May 30, 2024
HB 1 Scorecard Letter to Members of the Ohio Legislator
To: Members of the Ohio Legislature
From: Pete Bucher, Chief of Staff, Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund
Re: House Bill 1 (Special Session)
Dear Honorable Legislators,
I am writing to inform you that the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Action Fund will be scoring House Bill 1 for the purposes of our Legislative Scorecard for the 135th Ohio General Assembly. We urge you to vote no on this legislation.
To the extent that HB 1 passes, the OEC Action Fund will be doing extensive public education about how this legislation is designed to restrict the power and freedom of Ohioans to organize and participate in democratic processes. At the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund, we know a healthy and inclusive democracy is essential for a healthy environment.
Additionally, the use of an emergency clause in this legislation would only further the negative impact on organizations that seek to engage in ballot initiatives. Fundamentally changing the systems and structures for disclosure and compliance that organizations use during a major election year is needless and intentionally destructive. If an amendment to remove the emergency clause is presented, the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Action Fund will be scoring that amendment for the purposes of our Legislative Scorecard for the 135th Ohio General Assembly. We urge you to vote yes on an amendment removing the emergency clause in this legislation if one is proposed.
The OEC Action Fund supports more disclosure and transparency in campaign finance, whether regarding ballot initiatives or electoral candidates. Such disclosure requirements should be evenly applied to all organizations, ensuring transparency in Ohio elections.
H.B. 1’s language creating “alternative political organizations” and their associated disclosure requirements are not actually about ballot initiative transparency—they are designed to chill grassroots organizations supporting ballot initiatives.
It’s crucial to note that the contribution of foreign money to influence domestic elections is already illegal under federal law, and these restrictions already apply to state elections. However, H.B. 1 goes beyond these necessary measures and instead, it aims to impose complex restrictions on local, citizen-led organizations that support ballot initiatives. Non-profit organizations, including those that support environmental causes, receive donations from a variety of sources. This legislation, if enacted, would not only stifle the voices of immigrants but also hinder their ability to support causes that directly impact them.
Donations from foreign sources in other countries are already regulated by federal law—any legislation specifically targeting those sources would be duplicative. Thus, this bill is unnecessary for a more narrowly tailored purpose and, in its broad form, restricts the First Amendment rights of Ohioans.
Of import, U.S. residents who are not yet U.S. citizens are still afforded rights under the U.S. Constitution.
As demonstrated during the August special election last year, Ohioans cherish their right to use ballot initiatives when necessary to make changes in our state. They are ready and willing to act in defense of our democracy. This bill should be called what it is—an attack on Ohioans’ right to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
Given the negative implications of H.B. 1, we strongly urge all members of the Ohio General Assembly to vote against this bill. It’s crucial that we protect the rights and voices of all Ohioans.
If you have any questions, please direct them to me at pbucher@theoec.org.
Sincerely,
Pete Bucher
Chief of Staff
OEC Action Fund