File protest against Athens Co Board of Elections for blocking qualified initiative.
A Press Release from the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, from July 25, 2016.
Athens, Ohio: Today, members of the Athens County Bill of Rights Committee (ACBORC) hand delivered a formal protest against the Board of Elections (BOE). On July 8, the Board voted 4-0 to keep ACBORC’s Athens County Charter Initiative off the November ballot.
The proposed Charter was drafted with the help of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF). County residents began working with CELDF in 2015 as the number of frack wastewater injection wells increased, threatening community water sources. The initiative establishes the right to local community self-government, and to clean air and water. Fracking waste disposal activities are banned as a violation of those rights.
The blocked measure meets Ohio Revised Code (ORC) and Ohio Constitution requirements. However, the BOE claims the charter is invalid. In their protest, ACBORC counters: “It is evident that the Athens County Prosecutor and/or the Board of Elections are wrong about the facts of what the Petition contains and surprisingly skewed in their interpretation of what a Charter Proposal must include.” …
To read the entire Press Release, click HERE.