Ohio Business Votes

The key to a bright future for all Ohioans lies in our state having a vibrant economy that can provides its residents with abundant, high quality jobs and an attractive quality of life. Given the tremendous impact that decisions made by our political leaders have on our economy, Ohioans are best served by having elected officials that don’t cater to special interests.

The creators of State Issue 3 say the proposed constitutional amendment is about reducing campaign contribution limits, banning corporate contributions, and requiring full disclosure of all political contributions.

But does Issue 3 really achieve these objectives? Or does it just tilt the political playing field in favor of one special interest, at the expense of ordinary Ohioans?

Read below the brief explanations summarizing what Issue 3 claims to do and what it actually does, and then answer this question yourself. It’s what you’ll have to decide when you step into the voting booth on November 8th.

Reducing Campaign Contribution Limits
Issue 3 limits individual contributions to statewide candidates to $2,000 and to state legislative candidates to $1,000 per election cycle, down from $10,000 each per election under existing law. The amendment also establishes different types of political action committees, and a typical PAC would face the same limits as individuals. These reductions are what proponents want Ohioans to focus on.

However, they fail to point out that a significant loophole is created that results in one type of special interest being treated differently than almost all others: organized labor.

Under existing law, the maximum contribution that individuals and political action committees can make – whether the PACs are sponsored by a corporation, an association, or a labor union – is the same.

Issue 3 establishes a new type of PAC, called a small donor action committee, that has different contribution limits than other PACs. And virtually the only entity that could realistically utilize a small donor action committee is a labor union. Small donor action committees are permitted to give as much as $20,000 to a statewide candidate and $10,000 to state legislative candidates – limits that are ten times higher than the limits for individuals and other types of PACs.

The power to establish contribution limits for Ohio judicial candidates is constitutionally reserved for the Ohio Supreme Court, and the passage of Issue 3 would not affect this authority.

Banning Corporate Contributions
The proposed amendment prohibits corporations from contributing to or otherwise assisting political candidates, political parties, or political action committees. A similar ban on corporate contributions already exists in Ohio, and has since 1908. Issue 3 does remove the exception in current law that permits corporations to contribute to political parties.

Requiring Full Disclosure
Proponents claim that Issue 3 would make it easier for voters to learn who contributes and how much they contribute to specific candidates. Yet the proposal contains no significant changes to existing law regarding disclosure.

Furthermore, perhaps the biggest loophole that exists regarding disclosure under existing law is preserved in this amendment – meaning it will be written right into our state constitution. Section 5(C)(3) of the proposed constitutional amendment reads, “a nonprofit membership association may contribute funds (to a small donor action committee) from regular membership dues paid by the organization’s individual members. A committee that receives such contributions shall not be required to list the names and address of the members.” In other words, this effort that claims to require full disclosure allows labor unions to keep the names of their contributors secret.

Official Arguments
By law, the five-member, non-partisan Ohio Ballot Board designates a group of individuals to prepare and file arguments in support of or in opposition to each proposed constitutional amendment. Click below to read the official arguments regarding State Issue 3: