Taking Initiative

Conserve Ohio attorney Austin Baurichter on drafting the petition

Meet Conserve Ohio volunteer Austin Baurichter, part of the attorney duo who drafted the petition to ban mega data centers in Ohio. Austin talks about quitting his job when he found himself at a moral crossroads so he could help his neighbors through Conserve Ohio. Learn how he and a second attorney researched and carefully considered language that ultimately passed the single subject review of the Ohio Ballot Board. Listen as he describes how empowering it has been to work with people of different ideologies and backgrounds coming together for a common purpose. Music attribution CCYOTOKZZH52W0PR, KQH1LLDQEMALAZ6A

Nikki of Conserve Ohio requests statewide moratorium on building mega data centers

In our Spotlight on an Initiative (Ban Mega Data Centers OH Initiative [https://ohioballotprotection.com/ban-mega-data-centers-oh-initiative]), Conserve Ohio takes advantage of an opportunity to provide public testimony to Ohio's Select Committee on Data Centers. It was a long day for Nikki Gerber and others who traveled from Southern Ohio to the Statehouse to voice their opposition. Nikki shares what happened at the Statehouse and why she's grateful to all those encouraging Conserve Ohio's ballot measure.

Inside a split initiative: The path forward - Ohio’s Equal Rights and Marriage Equality initiatives

In this episode, we sit down with Lis Regula, co-chair of the Ohio Equal Rights ballot initiative effort, to talk about how the group is moving forward after the Ohio Ballot Board split their initiative into two separate issues: equal rights and marriage equality. He shares why the group decided to move forward with both initiatives at once, and what’s surprising him about the signature-gathering process so far.

How Signature Gathering Really Works: Ballot Initiative 101

To make the ballot, a citizen initiative or referendum requires hundreds of thousands of signatures statewide. But the challenges go beyond the sheer number of signatures required. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the signature-gathering process with Richard Margolius, who shares lessons learned and roadblocks to watch for based on his experience with signature collection across several recent Ohio ballot initiative campaigns.

Onsite at the Libertarian Party of Ohio's Convention: Views on Direct Democracy

In this episode, Ohio Ballot Protection checks in with attendees of the Libertarian Party of Ohio's Convention in Dayton last week to hear their views on ballot initiatives and direct democracy.