It's our turn: Ballot referenda in ID, ME, OH



Ohio Teamsters in the early stages of the fight against SB5.

Usually it's the corporate-backed Tea Party types who sponsor ballot initiatives to roll back progress. But now it's labor's turn. There are three big ballot referenda coming up in the fall, and we're hoping they mark a turning point in the referendum wars.

You probably knew about SB5 in Ohio. But did you know that Idaho voters will cast ballots on three anti-teacher initiatives in November 2012? The Huffington Post reports,

SB 1108 restricts teachers' collective bargaining rights and ends tenure for new teachers, SB 1184 funds the purchase of technology and laptops for students from the pot of money used to pay teachers' salaries and SB 1110 implements a merit pay system for teachers.

This spring, educators and students in Idaho turned out at the statehouse to protest the measures, which were introduced by Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna.

Penni Cyr, president of the state teachers' union, the Idaho Education Association, told The Huffington Post that the laws were an overreach by some conservatives in the legislature and were even opposed by some Republican members..."One out of four teachers in Idaho could ultimately lose their jobs because of the money that is being moved to pay for technology."

...Cyr pointed to the fact that organizers were able to get far more signatures than were necessary to qualify for referendums on the ballot.

In Maine, reports HuffPo,

...a coalition is working to reinstate same-day voter registration after Gov. Paul LePage (R) signed a bill overturning the 38-year-old law in June.
The registration deadline was pushed back to two business days before election day.
Maine citizens have the ability to essentially veto a law by ballot initiative. The Protect Maine Votes coalition -- 18 groups that include unions, civil libertarians, consumer advocates and homeless groups -- has turned in more than enough signatures to meet the 57,277-signature threshold to get the measure on the ballot in November, but it is waiting for the state to certify that they are valid.

And as of now, thinks are looking good for repeal of corporate stooge Ohio Gov. John Kasich's heinous SB5 law.
The Teamsters' friends at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center will support these efforts. They're important not just in and of themselves, but because they'll help build a progressive movement for strengthening democracy through the ballot box.

And just for good measure, did we mention that Arizona is likely to recall their Senate president, Russell Pearce? He's an ALEC puppet who promoted anti-immigration laws on behalf of the private prison industry (they need more "customers," you know).

OH Rep Gone Wild caught on cruiser cam -- drunk?

Screen grab from the cruiser cam video.

Ohio state Rep. Jarrod Martin, the SB-5 and ALEC supporter who was arrested July 22 after his vehicle swerved, has a history of bad behavior. He is facing drunk driving and child endangerment charges for the recent incident. Unfortunately, the video still isn't available.

Martin (R-Beavercreek) was kicked out of a hotel last year for being drunk and fighting. A few months earlier he was found passed out in a downtown Columbus parking garage. Dayton Daily News reports:

The Ohio Highway Patrol found Martin, R-Beavercreek, at 1:05 a.m. on March 24, 2010 slumped over a Chevy Suburban that belonged to state Rep. William Batchelder, R-Medina, who left his car in the garage overnight. Batchelder is now the Speaker of the House.

Medics were called after a state trooper tried unsuccessfully for 20 minutes to wake Martin, according to the patrol’s log.

On May 16, 2010, the night manager at the Residence Inn in Beavercreek called police about guests yelling and fighting on the fifth floor at 4:30 a.m. Officers found Martin and six other men “highly intoxicated” at a bachelor party. The men said they weren’t fighting; just having a “friendly wrestling match in their hotel room,” a Beavercreek police report said.

The 32-year-old Martin's parents were called to pick up the men and their belongings, according to police.

Martin was not cited for public intoxication in Columbus or Beavercreek. His attorney said Martin plans to plead not guilty and looks forward to vindicating himself in court.

Charming.

Bad week for drunk OH Republicans

Picture this shirtless and drunk

Jarrod Martin (R-Beavercreek) is the second Ohio state representative to face drunken driving charges. Martin was arrested over the weekend when he swerved over the center line while hauling a trailer without a taillight.

The Dayton Daily News reports there were two other adults and two kids in the vehicle. Martin was also charged with child endangerment.

He refused to submit to a field sobriety test and, as a result, will automatically lose his driver’s license for one year. This will leave him with having to find alternative transportation to his ALEC meetings. And possibly an alternative voter ID.

Greene County Republican John Broughton spoke up for Martin, saying he admitted to drinking “a couple beers” earlier in the day but that alcohol was not involved in this incident.

Martin did not want to be seen on video recorded by the cruiser’s dashboard camera because he was shirtless.

Too bad. Video will be released Friday and we can’t wait to see it.

Last week, Ohio state Rep. Bob Mecklenborg (R-Cincinnati) resigned after his drunk driving arrest involving an expired license, a woman who works at a strip club, Viagra and voter ID fraud. He was supposed to go to court today, but his lawyer has asked for a jury trial, which delays his case until late August.

As for Martin, the SB-5 supporter said in a written statement:

I regret the incident regarding an OVI allegation that occurred in Jackson County on Friday, July 22. I take this matter very seriously and I look forward to the opportunity to vindicate myself in court.

In May Martin tweeted:

JarrodBMartin: Setting up an OVI checkpoint with the OSP and Beavercreek Police.

Priceless.