OHIO - VOTERS WILL EXPRESS THEIR OBAMACARE DRUTHERS IN NOVEMBER

Healthcare Amendment Certified for Ballot

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- JOINT RELEASE
The Ohio Project -- volunteer efforts: Alan Witten
Ohio Liberty Council -- Tom Zawistowski1851 Center for Constitutional Law -- legal implications: Maurice ThompsonOhioans for Healthcare Freedom -- campaign: Jeff Longstreth

Columbus, OH, July 26, 2011. The Ohio Secretary of State has certified 426,998 signatures for the Health Care Freedom Amendment petition. This will place the amendment to the Ohio Constitution on the statewide ballot in November of 2011. The amendment addresses the individual mandate to purchase government-approved health insurance from the recently passed Federal healthcare bill.

Ohioans will now vote for a Healthcare Freedom Amendment: "To preserve the freedom of Ohioans to choose their health care and health care coverage."

Jeff Longstreth, campaign manager for Ohioans for Healthcare Freedom who will be leading the campaign efforts through November, said, "We are amazed at the outpouring of support for this Amendment. It's clear Ohioans want the freedom to choose the healthcare options that are best for them and their families. Ohioans want patients and doctors to make healthcare decisions, not government regulators."

Alan Witten from The Ohio Project, the group that spearheaded the volunteer signature gathering efforts which led to amendment certification, added, "The Healthcare Freedom Amendment initiative on the ballot gives Ohioans a voice to declare their fundamental rights against government healthcare mandates." Jason Mihalick, also with The Ohio Project, said "Over 4,400 volunteers working tirelessly collecting signatures across the whole state for the last 14 months have reported support from a broad spectrum of voters. Those volunteers produced signatures at a very high validity rate in which nearly 8 out of 10 signatures were valid. This proves that citizens can engage and out-perform the well-funded industry and special interest groups that have historically commandeered the ballot initiative process in Ohio."

A summary of the proposed amendment is attached and also available online athttp://www.TheOhioProject.com.

List of contributing organizations:

• Ohio Liberty Council, a coalition of over 75 liberty minded groups across Ohio, launched the project through a network of organizations and volunteers.
• 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, a Columbus based, non-profit legal center, drafted the amendment and will continue to provide legal counsel.
• The Ohio Project, a single issue PAC, led the volunteer petition efforts which successfully gathered over 440,000 signatures across Ohio.
• Ohioans for Healthcare Freedom, will head up the Healthcare Freedom Amendment campaign through November.