A hazy political picture

COLUMBUS

There are still plenty of questions about who will ultimately secure the Republican nomination to run for president.

Will Donald Trump gain enough delegates to win outright? Will Gov. John Kasich and Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio win just enough to keep Trump under the threshold and force a contested convention? Is Mitt Romney really waiting in the wings to sweep in and save the party?

And on and on.

We may have a clearer picture after Tuesday’s Ohio primary. Or we may not.

And then there’s the November general election. Will Republicans who disagree with the ultimate selection stay home? And how would a Trump-topped ticket affect candidates for Congress and the state Legislature and the Ohio Supreme Court? In particular, would Trump hurt U.S. Sen. Rob Portman’s chances for re-election, given his already-tight race with former Gov. Ted Strickland?

There’s another factor to consider when thinking about down-ticket races, namely the potential statewide issues that could appear on the ballot.

One group wants to require new or updated voter registrations when you apply or renew your driver’s license.

Attorney General Mike DeWine rejected the initial submission, citing a wording issue involving the voting age. But if backers decide to resubmit and have the wherewithal to gather the 300,000-plus signatures to qualify for the ballot, it’s probably a safe bet the left-leaning voters unhappy with some of Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted’s directors would support it.

Lawmakers’ pay

Another proposed constitutional amendment would limit lawmakers’ pay and their ability to land lucrative lobbying positions immediately after their terms end.

Granted, these newer amendment proposals have an uphill battle to qualify for the ballot. It takes a lot of money and sometimes legal wrangling to jump through all of the requisite hoops. More than likely, few if any of these initiatives will make the cut.

And then there’s marijuana, or, more precisely, medical marijuana.

The national Marijuana Policy Project has submitted its initial paperwork to DeWine’s office for review.

Among other provisions, the amendment would call for physicians to sign off on patients’ medical marijuana use, and users would have to obtain state-issued medical marijuana ID cards.

The amendment also calls for the creation of a new state commission that would develop rules for the issuance of IDs and licenses for related businesses. The language caps larger-scale marijuana cultivation to 15 sites, though users could grow up to half a dozen plants for their own use. Local governments could ban or limit the number or related businesses, though voter approval would be required to quash dispensaries.

The plan is based on successful medical marijuana legalization efforts in other states and likely would garner support from Ohioans sympathetic to the plight of residents struggling with cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and other debilitating medical conditions.

A medical marijuana issue could drive more voters to the November ballot.

That could spell trouble for down-ticket candidates, particularly Republicans, who are already dealing with a potential revolt over Trump.

Marc Kovac is The Vindicator’s Statehouse correspondent.. Email him at mkovac@dixcom.com or on Twitter at OhioCapitalBlog.