ISSUE 1 BACKERS MAY SHIFT FUNDS TO HELP HAGAN

COLUMBUS - The national group behind state Issue 1 may shift its
multimillion-dollar TV ad campaign from trying to get the ballot issue
passed to helping Democrat Tim Hagan unseat Republican Gov. Bob Taft.

"If we can't get it passed because of corruption and bias by the governor,
the next best thing is to try to replace the governor," said Bill Zimmerman,
director of the Campaign for New Drug Policies, based in Santa Monica,
Calif.

A spokesman for Mr. Taft said the governor had not done anything wrong in
fighting Issue 1, which would make treatment an option for any nonviolent
first or second-drug offender.

Mr. Zimmerman stressed that a decision has not been made on whether to give
up on Issue 1 and try to defeat Mr. Taft, who so far in his re-election bid
has raised $9 million compared with Mr. Hagan's $789,095. A decision is
expected within a few days.

The pro-Issue 1 group has complained that the GOP-dominated state ballot
board wrote a misleading summary of the proposed constitutional amendment,
and accused Mr. Taft and his aides of plotting on state time to scuttle the
ballot issue. The governor has rejected both charges.

Last week, the backers of Issue 1 considered pulling out of Ohio because of
polls that showed voters rejecting Issue 1. A Sept. 16 poll commissioned by
The Plain Dealer of Cleveland showed the measure losing, 55 to 30 percent,
and an Oct. 6 Columbus Dispatch poll yielded a 51 to 31 percent result
against the measure.

But Mr. Zimmerman said polling done by the Campaign for New Drug Policies
showed a closer race between Mr. Taft and Mr. Hagan after those surveyed
were told that Mr. Taft opposes Issue 1 and Mr. Hagan is for it. The group
didn't release details of the polling.

Mr. Zimmerman said he has recommended a "Plan B" if the four major financial
backers of Issue 1 believe there's no way Ohio voters will approve it on
Nov. 5. Those backers are Richard Wolfe, a Columbus native who runs a
California high-tech company; John Sperling, founder of the University of
Phoenix; Ohio insurance executive Peter Lewis, and New York financier George
Soros.

"It would be to shift resources to an independent expenditure committee that
supports Hagan and opposes Taft," said Mr. Zimmerman.

Mr. Zimmerman said the Campaign for New Drug Policies would disclose its
donors if it forms an independent campaign trying to unseat Mr. Taft.

Curt Steiner, a former chief of staff to Gov. George Voinovich and a
consultant to the anti-Issue 1 group, said it would be "unfortunate if the
Campaign for New Drug Policies took an issue which should be separate from
partisan politics and use it in a partisan way."

Mr. Steiner said the anti-Issue 1 group, co-chaired by Democratic Toledo
Mayor Jack Ford and Mr. Taft's wife, Hope, is a "nonpartisan" effort, with
support from Democratic state Supreme Court Justice Alice Robie Resnick and
GOP Chief Justice Thomas Moyer.