Ohio Ballot Board Approves Green Energy Amendment Issue to Collect Signatures for the November 2014 Ballot

For the second time, the Ohio Ballot Board has approved a constitutional amendment issue submitted by a group called Yes for Ohio's Energy Future after Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine certified that the group had "met an initial signature requirement and that their summary of the issue included on their petitions was a fair and truthful statement," the Columbus Dispatch and Northeast Ohio Media Group report. The issue calls for "the state to issue general obligation bonds to finance a 10-year program of $1.3 billion for each year to improve energy infrastructure – including wind, solar, battery, biomass and geothermal sources," Northeast Ohio Media Group reports.

After the meeting during which the issue was approved, Ohio Secretary of State John Husted, chairman of the ballot board, advised voters to vote against it, saying it would "put people (in the state of) Delaware in charge of Ohio's economic development," the Dispatch reports. Under the amendment, the state's green energy investments would be controlled by the Ohio Energy Initiative Commission, which was "incorporated in the state of Delaware in January 2012. Delaware law shields the identities of investors and corporate officers in such cases." If petitioners meet the signature requirements, the issue will be on the November 2014 ballot. For more, read the full text of the proposal.