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John Kasich elected governor.
John Kasich is narrowly elected Governor over incumbent Governor Ted Strickland with 49% of the vote. Kasich would act as if 100% of Ohio had just voted for him. -
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Issue 2 in Retrospect from Plunderbund.com
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Outline of SB5 announced
John Kasich announces the outlines of what would eventually become Senate Bill 5 at a press conference billed as the announcement of his appointment to Tax Commissioner -
Senator Shannon Jones reveals language of SB5.
Plunderbund.com Republican Senate Majority Whip Shannon Jones reveals the substantive language of Senate Bill 5, which replaced a placeholder bill for Governor Kasich’s collective bargaining reform. Governor Kasich attends the unveiling at the legislative committee and announces his support. The next day, Kasich tells the Ohio Newspaper Association that if the legislature doesn’t move fast enough to approve SB 5, he’ll incorporate it into his budget. -
SB 5 narrowly passes Senate
Rather than deal with criticisms within their own caucus over the bill, Senate President Tom Niehaus pulls Bill Seitz from the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee in order to make sure it has the votes to pass the committee and be brought to the floor. After considerable revisions and closed-door arm twisted, SB 5 passes by a single vote, 17-16. -
Gov. Kasich signs SB 5
After publicly acknowledging the opposition to SB 5 and promising to hold a private signing ceremony for SB 5 in respect of how divisive it has become, Governor Kasich suddenly reverses course and makes SB 5 signing one of his most public bill signing by broadcasting it live. -
We Are Ohio begins referendum petition drive
April 15, 2011: We Are Ohio is approved to circulate petitions to place SB 5 on a referendum. -
Referendum petitons submitted.
We Are Ohio submits nearly 1.3 million signatures to place SB 5 to referendum vote—a record number of signatures in Ohio. -
Petition results certified.
Secretary of State Jon Husted (R) certifies that We Are Ohio has submitted sufficient signatures to subject SB 5 to a referendum in the 2011 November general election. -
SB5 becomes Issue 2
Ohio Ballot Board meets and declares SB 5 referendum shall be Issue 2 on the ballot. After a protracted closed-door recess, Ballot Board unanimously votes to make a “No” vote be a vote for repeal in accordance with prior issues, against the private urging Governor Kasich and the public urging of the Building a Better Ohio campaign. This leads to Kamp Kasich to become incredibly frustrated with Jon Husted, who they believe undermined Kasich with this decision. -
Grannygate
Building A Better Ohio splices footage of a We Are Ohio ad in which Cincinnati great-grandmother praises the firefighters that saved her great-granddaughter’s life and how she opposes Issue 2 into an ad that makes it appear she supports Issue 2. “GrannyGate” is born. Building a Better Ohio sees a growing list of TV stations agreeing to pull the ad as deceptive. A public relations nightmare ensues and the campaign finds itself not on the air during a critical period of the campaign. Refusin -
Issue 2 Repealed
Ohio voters vote to repeal SB5 by a 61%-39% margin.
