On Wednesday, Governor John Kasich, House Speaker Bill Batchelder and Senate President Tom Niehaus held a press conference to discuss their offer to revise the controversial public employee collective bargaining law if opponents agree to scrap their referendum effort.
The Republican leaders in a joint letter to union leaders, wrote: "In a matter of days Ohioans will be thrust into a costly political battle that will likely result in lasting scars and bitter divisions at one of the most fragile moments in our state’s history.” And further: “Outside observers, including Ohio’s two largest newspapers, have rightly asked whether that recourse is our only option. It is not.”
Opponents to the bill filed sufficient signatures to place a referendum on the November ballot as State Issue 2. The campaign committee for State Issue 2 has until August 29 to ask the Secretary of State to remove the issue from the November ballot. .
If the issue progresses to the ballot, a costly campaign will be waged by both sides.
