Ohio Constitution Government/Mr. Renner. History: By 1850, many Ohioans believed the time had come to replace the Constitution of 1803. New issues had.

Ohio ConstitutionGovernment/Mr. Renner

History:By 1850, many Ohioans believed the time had come to replace the Constitution of 1803. New

issues had arisen that the drafters of the first constitution had not foreseen. The Constitution of 1803 had given great power to the Ohio General Assembly. With the exception of the governor, the legislature had the power to appoint judges and all other government officials. This gave the legislature nearly complete control over the government. The Constitution of 1803 also required the Supreme Court to meet once each year in every county in the state. When the Constitution of 1803 originally went into effect, few counties existed. Over the next fifty years the number of counties increased until it was virtually impossible for the Supreme Court to fulfill its obligations under the original constitution.

The Ohio Constitution of 1851 gave Ohio voters the right to elect the governor, other high-ranking state officials, and judges. Rather than having only two levels of courts within the state, a third level of district courts was added between the Ohio Supreme Court and common pleas courts. An overwhelming majority of the delegates voted against extending suffrage to African-American men and women of all races. As such, only adult white men who had resided in the state for at least one year could vote. These voters had to approve all constitutional amendments in the future and received the option to call a new constitutional convention every twenty years.

Convention:The new constitution was to be drafted via a Constitutional Convention. The

convention was to meet in Columbus, but a cholera epidemic moved the meeting to Chillicothe. William Medill served as the convention president. A majority of the Constitutional Convention of 1850's delegates belonged to the Democratic Party. The Democrats were divided into liberal and conservative factions. Liberal Democrats, like Charles Reemelin, tended to favor working class issues. Conservatives were more likely to believe that power should remain in the hands of the wealthy. Because of this division, the Whig Party delegates commonly served as the swing votes between the Democratic Party's divided representatives.

Even after the adoption of the new Constitution of 1851, the state legislature was still the dominant branch of state government in Ohio. The governor did not have the right to veto legislative acts. The legislature had the power to tax, but the legislature had to tax all social classes at the same rate and could not implement a lottery or a poll tax. The legislature also had the power to create new counties, but only with the approval of the residents of the proposed county. The last county created in Ohio was Noble County, which was established on April 1, 1851. This was several months before the Constitution of 1851 went into effect.

Ratification:

The Constitutional Convention of 1851 adjourned its proceedings on March 10, 1851. Seventy-nine delegates voted in favor of the constitution, while fourteen opposed it. The people in opposition primarily belonged to the Whig Party and the Free Soil Party. To go into effect, Ohio voters had to approve the constitution. They did so overwhelmingly on June 17, 1851. Although numerous amendments have been made over the years, the Constitution of 1851 remains the fundamental law of Ohio.

The Ohio Constitution (1851) 

Preamble (Introduction/States the goals)“We, the people of the State of Ohio, grateful to Almighty 

God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare, do establish this Constitution.”

Article 1- Bill of Rights1.01 Inalienable Rights

a. Defending life and libertyb. Acquiring, possessing, and protecting propertyc. Seeking and obtaining happiness and safety

1.03 Right to assemble1.04 Right to bear arms

1.06 No slavery in Ohio1.08 Writ of habeas corpus unless in case of rebellion or invasion

d. This means that if you are imprisoned, you are to be told why by the court/judge that ordered the arrest

e. In other words, you can’t be kept in jail unless there is a valid reason

 1.11 Freedom of Speech and Press1.21 Freedom to choose health care and health care coverage

f. This was the latest to be added (12/9/2011)

Article 2- Legislative Branch2.01 Creates the General Assembly (Ohio’s Congress)

a. Bicameral Legislature- Senate (33 Members) and House of Representatives (99 Members)

b. The main purpose is to make laws 

2.01a Initiative- citizens can propose an amendment to the constitution via petition

2.01c Referendum- citizens can vote to get a law (passed by the General Assembly) rejected via petition

Article 3- Executive Branch3.01 Elected Officials in the executive Branch

a. Governor and Lieutenant Governor are on the same ticket (elected together).

b. The Secretary of State, Auditor, and Attorney General are elected separately. 

3.02 Elected officials are elected for a term of 4 years.a. There is a limit of 2 consecutive terms.

Article 4- Judicial Branch4.02 Organization and Jurisdiction of the State Supreme Court

a. There are 7 Judges (1 Chief Justice and 6 Associate Justices)b. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in some major cases dealing with 

state laws.c. The Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction in all cases from appeals courts. 

4.03 Court of Appeals d. Ohio will be divided into districts; each will have 3 Judge Appeals Court. 

4.04 Common Pleas Courtse. These are the trial courts for the state of Ohio.f. Common Pleas Courts are divided by county. 

4.06 Election of judges- judges in Ohio are elected to 6 year terms. 

Article 5- Elective Franchise

a. This covers the rules for voting and elections in Ohio.

 5.06 No idiot, or insane person, shall be entitled to the privileges of an elector

Article 6- Education

6.02 Public schools may be funded by taxes.

6.03 This creates public school districts.

6.05 This guarantees loans to residents attending colleges and universities

The Rest of the Ohio Constitution: 

Article 7- Public Institutionsa. Sets up institutions for the handicapped and prisons

Article 8- Public Debt and Public Worksb. Ohio government can’t spend more than it brings in, in taxes and 

federal fundsc. Provides for roads, parks, monuments

Article 9- Militiad. Governor is in charge of militias (State National Guard)e. General Assembly funds the militia

Article 10- County and Township Organizationsf. Describes home rule, township officials, and county commissioners

Article 11- Apportionmenta. Describes who is in charge of drawing district lines for 

elections/representation  

Article 12- Finance and Taxationb. Defines what taxes, fees, and fines can be charged to Ohioans 

Article 13- Corporationsc. States rules that must be followed for a business to be a 

corporation 

Article 14- Agricultured. Sets standards for livestock and crops

Article 15- Miscellaneousa. Qualifications for government office, lotteries/casinos, marriage 

laws 

Article 16- Amendmentsb. Steps for amending the Ohio Constitution 

Article 17- Electionsc. Times for holding elections and terms of office 

Article 18- Municipal Corporationsd. Rules for public utilities, parking garages, and other sources of 

income for local governments