The
Kent Stater
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2015
Class of 17’ graduate at Dix Stadium
Soccer ends season with a loss
Kent Halloween photos
President Beverly Warren confirmed major news regarding the 2017 graduation ceremony, including that it will have a new home and a few more names called than in years past.
In the last game of the season, Kent State’s soccer team was unable to claim a victory over Miami (Ohio) University, losing 5-3.
Brooke Forrest / The Kent Stater A group of people dressed as characters from the movie Despicable Me walk around downtown Kent during the Kent Halloween celebrations on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015.
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2015 VOTER’S GUIDE TO ELECTIONS Ward 1 Kent City Council sees faceoff in Tuesday’s Election
Issues 2 & 3
Issues 26 & 27
Brittany Rees City Reporter While the rest of the candidates for Tuesday’s Kent City Council election are running unopposed, Ward 1’s incumbent councilman Garret Ferrara is facing off against local designer Kenneth McGregor. According to a guide published by the Record-Courier and the League of Women Voters in Kent, Kent State alum and 48-year-old financial advisor Ferrara listed his top concerns if re-elected as pedestrian access and road repair. McGregor said he is concerned with snow removal and Kent’s carbon footprint. Ferrara has served on Kent’s City Council for 16 years and earned his master's in business administration from Kent State. McGregor attended Kent State for two years before finishing his degree at the Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. McGregor also stated his experience as a designer and publisher would lend itself to the Ward 1 councilman position. Voting for Ward 1 council, as well as other city, county and state issues, takes place Tuesday. brees3@kent.edu
Issue 1 Ohio redistricting reform Elizabeth Randolph Senior News Editor Issue 1 will create a bipartisan commission that will draw legislative compacts that don’t favor one political party over another. If approved on Tuesday’s election, the amendment will create a seven-member Ohio Redistricting commission, including the Governor, State Auditor, Secretary of State, one person appointed by the Ohio Senate president, one person appointed by the Ohio Senate Minority leader and one person appointed by the Ohio House Minority leader. The commission will require a minority party of 29 percent, which differs from the current system of a single member. Issue 1 will put a ban on gerrymandering, require that districts reflect how voters actually voted and put limitations on maps lacking bipartisan support. erandolph3@kent.edu
Issue 2 and 3: Marijuana legalization in Ohio
Issues 26 and 27 to bring money and service
Hannah Armenta Editor
Zachary Downes City Reporter It is election week in Portage County and Residents will have the chance to vote for many different issues that face Portage County. Issues 26 and 27 are one of the 43 issues residents will be voting to pass or to fail. Issue 26 would help fund libraries across Portage County. The Portage County Library District has expressed the need for funding to better serve residents of the county. The Library District is asking for a $1 million levy in funding for the libraries. The levy would generate $2.4 million annually for five years beginning in 2016. This money would fund improvement of collections, staffing, programs and services focusing more on early childhood and literacy services, workforce readiness, small business support and enrichment programs for all ages. Issue 27 also provides better service for the community. Issue 27 is the Portage County Board of Developmental Disabilities renewal levy. This levy is a $1.8 million renewal that would generate $4 million for a continuing period of time beginning in 2015. The renewal will convert the term from five years to a continuing period of time with no increase in taxes and account for approximately 20 percent of the board’s revenue sources. Funds will be used for general operating purposes. If passed, the levy would include generating more services and support, a more person-centered decision-making and also help with the quality of life decisions. For more information on these two levies and other issues on the ballot for the Nov. 3 election, information can be found through the League of Women Voters of Kent's website.
