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2018 was a big election year in Ohio. Republicans held onto all five statewide executive offices including governor and super majorities in both the Ohio House and Senate. But there were a few bright spots for Democrats, among them the reelection of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and the election of two Democrats to the Ohio Supreme Court.With election 2018 over, the focus now shifts to governing. Stay connected with the latest on politics, policies and people making the decisions at all levels affecting your lives.

"Marsy's Law" Backers Submit Petitions to Put the Victims' Rights Bill on the Fall Ballot

photo of Marsy's Law petitions
DAN KONIK

A group that wants Ohio to adopt a bill of victim rights has submitted signatures to put the issue on the ballot this fall.

Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment to establish a bill of rights for crime victims have filed 560,000 petitions for this fall’s ballot. That's nearly twice the number of signatures the group needs.

The group's Cathy Harper Lee says if voters approve it, Ohio will have its own version of what's called "Marsy’s Law," named for a California woman killed by her ex-boyfriend 33 years ago.

“It will ensure that all crime victims receive notification of hearings, that they can participate in hearings, that they have the right to restitution and most importantly, that when their rights are violated, they will have a mechanism to enforce those rights,” she said.

But critics say they're worried the law could be unconstitutional.

Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment. Jo started her career in Louisville, Kentucky in the mid 80’s when she helped produce a televised presidential debate for ABC News, worked for a creative services company and served as a general assignment report for a commercial radio station. In 1989, she returned back to her native Ohio to work at the WOSU Stations in Columbus where she began a long resume in public radio.