Crowded Ballot for November 2006 Could Grow

(The Associated Press)

Already crowded ballot could grow

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Next November, Ohio voters will select a new governor, choose an attorney general, auditor, treasurer, secretary of state, representatives in Washington and Columbus and local officials.

Then, they won't be done.

They also will be asked to decide — twice, possibly — if they want to limit state government spending and taxes, and also may vote on a statewide indoor public smoking ban, an increase in Ohio's minimum wage, to allow casino gambling and require that 65 percent of schools' budgets be spent in classrooms.

All of this would be a year after voters trounced four of five statewide ballot issues Nov. 8.

Issue fatigue, anyone?

Of the issues under consideration, the smoking ban would change Ohio law, but not the Ohio Constitution. The other five would.

State Rep. Bill Seitz, a Cincinnati Republican, said while casino gambling would require such a change, the others are special-interest attempts to dodge the Legislature because it won't pass their agendas.

"I personally deplore this populist trend," Seitz said.

He also blames that trend, in part, for the failure of the four issues this year that would have dramatically changed Ohio election law. Voters turned back the issues by about a 2-1 margin.

Paul Beck, a political science professor at Ohio State University, said the United States is one of the few countries that allow such a bypass of its elected officials.