Ohio voters flocked to polls on Tuesday as Ohio Republican governor John Kasich awaited the results concerning a controversial law concerning collective bargaining.
With only about 9,000 votes in, Issue 2 is failing by a 63 percent to 37 percent. Earlier polls showed Issue 2, which would overturn Senate Bill 5, with a wide base of support.
Republican Ohio governor John Kasich spent much of the day stumping for preserving the new law. The legislation sets mandatory health care and pension minimums for unionized government employees, bans public worker strikes, scraps binding arbitration and prohibits basing promotions solely on seniority. Mr. Kasich gained national attention after pushing for support for the measure, which ultimately passed the state legislature.
Speaking Tuesday, Mr. Kasich told an audience that he is committed to restoring “the greatness of our state,” and controlling costs is necessary so Ohio’s future generations can prosper.
The vote is being closely watched beyond Ohio as other states also debate whether to rein in politically powerful public unions to help state and local governments cut their spending on wages and benefits.
The nation’s biggest labor unions have spent about $25 million, while Republican-backed groups have sought to pour money into the race.
Opponents gathered enough voter signatures earlier this year to force a public vote before it could take effect.
