COLUMBUS – Ohio voters aligned in staggering numbers to defeat a drug pricing measure and to approve protections for crime victims’ rights.
Issue 2, dubbed the Ohio Drug Price Relief Act, failed in every one of Ohio’s 88 counties with anywhere from about 70 percent to almost 90 percent of voters opposed. The statewide total was over 79 percent of voters saying no to the proposed constitutional amendment, which would have required the state to hold prescription drug purchases under the lowest prices paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“As the saying goes, what sounds too good to be true usually is. Indeed, Issue 2 was wrong for patients and wrong for taxpayers. Issue 2 would not have lowered drug prices or saved the state money, as proponents repeatedly promised, without foundation, Curt Steiner, campaign manager for Ohioans Against the Deceptive Rx Ballot Issue, in an election night statement.
The defeat came after the pharmaceutical industry spent an estimated $70 million to fight the effort, compared to about $20 million spent in support.
“Make no mistake, although this particular campaign did not win tonight…sooner rather than later, one state will successfully stand up to big drug companies and Ohio will wish it could have been the first,” said the Yes on Issue 2 campaign in a written statement.
Issue 1 prevailed in every county by similarly robust percentages. Dubbed Marsy’s Law for Ohio, it will embed certain rights for crime victims into the state constitution.
“This is a great victory for all Ohioans. Marsy’s Law will ensure that victims are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect throughout the criminal justice system,” Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said.
Ohio is the sixth state to pass a version of the law.
UPDATE 3:29 p.m. 11/8: Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted’s office reports 29.9 percent of eligible voters cast ballots, a light turnout not unusual for an off-year election.
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