Right-wing group in Florida to make constitutional amendment difficult

TALLAHASSEE – A Florida-based right-wing group is financing a campaign to make it harder for Ohio voters to pass constitutional referendums.

The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) is advocating that Ohio’s state constitution should only be amended by an overwhelming majority vote.

The group is funded by Illinois billionaire Richard Uihlein.

This would mean that a proposed amendment would have to receive 60% of the vote to pass, instead of the current simple majority.

Critics say this would make it harder for voters to pass progressive measures.

They also argue that the amendment is being pushed by special interests that want to protect their power.

Uihlein has donated $17.6 million to the FGA since 2014.

Last year, he donated $1.1 million for this campaign called Save Our Constitution.

The ads urged state lawmakers to support a higher threshold to amend the state constitution.

The group has also been active in other states, such as Arkansas and South Dakota, where it has advocated for majority requirements for ballot initiatives.

It also seeks to block ranked-choice voting in states and cities and to prohibit outside financial support for underfunded election offices.

In Ohio, Republican legislators have proposed a constitutional amendment that would raise the threshold for approval of a referendum from 50% to 60%.

This amendment is to be voted on in a special election in August.

Media reports suggested that FGA and its lobbying arm, the Opportunity Solutions Project (OSP), have lobbied lawmakers, testified, and taken other steps to promote the passage of supermajority requirements in at least four states.

The Statehouse News Bureau in Ohio reported in April that “Uihlein’s big donation is just the first installment in the effort to push the amendment,” suggesting the billionaire plans to spend more ahead of the August special election.