ATHENS COUNTY, Ohio — As Republicans in the Ohio Statehouse prepare their response to the passage of state ballot issues on abortion access and recreational marijuana, Athens County’s Republican state reps are staying mum.
Office staff for Frank Hoagland, Republican state senator for Senate District 30 from Mingo Junction, responded to the Independent’s questions with a generic statement also published to Hoagland’s Ohio Senate webpage. Meanwhile, both State Reps. Jay Edwards (R-94, Nelsonville) and Don Jones (R-95, Freeport) declined to comment.
Edwards’s district currently includes all of Athens County. Beginning next year Jones will represent large parts of the county, too, pending a court challenge to the state’s redistricting process.
Hoagland’s statement, which did not directly address the Independent’s questions, reads, “Issue 1 was a hard fought issue where it appears that 25 counties decided the outcome for the other 63. Voters here at home recognized the overreach of Issue 1 and stood up for life. Legislating through ballot initiative is not the way our government was designed to function. Sadly, this may be the beginning of more campaigns targeting our founding document and voters being barraged with special interest campaigns nearly every election cycle.”
Hoagland’s office did not respond to a follow-up request for comment.
According to unofficial election results, 56.62% of Ohio voters passed Issue 1, a constitutional amendment which added protections for abortion and other reproductive decisions to the state constitution. Issue 2, legalization of recreational marijuana, was approved by 56.97% of voters. The margins in Athens County were even higher, with 71.67% in favor of the abortion amendment and 69.37% in favor of recreational marijuana legalization.
The day after the election, 27 of the 67 Ohio House Republicans signed a statement which called the language voters approved for the state constitutional amendment on abortion “vague” and “intentionally deceptive.” The statement, which came after House Democrats introduced legislation to repeal abortion restrictions, said, “We will do everything in our power to prevent our laws from being removed based upon perception of intent.”
Neither Edwards nor Jones signed onto the statement.
Over the weekend, Ohio House Republicans also posted a statement to the Ohio House website, which said in part, “To prevent mischief by pro-abortion courts with Issue 1, Ohio legislators will consider removing jurisdiction from the judiciary over this ambiguous ballot initiative.”
State Rep. Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) introduced legislation that would do just that on Monday. However, Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-93, Kitts Hill) has dismissed the proposed legislation and other attempts by members of his party to hamper Issue 1.
Ohio House minority leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) issued a statement in response to discussions of limiting court jurisdiction over Issue 1, calling the moves by Republicans “desperate, anti-American attacks on the rule of law and the power of citizens.”
State Republican leaders seem more supportive of Issue 2, with limitations. Gov. Mike DeWine acknowledged “an obligation” to carry out the will of voters but says he wants to see modifications to state marijuana laws before moving ahead, News5Cleveland.com reported on Tuesday.
DeWine, Senate President Matt Huffman (R-12, Lima) and Stephens met on Monday to discuss desired changes to the law. DeWine’s priorities include children’s safety, taxes, exposure to marijuana smoke and traffic safety.
Stephens issued a statement regarding Issue 2 on Nov. 7.
“With the passage of Issue 2, now is the time for the legislature to lead on how best to allocate tax revenues while responsibly regulating the industry,” the statement said. “Investing in county jail construction and funding law enforcement training across Ohio should be our top priority to make our communities safer.”
Don Wirtschafter, a local advocate for recreational marijuana and founder and curator of the Cannabis Museum in Canaanville, told the Independent on Nov. 7 that Issue 2 “is passing with a high enough mandate that the Republicans dare not mess with it.”
A 2021 report by the Tax Foundation projected that Ohio could generate nearly $221 million in tax revenue by legalizing cannabis. State cannabis taxes most frequently go to general or rainy day funds, mental health and substance misuse and local government, according to the Motley Fool.
