Abortion rights. Casinos. Minimum wage. A crime victims bill of rights. Livestock standards. Voters added each one to the Ohio Constitution.
Ohioans who want to bypass the GOP-controlled state Legislature to pass policies often choose a constitutional amendment. But there is an alternative: passing a state law at the ballot box.
That option, which is called an initiated statute, has a clear flaw: State lawmakers can change whatever voters approve immediately. This nearly happened after Ohioans voted to legalize recreational marijuana in 2023 (and still might if legislators can agree on changes.)…