This article by Ryan Dunn appeared in The Toledo Blade, December 10th, 2018.
A last-minute filing Monday to the Lucas County Board of Elections again postponed the possible ballot addition of the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.
The submitted protest regarding a proposed Toledo city charter amendment by law now sets a hearing in which both sides can present their case. That meeting is set for Dec. 20.
The Lake Erie Bill of Rights seeks to protect lake health and proposes amending the city charter with language that would give the Lake Erie watershed rights to “exist and flourish.” It also proposes the lake be given rights as an ecosystem that citizens would be legally entitled to defend.
If supporters are successful, the measure would go before voters during a Feb. 26 special election.
Don McTigue, a Columbus-based attorney, emailed the protest document at 11:11 a.m. in advance of an 11:45 a.m. meeting. He filed on behalf of Toledo resident Josh Abernathy.
In the filing, Mr. McTigue wrote the measure could not appear on the ballot because the election board previously ruled that it went beyond the scope of Toledo’s municipal authority. MORE…