Heidelberg invites state rep for Constitution Day

TIFFIN — To celebrate Constitution Day on Wednesday, Sept. 17, Heidelberg University hosted "A Conversation on the Constitution" in the Seiberling Gymnasium. The university welcomed Ohio state Rep. Allison Russo to join Student Senate President Shannon Petrulis in conversation on both the U.S. and Ohio state constitutions. Russo represents Ohio House District 7, where she has served four terms. She previously served as minority leader of the Ohio House Democratic Caucus from January 2022-June 2025. She is currently campaigning to become Ohio's next Secretary of State. Russo is in her fourth term in the Ohio House and currently serves as ranking member of the Financial Institutions Committee and as a member of the General Government Committee. Her legislative work has included issues related to health care, public health and safety, education, family caregivers and aging adults. Before entering the Ohio Legislature, Russo spent more than two decades advising government leaders and policymakers on health care financing and care delivery. She holds a doctoral degree in health policy from George Washington University and a master's degree in public health epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The conversation comes at a timely moment, with Ohio voters preparing for the midterm elections on Nov. 3. The topics of the conversation included constitutional questions facing citizens, the importance of young adult civic participation, the role citizens play in their communities and government and Issue 3, which will appear on Ohioans' ballots in November. Russo started the conversation by addressing challenges to the Constitution that are currently taking place, saying that the current Supreme Court has a high rate of overturning legal precedent. Petrulis then asked Russo to talk about Issue 3, a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that would require voters to present photo identification when voting. Russo said voters in Ohio have the unique constitutional right to direct democracy, which allows citizens to propose and pass laws via ballot initiatives, referendums and recalls. The proposed amendment in Issue 3 will be voted on in this year's election, and Russo made it clear she opposes the amendment to Ohio's Constitution. Her reasoning is that presenting voter identification is already required, and the amendment is "too specific" because it requires soon-to-be "outdated forms of identification," citing advancements in technology, specifically digital identification. Petrulis also asked Russo about voter participation, specifically for younger voters, and why she feels it is important for young adults to vote. Russo answered by addressing the students in the audience directly, emphasizing that the decisions made today impact their futures more than anyone else. "If you're frustrated with the way the government is working right now, sitting on the sidelines changes absolutely nothing — in fact, it makes it even worse," Russo said to the students. She explained that in the state legislature, decisions are being made on issues like the funding of higher education, housing, healthcare, and environmental policy. Russo pointed out that, in Ohio, young adults vote at the lowest rates, and that in 2026, a large number of seats in Ohio's government are going to be voted on. At the end of the conversation, the floor was opened to members of the audience. Attendees asked about other issues not brought up earlier, such as the Secretary of State's power over the state ballot board, third-party voters and rank-choice voting. Following the event, Heidelberg's student engagement office hosted a voter registration station for those interested in registering to vote or learning more about the voting process.