Issue 3 Update
by Lycette Nelson, Executive Director, Stonewall
Cincinnati, 12/23/98
I know a lot of you out there are wondering what's going on with the Issue 3 repeal intiative. I'm sorry that we haven't updated you more often--we have been busy looking for new office space and getting packed to move and have had to put other things on hold temporarily. We (Stonewall) are moving right around the corner from our current space to 906 Main St., Suite 208. (UPDATE 5/30/01: New address is 1118 Race Street Cincinnati, OH 45210.) Our post office box, phone and fax will stay the same.
We have been moving forward with the Issue 3 repeal--getting more input from political strategists and elections experts on the timing and language of the repeal. Joy Robinson and I, along with three of our board members, attended the Creating Change Conference in Pittsburgh in November and were able to talk to a lot of people who have run campaigns about timelines, fundraising, voter identification. Coming out of those meetings, as well as a meeting we held with a number of local folks from organizations that have pledged support, we believe that our first step should be to conduct a poll of registered voters to get an idea how close or far we are from having the number of votes we need to repeal Issue 3. A professional poll costs $10,000-$20,000, but we may be able to find a pollster who would give us a break. We do need to raise money, so if you are interested in hosting a house party or putting on any other kind of fundraiser, please let us know.
At the same time, we will be printing the petitions and starting to gather signatures. We have gotten a lot of input about the language and still believe that our most winnable approach is a straight repeal.
We will be organizing all of those who volunteered into committees starting in January. Again, I apologize to those who were roaring to go into action--our getting settled in a new space has had to take precedence over everything else, since we can't function without an office.
The next public meeting on Issue 3 will be on January 26, 1999 at 7:00 at Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church.
Please email me at quncityswc@aol.com or call 651-2500 if you have questions or comments.
