Yes or no position may make a big difference in Ohio Issue 2 fight

CLEVELAND - As We Are Ohio and Building a Better Ohio debate the merits of Issue 2, the biggest victory in this battle may have already been decided when one side was given “yes” and the other “no.”

Since Ohio voters were first given the chance to repeal a state law through referendum in 1912, the matter has come up for a vote a dozen times, on only two of those occasions has the “yes” vote to keep the law won.

The good news for those supporting “yes” in the Issue 2 battle is the last time was just three short years ago when Ohio voters upheld a law that limits the interest rate that can be charged by payday lenders.

The bad news is the last time before that was 1920 when Ohio voted to uphold The Crabbe Act, the state law imposing Prohibition.

"This is an advantage for the no position, an advantage for labor, organized labor and others who want to see this repealed,” said NewsChannel5 political analyst Tom Sutton.

"Whenever you have a referendum on the ballot if voter's see it as something as simple and clear it's easy to understand then the vote could go either way,” said Sutton.

“If the language is complicated they don't really understand it the knee jerk reaction of voters is to simply vote no."

“The language for this bill could have gone either way, Secretary [of State Jon] Husted could have reversed it, he could have said do you want to repeal Senate Bill 5, that would have been a yes position. Instead he said do you want to support Senate Bill 5 and so that became the yes position.”