Smith Condemns Passage of S.J.R. 2 and S.B. 92

Today, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) issued a statement after the Ohio Senate voted along party lines to pass Senate Joint Resolution 2 and Senate Bill 92. S.J.R. 2 would raise the threshold for Ohioans to pass constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%, while S.B. 92 would allow for August special elections when a proposed constitutional amendment is on the ballot.

“With the Senate passage of S.J.R. 2 and S.B. 92, Ohio Republicans have again demonstrated they want to rule the people of Ohio with their extreme fringe beliefs rather than represent the will of all Ohioans,” said Senator Smith. “They are determined to impose their hyper-conservative agenda on all of us – even if their out-of-the-mainstream views do not have majority support. The ‘party of family values’ now supports, minority rule, forced birth, genital inspections for high school athletes and banning books. This is not what the majority of Americans want. This is not what the majority of Ohioans want.”

This legislation would undermine ballot issues that are likely to be supported by a majority of Ohioans, such as protecting reproductive rights (59%), creating an independent citizens’ redistricting commission to stop partisan gerrymandering (56%), increasing the minimum wage (60%), or fully legalizing marijuana (58%).

During the 134th General Assembly, the Republican-controlled legislature passed House Bill 458, which eliminated August special elections under almost all circumstances. S.B. 92 would reauthorize special elections, immediately resulting in a costly and unnecessary $20 million August 8 special election.

Now that a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment to codify abortion access in Ohio is likely to be on the ballot this November, Republicans are trying to make it more difficult for voters to amend Ohio’s constitution this August.

S.J.R. 2 and S.B. 92 both have companion legislation in the House, H.J.R. 1 and H.B. 144, and now head to the House for consideration.