Dear Editor,
Ohio legislators are attempting to grab power for themselves at the expense of everyone else with Issue 1, which will make it harder for working families to make their voices heard on important issues.
Since 1912 in Ohio, a constitutional amendment has required a simple majority of 50-percent-plus-one to pass. This process was used to defeat Senate Bill 5 in 2011, which would have taken collective bargaining away from public sector workers.
Issue 1 raises the requirement to a 60 percent majority, and in order to cut citizens out of the democratic process, the powerful corporations and special interests that support this antidemocratic resolution scheduled a special election in August rather than putting it on the ballot in November's general election.
Some current legislators want to bring the so-called "right to work" to Ohio, and if Issue 1 passes, our work to defeat it becomes tremendously more difficult. We must vote NO on Issue 1 because we cannot allow our voices to be silenced or the power of our votes eroded.
Greg Burwell
Martins Ferry