Ballot language on SB 5 issue finalized

August 4, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

COLUMBUS

A “yes” will mean “yes,” and a “no” will mean “no” on State Issue 2, the referendum by union groups and like-minded individuals that seeks to reject controversial collective- bargaining law changes signed into law earlier this year by Gov. John Kasich.

The Ohio Ballot Board finalized the wording for the issue Wednesday after several hours of public debate and behind-closed-doors discussions.

In the end, members, in a 5-0 vote, certified the language to read that Senate Bill 5 “is a new law relative to government union contracts and other government employment contracts and policies. A ‘yes’ vote means you approve the law. A ‘no’ vote means you reject the law.”

“It was all trying to find a balance between what different sides felt were important to them and doing that consistent with the constitution,” Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted said after the certification vote. “And we were able to do that.”

With the ballot language approved, the next step will involve proponents and opponents compiling written arguments for and against the issue. The ballot board will oversee that process.

Senate Bill 5 would place limits on collective bargaining, changing the way more than 350,000 public workers have negotiated contract terms for nearly three decades.

The new law also prohibits strikes and enables state and local governments and schools to base employee-pay decisions on performance.

Proponents say the changes are needed to enable public offices to better control their costs.

Opponents call the new law a politically motivated attack by Republicans on unions that will result in reductions in the ranks of teachers, police officers, firefighters and other public servants.

Opponents submitted more than 900,000 valid signatures to place the law before voters in November via a referendum process that allows residents to accept or reject laws passed by the Legislature.