This network is trying to change the fabric of Ohio’s constitution to allow for more direct democracy.
This article by Sarah Horne was published in The New Political, December 7, 2017.
The Ohio Community Rights Network (OHCRN), the Athens Bill of Rights Committee and the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) have been supporting an Athens group in implementing a charter in an effort to increase community rights in Athens. In addition, they are working on proposing two amendment changes to the Ohio constitution.
Charter proposal for Athens County
The charter was previously rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court, according to The Athens News. The most recent rejection was done with two of the justices concurring, three concurring in judgment and two dissenting.
“This charter first started in Athens when it was brought to OHCRN’s attention that there was a waste problem in rural parts of the area,” Tish O’Dell, the Ohio Community Organizer, said.
Because the charter has been challenged by the Ohio Supreme Court for three years, OHCRN continues to revise and rewrite the charter to protect the rights of Ohio citizens, according to O’Dell.
O’Dell believes that the barriers being put up by the Ohio Supreme Court are an attack on democracy, and she wants to continue working toward the approval of the charter.
For OHCRN, promoting local empowerment through supporting this charters will allow those in Athens to have more control over environmental regulations. MORE…