OH Secretary of State Bob Taft ruled yesterday that a
citizen petition "requiring county commissioners" to locate
a new Reds stadium at Broadway Commons "meets election law
standards and should be placed on the ballot," according to
Lucy May of the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER. Local lawyers who
oppose the measure said they "probably wouldn't go to court
before the vote." The measure would "create a county
charter in an effort to require" Hamilton County
commissioners to build any new Reds ballpark at Broadway
Commons. The Reds issued a statement yesterday
"reaffirming" their commitment to the $235M riverfront site
plan that was agreed upon by the county and team in July.
Hamilton County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus said that
riverfront supporters "will defeat the Broadway measure"
(CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 8/20). Also in Cincinnati, Barry
Horstman writes that Taft's ruling "adds another layer of
uncertainty to the already cloudy and complex Reds' stadium
issue." The election could result "in the county being
directed to build a ballpark on a site that Reds executives
have unyieldingly opposed" (CINCINNATI POST, 8/20).
