Earlier this month, NFIB announced its opposition to the Drug and Criminal Justice Policies Initiative, also known as Ohio Issue 1. If passed, the initiative would reclassify some felony drug possession crimes as misdemeanors, reports The Vindicator.
A total of 40 organizations, including many statewide business organizations, are opposing the proposed reclassification, including The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health & Family Services Providers, Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center, and the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police.
In the official opposition brief released by NFIB, Roger Geiger, NFIB Vice President and Executive Director said, “Issue 1 has the potential to significantly damage Ohio’s job development efforts, impacting our state’s economy. A constant theme heard from Ohio employers is they cannot find workers who can pass drug tests to fill vacancies. Issue 1 will further exacerbate this situation.”
According to NFIB, the passing of Issue 1 may also lead to “some of the most lenient drug crime laws in the nation,” which would make Ohio “a magnet for substance abuse activity as there will be very little criminal justice consequence to engaging in such behavior.”
“Issue 1’s passage places it in the Ohio Constitution where it can be changed only through another lengthy process and vote of the electorate,” Geiger said. “We are a representative democracy and issues such as this belong in the state legislature where they can be debated, amended, and receive the necessary input from fellow Ohioans.”
For more information on Ohio’s Issue 1, visit https://votenoprotectohio.com.
