tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post2431518994958711922..comments2023-08-20T07:06:14.115-04:00Comments on Thurber's Thoughts: Two initiatives submit signatures for November ballotMaggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12677808307727487766noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-89814621555909543082008-08-07T20:24:00.000-04:002008-08-07T20:24:00.000-04:00Kadim - that's a great idea.It would also make it ...Kadim - that's a great idea.<BR/><BR/>It would also make it easier for people gathering signatures because they'd know exactly how many valid ones they already have - and they wouldn't then need the additional 10 days if they didn't get the necessary number.<BR/><BR/>Too bad this idea didn't get the proper consideration...Maggiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12677808307727487766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-83533451801730248752008-08-07T20:13:00.000-04:002008-08-07T20:13:00.000-04:00The state constitution does have the deadline hard...The state constitution does have the deadline hard-coded. <BR/><BR/>My solution was to change Ohio law...which requires that all the signatures for an initiative be turned in simultaneously. <BR/><BR/>That's a terrible waste for everyone...right now you could have hundreds of thousands of signatures waiting in a warehouse for months instead of being verified because Ohio law requires a simultaneous turn in. It also means that, when the turn in day hits, whether it's 90 days or 120 days, the boards of elections get bombarded and have to employ temporary workers (particularly in the big counties) to perform the verifications.<BR/><BR/>If Ohio law had been changed to stream in the signatures, then the majority of signatures would be verified way before 120 days. The work load on the boards of elections would be more stable, and the petition companies would not be warehousing signatures and collecting too many signatures unnecessarily (since turn-in-as-you-go allows for instantaneous updates.)<BR/><BR/>Alas, the bill really didn't get any hearings here in Columbus and was rushed to the ballot.Kadimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04341840022248976546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-4348592728189768552008-08-07T19:46:00.000-04:002008-08-07T19:46:00.000-04:00Kadim,I did not check to see if our constitution h...Kadim,<BR/><BR/>I did not check to see if our constitution has specific deadlines that could only be addressed by such an amendment.<BR/><BR/>I do know that one reason for the change was to allow the various boards of elections sufficient time to verify signatures in time to get measures approved and then on the absentee ballots...Maggiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12677808307727487766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-38712542474236805552008-08-07T19:10:00.000-04:002008-08-07T19:10:00.000-04:00The one that irritates me the most (funny enough) ...The one that irritates me the most (funny enough) is the Initiatives Deadline Act. I found myself furious that the legislature opted to amend the state constitution to solve what really is a simple administrative issue.Kadimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04341840022248976546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-38912791825425688102008-08-07T08:50:00.000-04:002008-08-07T08:50:00.000-04:00Maggie,So now the battle truly begins. The "Healt...Maggie,<BR/><BR/>So now the battle truly begins. The "Healthy Families Act" (Unhealthy Business Act) if passed, will begin a new age in Ohio. This 'Typhoid Mary' of legislation will spread like a plague, killing some businesses while weakening other to the edge of discorporation. Like the Black Death of the Middle Ages, the rats of government will spread their poison, and the corpses will pile up. (Can you say, "Bring out your dead?")<BR/><BR/>Those businesses who survive the intial onslaught will flee, and the rest of the country will put us under Quarantine. We can likewise be assured that no new business will approach while the black flag flies over Ohio.Timothy W Higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com