The campaign working to repeal the heinous anti-worker bill in Ohio has collected more than three times the required signatures to put a referendum to overturn the bill on the November ballot. Further, they have done so with two weeks to spare before the June 30 deadline for submitting signatures..
Earlier today, We are Ohio announced on their Facebook page that they had collected 714,137 signatures, way above the 231,000 required. Even at a 60% validation rate for the signatures, which is the worst case scenario for the campaign, it now appears certain that enough signatures will be gathered by the June 30 deadline. In fact, it now appears certain double the required number of signatures will be deemed valid.
The only public polls released on SB 5 have shown wide majorities of Ohio voter in favor of repeal. A Quinnipiac poll from mid-May showed repeal ahead 54%-36%, while a PPP poll from later in May showed repeal winning 55%-35%.
This signature gathering campaign does not just force a November referendum on the bill. It actually prevents the bill from going into law until the results of the referendum are certified. As such, if the repeal wins in November, which seems likely, then SB 5 will never become law. This is shaping up to become a total defeat for Ohio Governor John Kasich and his union-busting allies .