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After the Election: What Then?

Lucie - Posted on 12 October 2006

Political activists in Ohio are not going to be happy with politics as usual/the Democratic Party version. They want reform, and are talking about what kind -- you see it here, and you probably hear it when you talk with your friends and family. Here is something that will help push the conversation along -- Ohio Citizen Action has published a report: Reforming Ohio's Democracy: What's Wrong, What We Can Do about It. A list of the authors' names and institutional affiliation will show you why this is worth a look.

Herb Asher, OSU Department of Political Science
Ann Henkener, The League of Women Voters of Ohio
Peg Rosenfield, The League of Women Voters of Ohio
Daniel Tokaji, The OSU Moritz College of Law
Catherine Turcer, Ohio Citizen Action

Let me quote from the "Introduction and Executive Summary" section:

Our proposed reforms include the following:

Redistricting should be done by an independent nonpartisan commission, with competitiveness among the criteria that should be considered in drawing district lines
State law should be amended to remove unnecessary barriers to registration and participation, and to transfer authority for running state elections to an independent offcial or entity, so as to ensure evenhanded administration of elections.
Ohio's contribution limits should be tightened and transparency improved through a centralized database, with major donors and registered lobbyists prohibited from serving on state boards or commissions.
Better information about lobbying activities and potential ethics violations should be made available to the public, with enforcement of existing ethical rules improved through stiffer penalties.
The state should move to full public financing of judicial campaigns or, failing that, should implement better reporting and recusal rules to dispel the impression that justice is for sale.
Ohio's public records and open meetings laws should be made more easily enforceable, with training provided to local officials on what is and is not permitted, and the transparency of the state legislative process should be improved."

The authors say this is a work in progress. They want to begin a serious conversation among Ohioans of all political stripes to make the political system work better for everyone.

That sounds like a good idea.