Gov. John Kasich and top Republican lawmakers said Wednesday they're offering to weaken a new law limiting collective bargaining in an attempt to keep a repeal effort off the November ballot.
Kasich's administration released a letter asking for a meeting Friday to discuss a compromise with 10 union leaders involved with We Are Ohio, the group pushing for a repeal of the law.
Wisely, the unions want Kasich to repeal the entire law or they will take it to the voters.
"We feel that they have the ability to come back and repeal the entire bill and that is what they should do," said Melissa Fazekas, spokesperson for "We Are Ohio".
Fazekas says for lawmakers to repeal the bill is the only thing that would keep it off the November ballot, and the meeting called by Kasich on Friday will be pointless unless he is willing to do so.
"We are glad that Gov. Kasich and other politicians that passed Senate Bill 5 are realizing it is a flawed bill," said Fazekas. "Just like the bill is flawed, this approach to a compromise is flawed as well."
Ohio Republicans don't want the bill repealed, and want even less to make a deal.
Republican Sen. Shannon Jones says the invitation to union leaders for a Friday meeting is not in fear that the bill won't pass in November.
"It's not about the outcome in November," said Jones. "We obviously believe in it, that is why we passed it and that is why we want our local communities to operate under it."
Yeah, right. If SB 5 goes down in flames, Kasich will go from local embarrassment to national joke, along with Ohio's Republican party. "Remember Senate Bill 5!" will be the battle cry well into 2012, either way. Kasich wants this problem to go away and go away fast, because they only way Kasich wins is for the unions to give up the fight.
It appears that's not going to happen.
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