O-HI-NO: Ohio doesn't 'just go for it'

Sorry, but Ohio just isn't going for "it" just for going-for-it sakes.

We may have been first in flight (quiet yourselves, North Carolina and kooky-as-krazy-glue Connecticut), but we aren't nearly as likely to leap without careful consideration.

There are a lot of reasons for this and some folks are more gung-ho than others.

But as a group, we Ohioans are among the most sensible of the Midwesterners with sensibilities that can sometimes be beyond frustrating.

We are perhaps the most bellwether-y, maybe yes, maybe no of all states.

For good or worse, chance are we are not rushing into anything. Here are three recent examples.

No-High-O

Archive photo by Jim Otte.

Ohioans soundly rejected ResponsibleOhio's push to make this the first state to legalize medical and recreational marijuana at the same time.

ResponsibleOhio spent millions and even had a funny-looking mascot, but Ohioans — including many in support of state-sanctioned pot use for fun — pumped their brakes for reasons that included the word "monopoly."

READ: 6 reasons marijuana legalization failed in Ohio

Few believe the battle for pot in the Buckeye State is over, but it might take a while.

Gaming delay

Archive photo: Samantha Wittich practices shuffling cards for the game Pitch inside the High Stakes Room at the Horseshoe Casino in downtown Cincinnati Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. The casino will opened it’s doors to the public on March 4. NICK DAGGY / STAFF.

Ohioians rejected four pushes to legalize casinos before approving them in 2009. Legalization was first proposed in 1990.

Ohioans just didn't approve it because it had been on the ballot so long. Those who opposed the casinos initative said it was ultimately approved because job creation was emphasized. The state now has casinos in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo.

Higher court

Mayor Nan Whaley performed the first gay marriage at Dayton City Hall on Friday morning, June 26, 2015, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. (Dayton Daily News)

To the chagrin of many, Ohio voters were not quick to legalize same sex marriage, and in 2004 amended the state constitution to prevent gay marriage from being "valid in or recognized by" Ohio.

That said, Ohioans were at the center of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that swept away the last bans on same-sex marriage in Ohio and 12 other states.

James Obergefell of Cincinnati, and his spouse, John Arthur, challenged Ohio’s ban on same-sex marriage just months before Arthur died of Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2013.

Obergefell's attorney successfully argued his case before the high court.

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About the Author

Amelia Robinson