Issue 3 will legalize marijuana for both medicinal and personal use. The issue — a“citizen’s initiative” bill — was proposed by ResponsibleOhio and had to gain a certain amount of signatures before it was put on the ballot. The bill will give investment groups the ability to create 10 commercial growing sites around the state. Individuals ages 21 and older will be able to posses sone ounce of marijuana and grow up to four plants, or eight ounces, of marijuana at home. There will be a special excise tax applied on the sale to both the processors, dispensaries and individual buyers. Issue 2 is an anti-monopoly bill that was created by state lawmakers in response to Issue 3. The bill will make it more difficult for groups like ResponsibleOhio to get special interests from getting onto the ballot and onto the Ohio Constitution. There is also a special provision in the bill that says if Issue 3 is passed through popular vote, it cannot take action. If Issue 3 passes, marijuana will be legalized. If Issue 2 passes, marijuana will not be legalized. If both pass, marijuana will not be legalized. harmenta@kent.edu
zdownes@kent.edu
Issue 43
Issue 29-32 Amendments made to Kent City Charter
Issue 36
Rachel Godin City Reporter On Tuesday, general elections will include five amendments to the Kent City Charter. The Kent City Charter is comparable to the Constitution of the United States or a state's individual constitution. Therefore, it is the most important legal document of any city. Issue 29: If approved, it would remove term limits for the Board of Health. Term limits are currently limited to two five-year terms. Issue 30: If approved, it would change the number of signatures needed for initiative and referendum petitions. Currently, 10 percent of qualified electors are required. The amendment would change this to at least 10 percent of the number of electors who voted for governor at the most recent general election for the office of governor. Issue 31: If passed, it would remove a prohibition that present or former members of the Assessment Equalization Board, Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals and Charter Review Commission cannot be appointed as a City employee or an independent contractor during their term or for six months afterward. Issue 32: If approved, it would remove term limits for the Planning Commission. Terms are currently limited to two five-year terms. If approved, the last proposed amendment, Issue 43, would add Democracy Day Public Hearing / Political Influence to the city’s charter. The city would then be required to sponsor a public hearing in October to examine the impact of political influence resulting from campaign contributions by corporate bodies. Following this, the city would be required to send a letter to statelevel representatives, leaders of the Ohio House and Senate, U.S. Congressional representatives and both U.S. senators from Ohio. Included in the letter would be a brief summary of the public hearing and a statement that the citizens of Kent in Nov., 2015 voted in support of a citizen's initiative calling for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution declaring one, only human beings, not corporations, are legal persons with Constitutional rights; and two, money is not equivalent to speech, and therefore, regulating political contributions and spending does not equate to limiting political speech. All information, courtesy of the League of Women's Voters of Kent. rgodin1@kent.edu
Bricco Kent to appear on ballot for Sunday liquor sale permit
Issue 43 promises transparency for Issues 33-35 citizens Kent City renewal levies
Matthew Merchant Senior Reporter
Bricco in Kent, located at 210 S. Depeyster St., placed Issue 36 on the ballot after applying for a D-6 liquor permit. The passage of this issue for the restaurant would permit the sale of wine, mixed beverages and spirituous liquor on Sundays between the hours of 11 a.m. and midnight. The Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control is responsible for issuing these liquor licenses, and the department’s website states local community input is encouraged and considered during this permitting and renewal process. In Ohio, a local precinct vote is required to obtain a permit for Sunday sales of liquor. Bricco Kent opened in January of 2014 and is modeled after the original location in downtown Akron. According to Bricco’s website, the restaurant offers an extensive drink menu, including 100 wine selections and locally produced ales. Bricco Kent could still sell other alcohol like wine and beer on Sunday without the D-6 permit.
Issues 33 through 35 on the ballot will concern the city of Kent renewing and approving funding for several of its public services. Issue 33 is a $73 million renewal levy that would generate $248,000 over the next five years starting in 2016 for the staff, operations and maintenance of the Kent City fire station. The money would be used for maintaining the current level of service offered by the Fire Department. Issue 34 is a $1 million renewal levy that would generate $340,000 on an annual basis starting this year for the maintenance and operation of the Parks and Recreation Department. If the levy doesn’t pass, cuts to the operations, maintenance and repairs of park and bike trails are likely. Issue 35 is a $43 million renewal levy and would generate $146,000 on an annual basis starting this year to provide funding to the Parks and Recreation department.
Issue 43, if approved on Tuesday’s ballot, would institute a Democracy Day for the Kent’s residents. As one of five charter amendments to the city’s governing document, Issue 43 would require the city to host a public forum each October to discuss issues on that year’s upcoming November ballot. When the group Kent Citizens for Democracy introduced the initiative to city council this past summer, James Silver, Kent’s law director, questioned the legality of the amendment. According to the Record-Courier, Silver said the group did not have enough resident signatures to place the issue on the ballot. Ohio’s state constitution requires a select amount of signatures, but Silver argued the group did not have enough per the city’s laws. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled in favor of Kent Citizens for Democracy, which also proposed a ballot initiative entitled “Corporations are not People and Money is not Speech.” The proposed charter amendment, if approved by voters, would have essentially made it illegal for large corporations to lobby money in local elections. City Council voted against the ballot measure after Silver advised members about the city’s ballot laws regarding signatures.
smatth11@kent.edu
jevange2@kent.edu
mmercha1@kent.edu
Sarah Matthews City Reporter
Jarrod Evangelist City Reporter