State Issue 1 Shuts Down Anti-Hunting Constitutional Changes
Most sportsmen in Ohio are unaware that the future of hunting, fishing and trapping is on the ballot August 8. But early voting has begun on State Issue 1, and the outcome of this special election will determine whether Ohio is vulnerable to wealthy animal-rights groups, or whether the people will stand together to protect our outdoor heritage.
Most voters know that elections are generally won by the side with the most money, and that is where our greatest weakness lies. National animal-rights groups raise hundreds of millions of dollars each year, and they use these funds to bankroll ballot issues to change state constitutions to take your hunting rights away. Ohio sportsmen are strong in the legislature, but we can’t match the deep pockets of Washington, D.C.,- and New York-based radicals who want to force their values on our state.
State Issue 1 on August 8 levels the playing field. Issue 1 ensures that people from all over Ohio support changes to our constitution instead of only those in big cities. It requires that constitutional changes earn support from 60% of voters. This is similar to the system our Founding Fathers put in place to change the U.S. Constitution. To do that, two-thirds of Congress must approve, and then three-quarters of the 50 states must follow suit.
The Founders made sure that only the most important issues were specified in the Constitution. Things that protect our freedoms and spell out the limits of government. Ohio needs to take a similar step.
Restrictions on hunting, fishing and trapping should be handled in the law or by regulation rather than embedded within our Constitution. Animal-rights groups use state constitutions because they know how hard it would be to remove a ban on hunting or trapping once it is there. And they know they have the money to outspend regular Ohioans who just want to spend time with their families outdoors.
Raising the threshold to change Ohio’s constitution to 60% will give sportsmen a fighting chance to protect our state from being overrun by out of state radicals and their endless supply of money. That is why State Issue 1 is the most important vote ever held in support of hunting, fishing and trapping in Ohio.
There are three ways to vote in Ohio:
- Vote the old-fashioned way and vote at your local polling place on August 8.
- Request an absentee ballot and mail it in once it is filled out. Learn how here: https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/how-to-request-your-absentee-ballot/
- Vote early at the local county board of elections. Lean how here: https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/toolkit/early-voting/
The only thing that matters is that sportsmen vote early or on August 8.
Because this special election will be held in just four weeks, voter turnout will determine the outcome, instead of who spends the most money. If enough people are fed up with out of state radicals forcing their values on Ohio, we can put protections in place that will close the gate on anti-hunting extremism in the Buckeye State.
That is why the Sportsmen’s Alliance strongly encourages Ohio sportsmen to get out and Vote Yes on State Issue 1.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
