8th House District Committees:

(614) 466-5441 (phone) Joint Legislative Ethics Committee

(614) 719-0008 (fax) Legislative Service Commission
District08@ohr.state.oh.us Rules and Reference

Armond Budish
Minority Leader

March 22, 2011

Speaker William Batchelder

Ohio House of Representatives
77 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Dear Speaker Batchelder,

Democracy depends on public participation. Yet, we are seeing unprecedented efforts

to stifle the ability of Ohio’s citizens to become fully engaged. Just weeks ago, we saw
the doors of the “People’s House” locked to people who wanted to speak to their elected
representatives. And now House Bill 159 threatens to prevent hundreds of thousands of
elderly citizens, poor citizens, African-American citizens, and others from exercising
their constitutional right to vote.

House Bill 159 is a modern day “poll tax” that will prohibit people from voting unless they
possess a photo ID. This bill supposedly attacks a problem, voter impersonation fraud
that does not exist. In reality, it creates a partisan effort to disenfranchise the poor,
elderly and minorities, and is sickeningly reminiscent of the unconstitutional and
discriminatory poll taxes of previous decades.

House Bill 159 discriminates against the most vulnerable Ohioans. Working people who
make less than $35,000 per year are twice as likely to not have a photo ID than their
higher income fellow citizens. Across the United States, 25% of voting age African-
Americans do not have the photo ID that this bill would require. The steps to acquire
such an ID are onerous and expensive and, for many, nearly impossible to comply with.
(Source: Advancement Project)

Another group likely to suffer under this bill is college students. The many impressive
colleges and universities in Ohio are a huge draw to our state. They are engines of
economic prosperity for our communities and they train the next generation of great
Ohioans. We worry about brain drain and go to great lengths to keep our young talent
here after graduation. But this bill is a slap in the face to those young people we claim to
value so much. This bill only helps drive away the young talent our state desperately
needs to build a prosperous middle class in Ohio, as it will prevent many from voting.

77 South High Street • Columbus, Ohio 43215-6111

Finally, elderly voters will also suffer a disproportionate impact under this bill. Taking
voting rights away from the elderly who, for example, may have surrendered their
driver’s license due to weakening sight is unconscionable. We should be honoring our
older citizens, not creating new, unnecessary obstacles to exercising their right to vote.

I haven’t even addressed the added costs, the millions of dollars that will be needed for
implementation. And I haven’t addressed the outrageous process (lack of process),
designed to prevent even a minimum of discussion/opposition to be presented.

I ask that you honor the Constitution and save Ohio from the shame, embarrassment
and cost by halting this modern day “poll tax” now.

Sincerely,

Armond Budish
Minority Leader