Ohio budget proposal raises concerns over campaign finance laws

Catherine Turcer from Common Cause Ohio, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss changes to campaign finance laws proposed in Ohio's budget, potential misuse of unclaimed funds and ongoing attacks on direct democracy initiatives.

Turcer said the Ohio legislature is considering budget provisions that would effectively legalize political bribery by eliminating bans on corporate political spending. These changes could institutionalize practices that led to recent corruption scandals, such as the $60 million First Energy bribery case she said. According to Turcer, the proposal also suggests removing or weakening oversight bodies responsible for monitoring campaign finance, potentially allowing for unchecked political spending.

Next, Turcer highlighted concerns over the proposed use of unclaimed funds to finance a new Cleveland Browns stadium. This plan would allocate $600 million of public money to benefit a billionaire team owner while failing to implement necessary transparency measures to prevent future corruption scandals. Turcer emphasized the irony of prioritizing stadium funding over establishing safeguards against political corruption.

Finally, Turcer discussed ongoing legislative efforts to restrict citizen-led ballot initiatives. She talked about a possible proposal to raise the passage threshold for ballot measures from 50 percent to 60 percent and possible bills introducing stringent regulations on signature collection for initiatives. These proposed changes, including strict rules on volunteer compensation and petition error handling, could significantly hinder grassroots democratic efforts in Ohio.

For more from Turcer, listen to the full episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast above.