Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed Ohio Senate Bill 178, which, if passed, would pare down the State Board of Education to a state cabinet-level agency.
Introduced in May 2021, the Primary and Secondary Education Committee held multiple hearings on bill. If passed, Burga explained the legislation would take power away from the voters and effectively put it in the hands of Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican.
Burga also talked about Ohio House Joint Resolution 6, which, if passed, would make it more difficult for voters to amend Ohio’s Constitution. Currently, citizen-initiated changes to the Ohio Constitution require the approval of a simple majority of Ohio voters. If the joint resolution passes, it would require 60 percent approval from Ohio’s voters to pass a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment. Burga called it an attempt to take fundamental rights away from Ohio voters.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.