On November 1, 2017, Rep. Niraj Antani (R-Miamisburg) introduced House Joint Resolution 5 (HJR 5) to increase the number of required signatures needed to place initiated statutes and constitutional amendments on the ballot. HJR 5 also proposes banning petition gatherers and proposes to increase the votes required for passage to 60 percent (current legislation requires a majority vote to pass statutes and amendments). Ohio currently has some of the easiest standards for placing a measure on the ballot, making it a target for out-of-state interests seeking to influence Ohio legislation.
The proposal is drawing support from the Ohio business community. The Ohio Chamber of Commerce supports the measure as it addresses the need for stronger public support of amendments to the state constitution. Several voter groups oppose the measure, contending that current requirements for ballot placement are already challenging and expressing that HJR 5 will place more barriers than necessary for interest groups seeking to get their issues in front of Ohio voters.
