English: On April 27, 1988, a woman named Margaret McIntyre passed out a leaflet like this one outside of Blendon Middle School in Westerville, Ohio. At the time, the state of Ohio had a law prohibiting the distribution of any kind of political publication unless the publication contained the name and address of its author. Because McIntyre did not include her identity, she was fined $100 by the Ohio Elections Commission. Even though the fine was only $100, she appealed this fine in court, and her claim was eventually heard by the
Supreme Court of the United States, which struck down the Ohio law in
McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission, 514 U.S. 334 (1995), as a violation of the
First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The leaflet reads:
VOTE NO
ISSUE 19 SCHOOL TAX LEVY
Last election Westerville Schools, asked us to vote yes for new buildings and expansion programs. We gave them what they asked. We knew there was crowded conditions and new growth in the district.
Now we find out there is a 4 million dollar deficit – WHY?
We are told the 3 middle schools must be split because of over-crowding, and yet we are told 3 schools are being closed – WHY?
A magnet school is not a full operating school, but a specials school.
Residents were asked to work on a 20 member commission to help formulate the new boundaries For 4 weeks they worked long and hard and came up with a very workable plan. Their plan was totally disregarded – WHY?
WASTE of tax payers dollars must be stopped. Our children's education and welfare must come first. WASTE CAN NO LONGER BE TOLERATED.
PLEASE VOTE NO
ISSUE 19
THANK YOU.
CONCERNED PARENTS
AND
TAX PAYERS