Republicans Power Grab a Continued Assault on People's Right to Hold Government Accountable

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Veronica Sims (D-Akron) today released the following statement following the passage of the undemocratic House Bill 1 through the Ohio House of Representatives: 

“The power of the people to initiate citizen-led ballot initiatives is a key principle of our democracy. What we saw last week with HB 1 is a direct attack on that key principle. What the people expected from leaders was simply a clean bill, and they didn’t get that. We will continue to fight for the rights of Ohioans despite the adversities we face daily in the legislature,” said Rep. Sims.

House Bill 1 claims to ban foreign money contributions to elections, but the truth is that these kinds of contributions are already illegal under federal law. The bill’s broad language for enforcement will create a chilling effect on ballot initiatives campaigns as people will be afraid to get caught up in lengthy election investigations. This is anti-voter and goes against the best interests of Ohioans.