets. And permanently change the constitution with only half of Ohio voters in agreement.

Does that seem fair to you?

Ohio is both urban and rural. Constitutional amendments affect ALL Ohioans, not just big blue urban areas.

So Issue 1 would require Ohioans from ALL our counties to have a say in getting an issue on the ballot. And then it would require a clear majority of Ohioans to support whatever constitutional amendment is being proposed.

The result would be strong across-the-state consensus before making any permanent change to our constitution.

That's what opponents are calling "undemocratic" and a "power grab." That's what they're saying is "unfair."

I'm voting YES on Issue 1 because I want to protect our constitution. I'm voting YES because I want to prevent activists from playing political games with our fundamental rights. And I'm voting YES because I'm tired of big-city elitists treating rural Ohio like deplorables whose opinions don't matter.

I'm voting YES on Issue 1. How about you?

Dean Rieck is Executive Director of Buckeye Firearms Association, a former competitive shooter, NRA Patron Member, former #1 NRA Recruiter, and host of the Keep and Bear Radio podcast.