COLUMBUS - Ohioans rejected Issue 2, a proposal proponents said would lower drug prices, in a costly battle funded by drug companies opposing the initiative.

Supporters of Issue 2 billed the match-up as a David and Goliath-style fight. Drug companies raised more than $58.2 million to defeat the measure, which would have required Ohio's state-managed health care programs, such as Medicaid, to pay no more for medicine than the discounted price paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs.

"What we have learned is that $75 million can convince people to vote against their own best interests," said Dennis Willard, spokesman for proponents of Issue 2, estimating how much drug companies spent against Issue 2. Supporters intend to pursue ballot initiatives in South Dakota and Washington D.C. "We will be back to fight another day."

Proponents tried to appeal to Ohioans' animosity toward "greedy" drug companies. Ultimately, they failed. Voters rejected Issue 2 by a margin of 79.3 percent to 20.7 percent, according to unofficial results.

"Ohio voters delivered a loud and clear message that Issue 2 was a deceptive and seriously flawed proposal," said Curt Steiner, who led the opposition to Issue 2.

Throughout the campaign, voters were bombarded with advertisements touting vastly different claims about how much Issue 2 would save them. Opponents also attacked Issue 2's backer, the controversial California health care CEO Michael Weinstein. Confusion ensued.

Another challenge: It was impossible for anyone to say for sure how much money Ohio might save – if any – if it adopted the VA price.

That's because both Medicaid and the VA negotiate for lower drug prices on some medicines. You can't compare the two final prices, because both Ohio law and federal law consider the extra discounts confidential to protect the contract negotiations.

And it was not clear that the VA would have shared its prices with Ohio even if voters passed a law requiring the state to duplicate those VA prices.

The initiative would not have directly affected the approximately 7 million Ohioans who receive insurance through their private employers.

Opponents said the landslide defeat meant voters understood the initiative and simply didn't support it.

"When people vote definitely no, they are not confused," Steiner said Tuesday night.

Issue 1: Yes

Ohio voters approved a measure to list rights for crime victims in the Ohio Constitution – and a way to appeal if those rights are violated.

These rights include:

timely notification of all court proceedings.

be present and heard at all court proceedings.

a prompt conclusion of the case.

refuse an interview or other requests made by the accused in most cases.

notice when the accused is released or escapes.

money from the convicted for harm caused, such as compensation for stolen items.

information about the services available to crime victims.

The constitutional amendment is called Marsy's Law for Marsy Nicholas, a 21-year-old California woman killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1983. Shortly after her murder, her ex-boyfriend ran into Marsy's mother in the grocery store while he was out on bail.

The run-in prompted Marsy's brother, the billionaire co-founder of the Broadcom Corporation and Cincinnati native Henry Nicholas, to craft a ballot initiative to protect victims' families from similar unwelcome surprises.

"What an exciting victory tonight for crime victims from all across the Buckeye State," Nicholas said after Issue 1 passed by a margin of 82.6 percent to 17.4 percent. "Marsy and I were born in Ohio, and to be able to bring enforceable constitutional rights for crime victims to a place so close to my heart is truly special."

Ohio's prosecutors and defense attorneys opposed Issue 1, saying that many of the rights were already included in state law. They worry that the changes would slow down court proceedings and possibly violate the rights of the accused.