(The Center Square) – An Ohio Democratic state representative questioned Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s request for more than $400,000 in taxpayer dollars to advertise a proposed constitutional amendment.
LaRose asked the state’s Controlling Board to release $405,000 to publish summaries and arguments for and against Issue 1, a proposed amendment that would remove the redistricting process from political leaders and put it in the hands of an independent 15-person committee.
The state constitution requires the secretary of state to publish statewide ballot issue information in newspapers in all 88 Ohio counties for three consecutive weeks before the election.
The ballot board approved the transfer, but Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Westlake, wants a promise from LaRose the published materials won’t be political.
“Frank LaRose has a well-documented history of trying to mislead voters on the issues when it’s something the secretary opposes,” Sweeney said. “His embarrassing conduct as the Ballot Board chair where he rammed through intentionally false and deceptive ballot language on Issue 1 is just the most recent example. Before the state allocates the $405,000 in Controlling Board funds he’s requested, he owes it to the voters that he will publicly guarantee that as the state’s chief election officer any materials his office sends to news outlets across Ohio detailing the arguments for and against Issue 1 are free of partisan attacks and lies.”
LaRose responded on social media, saying Sweeney’s public statements are embarrassingly inaccurate.
“The state is constitutionally obligated to advertise the entire proposed amendment and the submitted arguments for and against it,” LaRose wrote on X. “As for the litigated ballot summary, the ads include only what’s ultimately approved by the court. Stop misleading voters to score cheap political points.”
The Republican-majority Ballot Board changed the ballot language submitted by Citizens Not Politicians, the group that followed the steps necessary to get the question on the ballot.
The submitted proposed language for the ballot included 15 members who have no disqualifying conflicts of interest and have shown an ability to conduct the redistricting process with impartiality, integrity and fairness.
It also said each redistricting plan shall contain single-member districts that are geographically contiguous, comply with federal law, closely correspond to the statewide partisan preferences of Ohio voters, and preserve communities.
The board’s approved language says the new commission would be “required to gerrymander” the districts.
Citizens Not Politicians have sued to change the language.
