Villagers give resounding No on 2
- Published: November 17, 2011
Villagers went against the grain in Ohio and Greene County on Election Day, as they most often do. While Yellow Springers joined the majority of Ohioans in defeating the controversial anti-labor Issue 2, they did so by a much larger margin, casting four to one votes against the measure. And while the majority of Ohioans supported Issue 3, a Tea Party-initiated effort to block health care reform, Yellow Springs voters said a strong no to that effort.
Issue 1 fails in YS, Ohio
State Issue 1, a proposed constitutional amendment that would have raised the maximum age at which a judge could take office from 70 to 75, was defeated as 62 percent of Ohio voters cast their vote against the amendment. Two-thirds of local voters in Yellow Springs and Miami Township rejected the measure while in Greene County 61 percent opposed it.
State Issue 1 in votes, by precinct:
Precinct 440: Against, 356; For, 156
Precinct 441: Against, 268; For, 106
Precinct 442: Against, 265; For, 110
Precinct 443: Against, 323; For, 142
Precinct 455: Against, 157; For, 98
Precinct 456: Against, 191; For, 108
Issue 2 rejected 4–1 in YS
Issue 2, the state referendum on the controversial SB 5 that drastically curtailed collective bargaining rights for the state’s 360,000 public employees, was defeated at the polls. In Yellow Springs and Miami Township the measure was rejected by an overwhelming 82 percent of voters. In Greene County, 53 percent voted against it.
Senate Bill 5, backed by Ohio Republican leaders and Governor Kasich, had banned strikes for public workers and reduced their collective bargaining power. Opponents of the bill collected signatures to put a referendum of the bill on the ballot. The Ohio issue was considered significant nationally as a signal regarding the mood of the electorate in response to several Republican state leaders’ efforts to limit collective bargaining.
State Issue 2 in votes, by precinct:
Precinct 440: Against, 485; For, 55
Precinct 441: Against, 363; For, 36
Precinct 442: Against, 356; For, 37
Precinct 443: Against, 399; For, 81
Precinct 455: Against, 147; For, 127
Precinct 456: Against, 220; For, 92
Issue 3 defeated locally
Two-thirds of Ohioans voted in favor of a constitutional amendment aimed at exempting Ohioans from the health insurance mandate of President Barack Obama’s 2010 Affordable Health Care Act, even though just 24 percent of villagers voted to approve the measure.
State Issue 3 passed with 66 percent of vote statewide and 72 percent in Greene County. In Yellow Springs, 1,350 votes were cast against the measure and 482 in favor. Miami Township residents narrowly voted in favor of the amendment, 302 to 272 votes.
The amendment was initiated by Ohio Tea Party groups to prevent all laws forcing Ohioans to buy health insurance from being passed or enforced in the state. Some have suggested the amendment is merely symbolic since federal law trumps state law, while others are concerned the amendment will prevent Ohio from passing any future healthcare laws. Legal challenges to the provision will likely ensue.
State Issue 3 in votes, by precinct:
Precinct 440: Against, 394; For, 130
Precinct 441: Against, 293; For, 99
Precinct 442: Against, 321; For, 65
Precinct 443: Against, 342; For, 134
Precinct 455: For, 165; Against, 103
Precinct 456: Against, 169; For, 137
Hospital and career levies pass
Voters renewed a 0.5 mill operating levy for Greene Memorial Hospital that will pay for emergency room equipment and help maintain services in cancer treatment, stroke and advanced cardiac care at the hospital in Xenia and at satellite health facilities in Fairborn and Beavercreek.
The measure passed with 61 percent of the Greene County vote, while 80 percent of local voters favored the levy.
Greene Memorial Hospital levy in votes, by precinct:
Precinct 440: For, 441; Against, 81
Precinct 441: For, 323, Against, 71
Precinct 442: For, 340; Against, 48
Precinct 443: For, 399; Against, 77
Precinct 455: For, 157; Against 111
Precinct 456: For, 215; Against, 92
Greene County Career Center’s 0.75 mill levy narrowly passed with 52 percent of the county vote. But more than three-quarters of local voters in Yellow Springs and Miami Township voted for the levy.
Greene County Career Center levy in votes, by precinct:
Precinct 440: For, 427; Against, 99
Precinct 441: For, 292, Against, 97
Precinct 442: For, 338; Against, 47
Precinct 443: For, 394; Against, 78
Precinct 455: For, 143; Against 124
Precinct 456: For, 216; Against, 89
A Greene County electric aggregation measure failed with 53 percent voting against even though two-thirds of local voters approved it.
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