Latest / Taking Initiative / What ballot measures are underway in the US? Ohio Ballot Protection at BISC 2026
Transcript
- Speaker 1: Here I am with my new friend, Ray Greene, from just south of here, actually. It's nice to meet a neighbor. And we've been talking to people about what the initiative process means to them and the people that they're working And you were just sharing some municipal things that you're working on. Would you mind sharing quickly? OBP: Hi, this is Laura Lucarelli from Ohio Ballot Protection's podcast, Taking Initiative. And this week I'm in Cleveland, Ohio, hometown for me, ⁓ or the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, has on a special conference called Road Ahead. It provided us an opportunity to meet people all over the Speaker 2: here with Bob. Bob lives in DC and I want him to talk about his very ⁓ interesting initiative. This is not a state initiative, it is a... Speaker 1: my name is Ryan Perez and I'm from Minnesota. Speaker 2: My name is April Reisma and I'm currently serving as of the Education Association, but I'm here representing ⁓ For AR Kids out of Arkansas. I'm Watson. she/her pronouns and I'm based in Seattle and I'm the campaign manager for a statewide vote no campaign ⁓ against harmful initiatives that particularly target trans community and LGBTQ + youth. ⁓ tell me in Minnesota what you're working on right now and why that matters for democracy. Speaker 1: My name is Lena. I use she her pronouns. ⁓ I'm from Minneapolis working with the Twin Cities Democratic Socialist of America or TCDSA. Right now are working on a ballot measure for renters right repair in St. Paul. That gives renters the to repair their own houses and get reimbursed for any people that they might hire or work that they do to get their stuff fixed. So then landlords don't have to do all the logistics of figuring out that repair themselves a little bit more straightforward for everybody and help OBP: I'm here with my new friend Kiyana from Colorado right hi yes yes indeed can you tell people what you were working on and why it matters for democracy? ⁓ of course Speaker 1: Right now I'm building out a bunch of training programs about civic engagement and also looking at the ballot measures and how we train people to get involved. federal initiative. It's a proposed amendment to the US Constitution called the voters voice amendment that would allow federal level ballot initiatives like 26 states have today. OBP: So what I'm asking people, Rufino, is where are you from? ⁓ And how are ballot measures accepted or not where you come Do you have an opinion? I do. So I live in southern Michigan on the border with Speaker 2: What's going on? in Akron, we're running two about initiative this year. One around housing. have 14 legislative priorities that came from our community. We narrowed it down to five. Now we're working with city council on those five to figure out what they're going to pass. And then whatever they don't pass, we're going to take to the ballot and allow the people to choose. ⁓ But then enhancing our oversight board. So we won oversight board back in 2022, I ⁓ And right now adding more protections to that. ⁓ Speaker 1: I am Bill Kopsky, I'm the director of the Arkansas Public Policy Panel. we're here also with For Our Kids on an education reform amendment and then also a ballot question committee called Protect Our Rights to pass the Arkansas Ballot Measure Rights Amendment. OBP: So what I am working on, I am a proponent of a ballot measure that would get rid of a regressive tax code in our state. So it will get rid of a flat income tax in our constitution and implement it with a progressive income tax where the highest top earners will be getting taxed more ⁓ those who are making... Speaker 1: Hey, I'm Gabbi Nazary, I use she/her pronouns. I'm the government relations director with Pro Choice Washington and we serve as the co-chair to the No Hate campaign in Washington state. Tell us how direct democracy impacts you directly and why it's important. Speaker 2: Are there specific ballot measures that you're helping organize for right now. Speaker 1: Yeah, well there's been some really incredible municipal ballot measures in Minnesota, including rent stabilization and other policies to make it easier for people to live. ⁓ And right now we're looking at how to do more of that in especially the Twin Cities and St. Paul. Speaker 2: So this would be to put something directly on a federal ballot. OBP: And what I appreciate about ballot measures, especially in a Ruby red district, is it's our way of fighting back against the establishment stronghold where live. So I'm really excited about ⁓ Michigan's getting money out politics, about the My Kids Ballot Initiative. There are so many ways in which I can still engage with my ⁓ broader community outside of ⁓ Monroe in the 5th congressional and still feel like I'm making change where I live in the place where I care about. Speaker 1: the federal. So we would vote when you do a federal election there would be ballot initiatives attached to it if any of them got approved in that period of time. So the idea is just like a state one but here would be 25 states and number of people from each state depending on size signed to get it on the ballot and then when a federal election occurs these initiatives would show up and everybody would vote at the same time in all states. OBP: we sat down several of them to ask where they're from, what they're working on, and why democracy matters to them. Ohio should be very proud. We one of only 12 states in the U.S. that allows direct democracy, meaning we as citizens can put directly on the ballot referendum, statute, or constitutional amendments. This is not something Speaker 1: keep all of our buildings up to code and safe for everybody in the city. Speaker 2: So why not just count on our politicians that we put in place to worry about, why do direct democracy? So talk to me about why you've taken the citizen initiative route for that rather than just working with the legislature. tell us what ballot measures mean to you and to the future of your state. Speaker 1: because that's the easiest way to reflect directly the will of the voters and the will of the people. And when everyone's on board with an idea, but it's not happening at the state house, that's where you have to really get involved with those ballot initiatives. OBP: lower income will be getting taxed less the revenue that we would generate from this ballot measure will go towards K 12, child care and health care. So all the important things that we all care about in our state will be funded ⁓ and is something that Colorado voters really really want to see on the ballot. So we're super excited. Yeah, it's a lot of work to get things on a ballot. Absolutely. Absolutely. And why does it matter? Speaker 2: to finalize in that language and both of these will be ready to collect signatures by the primary. Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a great question. in Paul right now, we in the past years have seen that there's been a few landlords, usually out of state landlords who don't actually live in St. who have really taken advantage of the city and have bought up huge apartment buildings or renter spaces and don't keep up to code and then end up to kick out bunch of tenants from those apartment buildings the government realizes that they're not to code Gosh, in Arkansas we've done so many things through our constitutional amendment process that Arkansas lawmakers just never would do. ⁓ Cool. Talk to me about the oversight board. What exactly... ⁓ Speaker 2: Yeah, so the oversight board for the police department of Akron gives us a commission that is able to oversee procedural and police brutality issues in Akron with the police department. It's an issue around recommendations for discipline. And what want to do ⁓ is ensure that OBP: while also not falling victim to the apathy that is so prevalent, I think, where I live, So ⁓ it's exciting how initiatives still a way for us to despite not having the political power that we deserve. ⁓ Speaker 2: So why this over trusting our politicians that have been elected to work for us? OBP: universally available to citizens throughout the U.S. So very interesting to get to know others, what they're working on, and of course we wish us all well make this a stronger democracy and ⁓ a better place to live. Speaker 1: campaign finance reform, our ethics laws, even the creation of our Game and Fish Commission in the state, minimum wage increases. And because of all those reforms over the years, lawmakers have really targeted the ballot measure process to try to eliminate it. That's why our founders put it in the Constitution, because they knew that lawmakers were sometimes incapable or too partisan to take care of what the public needed. And so the ballot measure rights amendment that we're putting forward does four really fundamental things to protect that process, to make sure that we can continue It's just, what's a better answer? Okay, they address what we want necessarily, ⁓ because it's not important to them, or the isn't gonna be there for them. ⁓ So, would you rather hear ⁓ that 10 people like something and 9 didn't, or you want some politicians to make that decision for us? ⁓ We know the exact answer, because everyone voted. And ⁓ the main reason is just to things they won't do, or build a box around them. ⁓ Yeah. I I think us as ⁓ folks that are leading a ballot ⁓ initiative would directly harm students in Washington state, important that, ⁓ you know, people up at the ballot box in November to show their values, which creating an inclusive, ⁓ safe space for all students to learn in a safe environment, participate in sports in a environment and OBP: Well, it matters because, right, what we're seeing with the federal administration is a lot of budget cuts to things that we care about. Also, Colorado is actually not in any position to absorb what the federal government is doing to Colorado with these budget cuts. So we are finding ourselves in a billion dollar budget hole in the state where we are making budget cuts to Medicaid, healthcare. Speaker 2: Our oversight board is able to do investigations and dish out punishment, but also changing the requirements for being on the that allows for to open up to more community people, more community minded people ⁓ that also has to a diverse board, ⁓ but also ensuring that have money. So when the police budget goes up, ⁓ their budget goes up, that they have money to actually carry out the duties they need to go. So we're just adding more protections and ⁓ into that to ensure the people are getting truly what they voted for. Speaker 1: anymore. And it's just a huge hassle for everybody involved and it's these out-of-state landlords spending a bunch of money in our city. So the citizen route means that the tenants who are the people actually living in the city and having to deal with the effects of these broken down buildings and all these repairs that need to be done, they're ones who have come up with the ballot and are going to be voting to hopefully pass it in St. Paul. it's a really program. It's about common sense ⁓ living in city people who are just working those important reforms in the future. And four things are it creates a fundamental right to sign, ⁓ to or to propose a ballot measure. It also political interference with the process and limits the legislature's power to interfere with the ballot process. ⁓ It also creates process so that if the rejects your signature, for example, on a petition, they have to notify you, the voter, that they rejected your signature and give you an opportunity to come fix it. ⁓ And then we also of protect that so that they can't go off the rails like they have. That's direct democracy at play. So that's why it's important to us. Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think the other component that already happened for this specific campaign that we're in is the signature gathering phase to qualify the initiatives to the legislature, which then get passed to the ballot. And I think it's really important for folks to understand how their voice matters during those earlier phases when there isn't a ballot in their mailbox when it comes to Washington, that they know the real information and the truth about how those initiatives are being and what they're about. OBP: childcare, ⁓ as well as education. These are the things that Colorado needs the most and this is very, very important to us that these things stay well funded. Speaker 1: class people on the ground ⁓ trying to live their lives and be safe and happy. Speaker 2: Cool. Is there anything about direct democracy that you've learned this week at BISC's Road Ahead that you'd like to share? Speaker 1: Yeah, I think the biggest thing that's come up at this has been how under threat direct democracy feels right now, which is scary. There is a of different attacks coming from places to try to mitigate citizens' ability to participate directly in legislative process. So both how can we make sure that that happen and also encouraging people to keep participating in the democratic process. the integrity of the process because we need to make sure the process is fair and safe for everybody to use. But that's why it's so important the future of the state really relies on the people being able to make decisions on the laws that impact us when lawmakers just won't do it. Speaker 2: And just as a citizen, I don't want to give up all of my control. I want to have a say in my government, not just at the ballot box. I want to be able to have a choice to bring an amendment to ⁓ voters so that we can actually have a say in how our future looks. Speaker 1: and to show government that that's both thing that we want and is a necessary and important way for us to be able to have safe happy, thriving lives. One of our slogans is we trust voters. end of the day we do, they make good ⁓ and they don't need to ⁓ babysat by Arkansas lawmakers. Speaker 2: Exactly.