Latest / Taking Initiative / Onsite at the Libertarian Party of Ohio's Convention: Views on Direct Democracy
Transcript
- Ron Grethel: my name is Ron Grethel. I'm running for Ohio State Rep for District 62. I'm an Ohio Army National Guard veteran, Loveland native, and I personally have gotten signed petitions for things like anti-gerrymandering in the state of Ohio. It's had mixed success, and I voted for Citizens' Ballot Initiative. Jennifer Crayton: Jennifer Crayton I'm Jennifer. I'm from Columbus, Ohio. ⁓ Bill Ferry: Bill Ferry. I'm from Bay Village, which is in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Laura Lucarelli: Excellent. I was hoping we could talk to you about the ballot initiative process. Can we do that? Awesome. Well, tell me, have you ever signed, have you signed a petition lately? Cassaundra Fryman: I'm Cassaundra Fryman. I am the mayor of the village of Plymouth and I running for Huron County Commissioner this fall. I am also the political director for the Libertarian Party of Ohio. I just wanted to talk about ballot access reform and what would make it easier and fairer. And the most obvious ones would probably be lowering the signature threshold and extending the amount of time that you have to gather said signatures so that people can actually get out there and grab the opinions and approval of people who are wanting a change and making it necessary. Christopher Elder: my name is Christopher Elder. am from the very small village of Paulding, Ohio, and I am running as a Libertarian for State Representative in Ohio House District 82. Right back at ya. David Edward Gedert: my name is David Edward Gedert and I am running for the Ohio Ninth for Congress. ⁓ Zach Hall: I'm Zach Hall. I am the 2026 LP Ohio convention chair and I am also running for state representative in district 43 up in Toledo, Ohio. Michelle MacCutcheon: Hi, this is Michelle MacCutchen. I'm the Libertarian Party's Executive Director for Ohio, and we are here today at our state convention. We are working on all kinds of initiatives to bring more power back to the citizens of Ohio. Jennifer Crayton: Absolutely. Laura Lucarelli: ⁓ Great, it is very nice to meet you. I was hoping you could tell me how you've been involved in citizen ballot led initiatives. Did you sign? you collect the signatures? Well, thank you for a minute to talk to us about direct democracy. Tell me who you think should have final say, politicians ⁓ or ⁓ the people? Jennifer Crayton: have signed a petition. ⁓ The big one is Our City, Our Say is a Columbus ⁓ citizen-led ballot initiative ⁓ say that we want ⁓ voting. So right now our is set up ⁓ at ⁓ and it muddies the water. ⁓ Our are different. We have different needs. ⁓ So am big on making that everybody has a voice. ⁓ It's big because I feel like ⁓ Laura Lucarelli: wanted to ask who ⁓ do you think have the ultimate say, ⁓ voters or politicians? ⁓ who do you think should have the final say politicians or voters? Christopher Elder: I have signed and during the course of my campaign I've become acquainted with people who are kind of forcing my hand in collecting signatures now too. Bill Ferry: That's easy. Just as the people that a president hires work at the will of the president, politicians work at the will of the people. We have the final say in everything, or should. David Edward Gedert: It should obviously be the voters. Well, I mean, we have a problem right now where I think most Americans can recognize that the two party system isn't working for us. The people that we are electing to represent our values aren't representing our values. The system exists, number one, to protect itself as a system, number two, to protect its mega corporate and billionaire donors, and number three, for the people only if it can be bothered. And we have to get the system to be bothered more often because the people are the ones who are really here. The corporations, I think, will Ron Grethel: that have gone on there, specifically legalizing access to abortion and legalizing marijuana in the state of Ohio. Those are things that I voted for. It's great. We should be able to do more of them. Laura Lucarelli: you ever been involved in a ballot initiative, either signing, collecting signatures? Can you talk about that experience? ⁓ Zach Hall: The people. Point blank stop. The people. Politicians far too often like to think that because they're in power, they have more control over us. And that's just not the case. We have a power that can shape our democracy and our country. And that is to vote. And that is why we need to get out and vote this year, next year, and the years after. Because if we don't, we get those politicians Laura Lucarelli: I'm curious, which are you? Cassaundra Fryman: Several times. Sure, so I have collected signatures for ending qualified immunity. I have collected signatures for the marijuana referendum. So I