TUESDAY
PARENT WEEKEND
THURSDAY
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
P2
Learn about the origins of Parent and Family Weekend in preparation of the upcoming Oct. 18-19 events.
PROFESSOR’S PLAY
P5
Ohio State professor emeritus of law takes to theater by writing own play.
BASKETBALL
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Braxtin Miller transfers to Ohio State with experience and leadership potential.
VOLLEYBALL
THE LANTERN thelantern.com
@TheLantern
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Elle Sandbothe follows older sister to Ohio State as she looks to finish her collegiate volleyball career.
The student voice of the Ohio State University
Year 139, Issue No. 42
Pushy petitioners try to prevent referendum JOE MATTS Lantern reporter matts.2@osu.edu
OWEN MILNES | FOR THE LANTERN
Following students wearing headphones down 18th Avenue, cornering them at Thompson Library and ambushing them while eating at the Ohio Union are all tactics aggressive petitioners who swarmed campus have used on students in the last several weeks in an attempt to prevent a referendum on a nuclear bailout from being put on the ballot. House Bill 6, signed into law July 23, will provide a subgroup of Akron-based energy provider First Energy Corporation called First Energy Solutions with around $1 billion over seven years to keep two nuclear power plants in Northern Ohio from shutting their doors. Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts — a political action group opposed to HB 6 — began gathering signatures to put a referendum on the 2020 ballot that would repeal
JOE MATTS | LANTERN REPORTER
Petitioners can be spotted around campus asking students for signatures in opposition of a referendum effort.
the law. In response, a campaign against the referendum includes a petition and especially assertive on-campus petitioners from political group Ohioans for Energy Security that asks state lawmakers to prevent foreign ownership of Ohio power plants. Gene Pierce, a spokesperson
for Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts, said in an email that the initiative is trying to sabotage the organization’s referendum efforts. “It’s meant to confuse people into thinking they’ve signed our petitions, and to drain the spot labor market from a vast pool of people who would otherwise be
available to work for us,” Pierce. The petition against the referendum is paid for by Ohioans for Energy Security, which says that overturning HB 6 would allow China “control over Ohio” as well as give signers’ personal information to the Chinese government, according to their website and
Open for business State lawmakers receptive to discussion on payment for players JOHNNY AMUNDSON Lantern reporter amundson.15@osu.edu Ohio State’s athletics generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually, but players cannot earn compensation from their name, image and likeness under NCAA rules. In the wake of California’s “Fair Pay for Play Act,” which allows student athletes to receive compensation from transactions such as jersey sales, autographs and endorsements without compromising their eligibility, Ohio State campus-area state lawmakers weighed in on the possibility of allowing them to generate revenue of their own. Two state representatives and two state senators represent Ohio State’s campus area. State Sen. Andrew Brenner, R-Powell, said there should be a stipend of some sort, and he would consider legislation if it came forward. State Rep. Kristin Boggs, D-Columbus, said she’s looking forward to a robust discussion on the issue. The California law is set to take effect Jan. 1, 2023. “[State laws] would put some schools at a disadvantage in other states unfairly, so I think that if something needs to be done, it’s probably at the national level,”
their name, image and likeness.” These lawmakers’ decisions have a large impact on how Ohio State conducts its business. Ohio State has one of the largest athletic programs in the country; in 2018, revenue from the athletic department topped $205 million, according to the NCAA Financial Report.
CASEY CASCALDO | MANAGING EDITOR FOR MULTIMEDIA
Ohio State campus-area lawmakers are willing to discuss allowing athletes to be paid for their name, image and likeness.
Brenner said. “But, looking at it, I think if a student is given an athletic scholarship, it doesn’t give them enough money to be able to go, you know, on a date or go home for the holidays.” State Rep. David Leland, D-Columbus and State Sen. Hearcel Craig, D-Columbus, who also represent the campus area, did not respond to requests for comment. U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, R-Ohio, who represents Northeast Ohio and played wide receiv-
er for the Ohio State football team from 2003-06 said in an email that, in principle, student-athletes should be able to profit off their name, image and likeness. He said the issue should be handled at the federal level. “The current California law is not workable due to its state-bystate approach,” Gonzalez said. “We need one national solution that provides safeguards for student-athletes while ensuring they are able to receive income off of
“We need one national solution that provides safeguards for student athletes while ensuring they are able to receive income off their name, image and likeness.” ANTHONY GONZALEZ U.S. Representative
Lawmakers in Colorado, Florida, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Washington are considering legislation similar to California’s. In New York, a bill has been proposed that would allow for the same compensation as well as mandate direct payments from universities to student-athletes. ATHLETES CONTINUES ON 6
video campaigns. “Warning! Don’t give your personal information to the Chinese Government” a banner at the top of the site reads. “China is quietly invading our Energy Grid and coming for our Ohio jobs.” Pierce said these statements are false. “It’s a totally bogus claim. Foreign entities can invest in American companies, but when it comes to our energy grid they can not control a part of our grid. The U.S. Dept of the Treasury’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) strictly monitors those investments,” Pierce said. Ohioans for Energy Security could not be reached for comment by the time of publication, and two petitioners approached by The Lantern declined to comment. Herb Asher, professor emeritus of political science, said a nonbinding petition — which is what PETITIONS CONTINUES ON 3
Gateway hosts Democratic debate watch party TREVOR SIMPSON Lantern reporter simpson.728@osu.edu Political junkies have a lot to watch for in the upcoming Democratic debate, and what better way to scope out every detail than on the silver screen? Gateway Film Center has partnered with media group Columbus Underground to air the fourth Democratic debate at the theater Tuesday, offering a group setting for viewing. The debate will be hosted by CNN and The New York Times at Otterbein University beginning at 8 p.m. The primary debate will feature 12 candidates, all vying to represent the Democratic Party in next year’s presidential election. Walker Evans, co-founder of Columbus Underground, said the overall purpose of the watch party is to provide an opportunity for the Columbus, Ohio, community to become more informed on the candidates’ policies and ideas and foster discussion both on national DEBATE CONTINUES ON 6