Rising property taxes and data centers are big issues in this fall campaign for governor. But there are also other concerns that the state’s new executive will have to face upon taking office next year. In an interview Thursday, the Democratic candidate talked about two of them: Flock cameras and expanded online gambling.
Amy Acton said last month she knows Flock cameras and other automatic license plate readers have been used in crime solving, but that she wants a comprehensive overview of public safety and emergency technology. She’s now going further, saying she supports bipartisan suggestions and potential legislation to ban them.
"The safety and well-being of Ohioans is something I'll always fight for. And I always say, no one in this state will ever be unseen by me," said Acton in an interview for "The State of Ohio". "But I want to make sure that we are using the tools that we need to keep people safe. But we can't be doing so at the expense of our rights. And I'm excited by the bipartisan legislation we see moving forward. I would absolutely support that."
Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has said on social media that Ohio won’t be turned into what he called "a surveillance state" and that people shouldn’t be spied on in private spaces. But he hasn’t said what regulations he’d support on these cameras that are installed on streets to read and store license plates and vehicle images and data.
Another question the next governor will likely face is whether to expand online gaming. Acton said online gambling or igaming can be a source of revenue to fund proposals and services, as some Republican lawmakers who want to expand it have also said. But she's cautious.
"Certainly I see it as a source of revenue that can help fund the proposals that we need to help bring down the cost of living in this state and provide for the services we need to fund," Acton said. "That said, I am a doctor and a public health professional, and I want to make sure we have the right regulatory environment around it. I want to make sure we stop the sort of predatory advertising we're seeing, and I want to make sure our young people are protected. So that's what you'll see when I do this; a very nuanced and comprehensive strategy."
Ramaswamy hasn’t been clear with his views on igaming—which many of the Christian leaders who support him oppose. But he said in an interview that he wants to bring a fresh perspective to the discussions about it, and "what I'm committed to is whatever we do, it is going to be done in a responsible way that protects Ohioans."
Acton also spoke about the incident on Sunday at the Canfield Fair, when a Mahoning County man carrying two guns and a Taser was arrested for pushing his way through a crowd toward Acton. Patrick Havas is being held on $5,000 bond on charges of disorderly conduct and two counts of assault.
Acton said she’s grateful to her security and prays for the two people who were injured as Havas was arrested. But she said this kind of political violence is being sparked by "inflammatory rhetoric and this condoning of these fringe conspiracy theories" coming from the conservative right, some of whom were posting about the incident on social media Sunday.
"I have received $60 million in attack ads against me since March—not on the ideas of the day, but on lies and hate and chaos and vitriol. I am asking for my opponent to stop this fringe group of people and the ads that have been shown and fact-checked after fact-checked to be wrong. This is what incites this," Acton said. "It's very, very important that leaders understand that the words matter. I'm asking for everyone in this race to bring this level down. I've been fighting. The thing I hear most from Ohioans is that they want this chaos and hate and vitriol to stop, and us to focus on solving problems that actually affect their lives."
Ramaswamy’s campaign put out a statement Sunday saying: "Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence. What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics.”
