Ohio lawmakers plan to put business monopoly issue on fall ballot

June 24, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

COLUMBUS

A legislative panel signed off Tuesday on a ballot issue to block the addition of business monopolies in the state constitution, over the objections of the group behind an effort to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational uses.

The move by the Ohio House’s Government Accountability and Oversight Committee sets up a potential floor vote as early as today and positions House Joint Resolution 4 for final action in the Ohio Senate before lawmakers recess for the summer. That would place the issue before voters in November for a final decision.

HJR 4 would block groups from using the initiative petition process to pursue constitutional amendments granting monopolies or other types of commercial economic interests, according to an analysis by the state’s Legislative Service Commission.

The language would not affect current amendments, including the one approved by voters that allowed casinos to open in four Ohio cities. But it would quash a proposal by ResponsibleOhio to legalize marijuana use for medicinal and recreational purposes.

That group’s amendment outlines a structure to regulate marijuana production and sales in the state, with 10 sites where marijuana could be grown, tax rates for retail and other sales and provisions for home-grown plants.

Backers say they have more than 550,000 signatures on petitions, well above the 300,000-plus required to qualify for the ballot. ResponsibleOhio plans to submit the petitions to the secretary of state by next Wednesday.

Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted said last week the amendment would supersede Responsible- Ohio’s proposal, should voters approve both in November.

Yost was already on record as a proponent of adding language to the state constitution to block private interests from pursuing amendments creating monopolies through the citizen initiative process.

ResponsibleOhio amendment author Christopher Stock testified against the proposed amendment.

Stock said HJR 4 would block future citizen-led efforts to amend the state constitution.