They are very afraid of us
Senate Bill 153 and House Bill 233 are Ohio General Assembly tactics to suppress voting in Ohio.
These bills are designed to make it more difficult for citizens to collect signatures for a citizen-led voter initiative. The process of collecting 450,000-plus signatures to get an issue on the ballot currently is a difficult and arduous process.
These bills add additional red-tape rules to suppress this democratic process and even add politically motivated investigations to intimidate initiative organizers.
These bills are “unfunded mandates.” They add unnecessary paperwork to already overworked boards of elections, making it more difficult to get volunteer workers at the polls.
Banning drop boxes is another proposal in these bills that give voters one less secure, convenient option in voting.
The bottom line is that the proponents of these bills know that high voter turnout is a danger to their positions, so they want to make voting as difficult as possible.
Both of these bills are an assault on democracy in Ohio. Call your state representatives and senators and tell them “No!” on HB 233 and SB 153.
Mike Halaiko, Pickerington
Obama skipped due process first
President Donald Trump and the Department of Homeland Security have deported many undocumented aliens with no judicial review. Many on the left and in the media have been very vocal in protesting these deportations.
During the Obama administration (per the ACLU), Obama and the DHS deported over 3 million people; 75% of them had no due process.
“The Obama administration prioritized speed over fairness in the removal system.”
This sounds too familiar. If any on the left protested against these mass “illegal” deportations, I missed it.
Lauri Turevon, Dublin
No one is safe
Imagine if this man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was a supporter of President Donald Trump or one of the insurrection terrorists Trump set free and was being held prisoner in the El Salvador prison.
How fast and furious would Trump work to free him?
They got their day in court and were sentenced for their crimes, yet Kilmar Abrego Garcia was taken illegally with no due process and with no time frame for his return, even though it has been court ordered.
The president who thinks he’s king has also stated American citizens, under his rule, should be sent away. No one is safe in this current environment.
Whose America is this when the president defies court orders and sets the whole world on alert? It’s no longer the country most of us know and love. Resist and keep up the peaceful protests. Our great nation is counting on us.
Pat Rhoads, Columbus
Take a seat, Democrats
“Ohio Democrats are begging for morsels,” May 25: As a Republican, I rarely ever agree with columnist Thomas Suddes’ weekly comments. However, he hit a home run with his latest column.
The Democrats have absolutely no bench strength whatsoever in the great state of Ohio.
Democrats, keep up the great work!
Dick Posey, Worthington
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio is out to suppress your vote and there’s a good reason | Letters