While in Ohio for the Arnold Classic Sports Festival, Governor Schwarzenegger stopped by a political reform event to encourage activists and voters to continue to fight for redistricting reform in Ohio.
The organization hosting the event, Citizens Not Politicians, is currently leading a campaign in Ohio to get the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission Amendment, also referred to as the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment, on the November 5th ballot. The ballot initiative would replace the current Ohio Redistricting Politician Commission, which is composed of seven partisan elected officials, with a truly independent citizen-led redistricting commission, similar to the one in California, in addition to laying out anti-gerrymandering mechanisms.
During his speech, Governor Schwarzenegger discussed the similarities between trying to pass this amendment in Ohio and the fight he had in California to pass political reform policies. Despite facing many obstacles and setbacks, Governor Schwarzenegger was eventually able to give the power back to the people. He told the audience that he hopes they can learn from the experience in California and know that this is a fight worth having and one they can win.