have experience with collecting them as well as for candidates to get on the ballot as well. And that is never an easy task. Christopher Elder: So, I have already started collecting petition signatures. I did so up in Perrysburg for an ending qualified immunity, the Flock immigration reform, which I don't think is necessarily a ballot initiative, but it was just something we were working on, and marriage equality. Laura Lucarelli: So, Bill, have you ever been in a position where somebody has offered you a petition to sign to get something, an issue on a ballot? And why is that so big? So my question for you is, we have elected representatives and whether it's somebody you voted for or not, we're entrusting power in our politicians. Who ultimately should have the say in our politics? Is it the politicians or the voters and why? Michelle MacCutcheon: We really enjoy having you here ⁓ and being able to explain a process that is purposely Bill Ferry: ⁓ yeah, many times. Strangely, usually liquor laws. ⁓ But ⁓ yeah, you know, that's the citizens getting together and say, shall our neighborhood be like? Jennifer Crayton: The government should work for the citizens. They are representative of who we are and we should get the final say. Like, we voted you in, but you represent us, but it's our voice that matters. Laura Lucarelli: It is a heck of a process. We are. Michelle MacCutcheon: It is a heck of a process. There are so many layers, so many different angles, so many different kinds of processes of how things get to be on the ballot. And most Ohioans don't have the mental bandwidth with just struggling to survive, to sit there and analyze how I do this thing and why this thing is this way. And it's meant to be obstructionist Laura Lucarelli: why do you do it? We have politicians that are supposed to be ⁓ working for the people. ⁓ do people go through initiative process? Excellent. All right, so since you've already been involved in the process and you understand the signature requirements and the hurdles, there, if you could reform the process, what would you do? So are you the kind of guy who would only sign a petition for something that you would vote for? Or would you be willing to just get something on the ballot and think about it later? Ron Grethel: You're turning on my political science degree now. So there's this, do we elect people that we think will be good stewards? And then really we just defer to their incredible intellect and ability. I hate that view on elected officials. They're there to work for us and to do the things we ask them to do and to respect our decisions, especially on things that we voted on directly. They should respect that. They don't know better than us. David Edward Gedert: do fine. The people are the ones that need help. Cassaundra Fryman: the same reason that I ended up getting elected to office is because the changes that we need to happen in our state are not being done by those who are sent to represent us ⁓ it's just another way to make that happen. Zach Hall: who don't care and they just stay entrenched and then our rights dwindle and ballot protection and ballot access it gets taken away from us and that's not what we want. Laura Lucarelli: are probably that in Ohio we the power to bring initiative and referendum directly to the ballot ⁓ And I don't know if you've been aware, but have been some malfeasance. Some, you know, people to get on and ⁓ have been blocks and things. And I'm just curious, do think it's ripe for reform? And if so, what would recommend? ⁓ Christopher Elder: I think Bill Ferry: Absolutely the latter. I've signed petitions before just thinking that this should go before the voters because it's their world not the politicians world and so yes I would do that. It's everything. 100 % everybody works for us not the other way around. Christopher Elder: the citizen-led ballot initiatives themselves are representative of how government works, ⁓ Government of the people, by the people, and for the people. ⁓ And ⁓ we've a bit lazy in electing officials that do it for us and then we generally keep hands off ⁓ So the board certifies the language ⁓ these petitions needs to more open and honest and independent. So instead of the Secretary State who is party specific and whether ⁓ David Edward Gedert: love that. Laura Lucarelli: Ohio Ballot Protection is focused on the citizen initiative and referendum processes. And that's a special tool that allows Ohioans to bring things directly ⁓ to ⁓ other voters. ⁓ Tell us if you've been in initiatives and you feel about that. If you could make a reform to Ohio's initiative and referendum process, have you ever thought about what magic power you might use? So what do think about the people's David Edward Gedert: I mean, we absolutely need structural reform. And when we talk about like this, system that has evolved to protect the system, that's