Dear Editor,

The Ohio Constitution is the most important document that supports the rights of all Ohioans.

The Belmont County Republican Party stands for the rights of all Ohioans and therefore supports the preservation of our state’s constitution.

On Tuesday, August 8th, a proposed constitutional amendment, Issue 1, is on the ballot. Simply put, Issue 1 states that any amendment to the Ohio Constitution must receive at least 60% of the vote to be approved.

Under the current system, it only requires 50.01% of the vote. This puts our constitution at risk and makes it vulnerable to outside forces.

Some of our fellow citizens have been confused about Issue 1, due to advertisements paid for by out of state special interest and extremist groups.

These groups are funded by large conglomerates and unions that do not properly represent or respect their rank and file membership.

The fact of the matter is that Ohioans, historically, have consistently passed amendments to the Ohio Constitution with a much higher percentage of the vote. In fact, since 1913 the Ohio legislature has proposed 156 amendments to the Ohio Constitution — 42% of those amendments passed with at least 60% of the vote, only 27% passed with 50% to less than 60% of the vote.

As you can see, the vast majority of the amendments that were approved by the voters, passed by at least 60% of the vote.

Ohioans understand that when amendments become part of the Ohio Constitution, they become permanent fixtures and usually stay that way for our lifetimes. Unlike politicians, who can be voted out of office every 2, 4 or 6 years, these constitutional amendments are permanent.

So issues that most of us may disagree with, such as, abortion, gun control and the interference by government in parental rights, could become part of our Ohio Constitution. This would unravel the fabric that holds our state together and would dismantle the foundation our families are built upon.

Consequently, all the power in our state would belong to the large cities, leaving rural Ohio without a voice. For all the above reasons and frankly, just using common sense, we the Executive Committee of the Belmont County Republican Party, wholeheartedly endorse Issue 1 and encourage all Republicans and all Ohioans to Vote YES on Issue 1.

Early voting and absentee Voting has already begun, but by all means vote by Tuesday, August 8th, and encourage everyone you know to Vote YES.

This election is extremely important, the future of Ohio and its citizens hangs in the balance.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Robert Blinco

Executive Committee

Belmont County

Republican Party

Shadyside