It's (not quite) official: Ohioans will have the chance to vote yes or no...on SB 5.

[pampango]

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/07/17/count-on-sb-5-being-on-ballot.html?sid=101

Based on preliminary numbers provided to The Dispatch by county boards of elections, the petition to place the referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot has enough valid statewide signatures from just two counties, Cuyahoga and Franklin. Collectively, these two counties have validated more than 235,000 signatures. Fewer than 232,000 signatures are needed to place the item on the ballot. Additionally, at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties must have signatures from 3 percent of the number of votes cast in each county in the 2010 governor's election.

In recent weeks, two Republican presidential hopefuls have come out in support of Senate Bill 5. In June, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney posted on Facebook that he "(stands) with John R. Kasich and Ohio's leaders as they take on this important fight to get control of government spending."

Building a Better Ohio posted a YouTube video featuring former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. "Building a better Ohio is a very important challenge," Gingrich said. "Under Governor John Kasich's leadership the state legislature passed collective-bargaining reforms that's going to allow local governments to do much more effective jobs."

In addition to Senate Bill 5, the county boards of elections are also working to check signatures for the Ohio Health Care Freedom Amendment, aiming to eliminate the federal health care mandate in Ohio. This amendment still has several weeks until the results must be turned in to the Secretary of State, and several counties have not even started validating these signatures. ...The tea party groups that drove the petition are still collecting signatures, which can be turned in up to 10 days after the initial total is announced by the secretary of state's office.

[liberal N proud]

1. K&R