Day: December 12, 2022

(COLUMBUS, OH, 12/12/22)– On Wednesday, December 7th, the Community Relations Assistant of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), Shireen Shaaban, testified to the Ohio House Government Oversight Committee in opposition to House Joint Resolution 6, a resolution to require 60% vote for initiated constitutional amendment.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose and State Rep. Brian Stewart recently announced an effort to change the Ohio Constitution to make it nearly impossible for Ohio citizens to pass ballot initiatives to amend the state constitution. House Joint Resolution 6 (HJR6) is a constitutional amendment that, if passed, will raise the threshold to pass citizen-led Constitutional Amendments on the ballot from a simple majority (50% plus one) to a super majority (60%).

HJR6 would affect a wide range of issues, including redistricting reform. This impacts not only voting rights, but healthcare access, access to education, civil and economic justice, and much more. All of which apply to every Muslim and every Ohioan. This proposal would create an unfair, unpopular, and undemocratic process to bring issues that Ohioans care about to the ballot.

“Making the ballot initiative process even harder for citizens groups will make it almost impossible for anyone except big money special interests to successfully pass a ballot initiative in Ohio,” said Shaaban.

To learn more, visit Ohio Voter Rights Coalition website.

Watch Shireen Shaaban’s full witness testimony here.

Stop this attack on direct democracy in its tracks. TAKE ACTION here.

(COLUMBUS, OH, 12/12/22)– On Wednesday, December 7th, the Outreach Director of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), Victoria Hickcox, testified to the Ohio House Government Oversight Committee in opposition to House Bill 294, the Enact Ohio Election Security and Modernization Act.

While House Bill 294 is masked as legislation to create a more secure election process, it includes a host of anti-voter provisions like limiting access to ballot drop boxes, imposing confusing voter-ID requirements, canceling early voting the Monday before Election Day, and shortening the absentee ballot request period, to name a few.

In 2020, Ohio conducted one of the most secure elections in its history with record-breaking voter turnout. While 2020 saw historic turnout for the presidential election, voter suppression remains a critical issue and research shows it persists and reflects racial discrimination in the voting process (“The Impact of Voter Suppression on Communities of Color,” Brennan Center for Justice).

House Bill 294 is legislation that will feed into voter suppression and reflect racial discrimination in the voting process. Additionally, this bill would create more barriers to the ballot box and make it harder for Ohioans to vote.

Some of the measures this bill will enforce include, eliminating the last day of early voting, limiting County Boards of Election to three drop boxes, restricting set up to county board offices, and permitting their use starting only 28 days before an election.

Additionally, the Sub. House Bill 294 requires citizenship status to be listed on Ohio driver’s licenses.

This sub bill would have a chilling impact on immigrants and noncitizens, outside of the consideration of voting. Based on discrimination complaints and issues that clients face, CAIR-Ohio recognizes that immigrants from across the world are often misclassified due to bias.

“Outlining a person’s citizen status on their ID will potentially open doors for discrimination, prejudice, and oppression in the most basic interactions.” said Hickcox.

Together, all these measures along with most of the new provisions would disproportionately impact Black and brown voters, students, voters with disabilities, low-income Ohioans, active-duty military, rural voters, and seniors.

To learn more, visit Ohio Voter Rights Coalition website.

Watch Victoria Hickox’s full witness testimony here.