what we're talking about when we're talking about citizen led ballot initiatives or third parties or anyone trying to get ballot access who is outside of that system. The only time the two parties will unite on anything is if they want to keep somebody out. So suddenly they're bipartisan on opposing ranked choice voting or anything that would give more direct democracy to people. Michelle MacCutcheon: think I would make the ⁓ the ballot language is approved. ⁓ before you get your first thousand signatures, if you're doing constitutional amendment, you have to get and okay on your language. ⁓ There is a certain who's also one of our coalition partners ⁓ called the Ohioans to qualified immunity. ⁓ They have gotten permission and the ballot language and I might have the off ⁓ six separate times. Zach Hall: Yes, ⁓ I was involved in the ⁓ legalizing marijuana and making it ⁓ just like alcohol, so to speak. And it really brings a different aspect to especially when ⁓ Christopher Elder: my party or a different party, anybody's party, it needs to be more independent. Because what's the point of having a citizen-led ballot initiative if the elected officials, people in power, are the ones deciding how it's going to be presented to the rest of the voters? So yes, we definitely need a more citizen-independent oriented board that approves the language for that rather than somebody who gets to control the narrative based off the party. Zach Hall: now I'm a candidate, definitely not the same when you're trying to bring initiatives or amendments to the ballot. ⁓ There's a lot more hurdles, a lot more legal mumbo jumbo that the law just requires those of us who are trying to make that happen get to where we want to be. David Edward Gedert: Suddenly, the two parties unite against it because they only exist for their own interests. Laura Lucarelli: you been involved ever in putting an initiative ⁓ the ballot? Michelle MacCutcheon: Nine. ⁓ nine. Sorry. ⁓ nine. Nine times where they have gathered signatures, submitted it, and they've said, no, gotta start over. And ending qualified immunity for our elected officials so they can be held accountable, because this is not just for officers. This is for anybody who's in those roles, would be huge for people to feel heard and supported and safer in our state. Laura Lucarelli: So here's a leading question you'll enjoy. So in the end, who should have the final say, politicians or the people? Okay, so people, when a person brings something or a group to the ballot, so voters get that say outside of our politicians, how do you feel about that specific power? Jennifer Crayton: currently right now, ⁓ and I'm gonna go local. ⁓ The city of Columbus made a terrible deal over a park that in an underserved community. ⁓ They gave it to Haslam Sports Group ⁓ to try to get NWSL. ⁓ And while I'm not professional women's sports, I love to see it. ⁓ Columbus is a soccer town, ⁓ so we want ⁓ But you took a away. So what I'm doing is I formed a community response team. ⁓ Christopher Elder: The people, of course. David Edward Gedert: That specific power is glorious and I love to see it and we've exercised it here in Ohio. We did it successfully when we ⁓ decriminalized marijuana and we also protected abortion access here in Ohio and we did that through citizen-led ballot initiatives and it turns out that's the only way to get some of these things done. The people that we elect to represent us again are not representing us. They're representing the system that exists to protect itself. These citizen-led ballot initiatives Jennifer Crayton: And we will be working to put initiative back on open up that discussion to see if we can move ⁓ training facility and get our park back. Laura Lucarelli: good for you. Best wishes. Thank you. Thank you for your time. ⁓ David Edward Gedert: have made major changes in lives on issue two. I mean, I have CPTSD and if without my marijuana, I would probably go bonkers. So, I mean, it meant something to me. so that's another ⁓ perfect example of where the citizens' voices are silenced by people that we elect to represent us. ⁓ We passed ⁓ marijuana decriminalization through issue two last year, and we it overwhelmingly. ⁓ And we did that. And we did that outside system. Even if one pretends to oppose it and the other side pretends that they're for it, ⁓ at the end of the day, it was a citizen-led initiative that got us there and I think that really says something. But now here in Ohio they're trying to roll back the rights that we demanded for ourselves. We got them on the ballot, we demanded change and we voted for them and now they're trying to roll it back and say you know what, turns out you didn't know what you wanted or needed. I know better. And I respectfully disagree and we're going to start with respect and if you don't start listening we're going to get to disrespectful right quick.