Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council Opposes HJR 1 and SJR 2

60 Percent Threshold Undermines Sacred Principle of One Person One Vote

COLUMBUS – The Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, representing more than 18,000 workers in 21 affiliated Local Unions and district councils, has voted to oppose Ohio House Joint Resolution 1 and Ohio Senate Joint Resolution 2 because the 60 percent threshold for ballot initiatives undermines the sacred principle of One Person One Vote.

“These ideas are unnecessary, unfair, undemocratic and unpopular. Ending majority rule in Ohio as we know it is a bad short and long-term idea. We believe these proposals shred our Constitution and will hurt workers in the trades and undermine our efforts to put Ohio’s economy on the right track for jobs, development and prosperity,” said Dorsey Hager, Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the Columbus/Central Ohio Building Trades Council.

“We oppose these proposals because our members want the freedom to make decisions that affect their lives, and ballot initiatives let us exercise that freedom. Getting rid of ballot initiatives means more power for politicians and less power for voters to decide the issues that matter most,” Hager said.

The Columbus/Central Ohio Building Trades Council was established on June 1, 1961, and has provided more than 50 years of skilled union craftsmanship to the greater Columbus area. The council is part of the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council, representing 14 member councils across the state.