Voters in Defiance and Cleveland Heights approved ballot resolutions Tuesday seeking to curb the power of corporations in government and elections. The resolutions call for a constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United, the U-S Supreme Court decision giving corporations the right to make unlimited political contributions. Greg Coleridge with the American Friends Service Committee of Northeast Ohio says there is a disconnect between what people feel is needed and the public policies being enacted.
Coleridge says a prime example of the problem is the influx of out-of-state oil and gas drillers who have trumped local laws protecting residents and the environment.
More than 500 communities nationwide have enacted resolutions or ballot initiatives with similar language, including Brecksville and Newburgh Heights last year.