Millennials may hold key to passage, YSU prof says

By Matt Hawout

TheNewsOutlet.org

Marijuana is in the air — or at least on the minds of Ohioans this year.

There are five legalization efforts under way in the state: four amendments to the state’s constitution and a bill in the House of Representatives.

Most of the groups pushing for amendments were aimed at the 2016 presidential election. Then, along came ResponsibleOhio, a business-backed group with lots of money and a plan to get its amendment on the November 2015 ballot.

By going to an off-year election, this is likely to become a battle between the baby-boomer and millennial generations, said William C. Binning, professor and chair emeritus of the political science department at Youngstown State University.

“The tendency of Ohio voters on statewide issues is they tend to vote ‘no’,” said Binning.

By picking an off-year election— when turn-out will be low — and stoking the huge population of millennials, it may tip the balance.

In that case, history could repeat itself.

In 1983, the Ohio Beer Drinking Age of 21 Amendment on the November ballot was an attempt to raise the drinking age. At the time, 18-year-olds were allowed into bars and could drink low-alcohol beer, sometimes known as 3-2 beer.

“That meant that all 18- and 19-year-olds in the state could socialize in bars,” said Binning. “It stirred them up and they all got out to vote. That failed.”

The off-year election resulted in a sound defeat, 58.6 percent to 41.4. Despite this, the state later raised the legal drinking age to 21 because the federal government threatened to stop transportation funds to the state.

Young vs. parents

Binning sees parallels between the alcohol issue and marijuana legalization. Both are generational.

“The younger crowd at that time, they got all stirred up over their right to drink. So there was a pretty big turnout of younger voters,” said Binning.

Cryshanna A. Jackson Leftwich agrees. She’s an associate professor in YSU’s Department of Politics and International Relations and a board member of VoteSmart.org.

“You always have a lower turnout rate when its not a presidential election year. So if you have a lower turnout rate, and you get your supporters to vote, then you can have it easier to pass through. So you might say, ‘OK, we’ll just get our people to go to the polls that will support this’,” said Leftwich.

Binning suggests the backer might pursue an underground campaign such as social media instead of a big, public campaign.

“You have an older population here. They’re not into marijuana. So, you want to get a big turnout of younger voters’,” said Binning. “So, what you want to do is somehow stir them up, without stirring everybody up.”

TheNewsOutlet.org is a collaborative effort among the Youngstown State University journalism program, The University of Akron, The University of Cincinnati, Cuyahoga Community College and professional media outlets including, WYSU-FM Radio and The Vindicator (Youngstown), the Akron Beacon Journal and Rubber City Radio (Akron).