(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today issued certification of the summary language for the referendum seeking the repeal of HB 194. The certification was issued today in a letter sent to Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted.
On August 5th, initial referendum petitions were filed with the Attorney General and the Secretary of State. After reviewing the summary, Attorney General DeWine issued a letter certifying the summary language.
“Pursuant to R.C. 3519.01(B)(3), I must examine the summary and determine whether it is a fair and truthful statement of the measure to be referred.” DeWine stated in his letter certifying the language. “Without passing upon the advisability of the approval or rejection of the measure to be referred,…I hereby certify that the summary is a fair and truthful statement of the proposed referendum concerning Am. Sub. H.B. 194 of the 129th General Assembly.”
In order for the certified referendum to proceed, the petitioners must collect signatures from registered voters in each of 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties, equal to 3 percent of the total vote cast in the county for the office of governor at the last gubernatorial election. Total signatures collected statewide must also equal 6 percent of the total vote cast for the office of governor at the last gubernatorial election. The petition, containing at least the minimum number of signatures, must be filed with the Secretary of State not later than the effective date of the legislation, which is 90 days after it was enrolled with the Secretary.
The full text of today’s letter and of the referendum petition submitted can be found at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/BallotInitiatives.
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