Gerald McFaul games elections panel, again: editorial
Published: Sunday, November 18, 2012, 6:51 PM Updated: Sunday, November 18, 2012, 6:52 PM
For the second time this year, the Ohio Elections Commission has embarrassed itself by green-lighting a sweetheart deal that allows disgraced former Cuyahoga County Sheriff Gerald McFaul to pay court-ordered restitution using leftover campaign funds. To almost everyone not affiliated with the commission or McFaul's legal team, that appears to be a blatant violation of state law.
The commission last week voted 4-3 to cut convicted felon McFaul a break on his $130,000 restitution order even though state law specifies that unspent campaign money can only be donated to other campaigns, political parties or charity. John Climaco, McFaul's lawyer, convinced three Democrats and one Republican on the commission that the money in his client's campaign account -- cash largely generated by public employees illegally pressured to sell fundraising tickets -- wasn't really leftover campaign money at all. Rather, it constituted "ill-gotten gains" and was therefore ripe for use as restitution.
An unneeded Planned Parenthood diversion: editorial
Published: Sunday, November 18, 2012, 5:07 PM Updated: Sunday, November 18, 2012, 5:07 PM
Executive Director John Coats of Ohio Right to Life maintains he's trying to help women get more access to health care by squeezing off funding for Planned Parenthood and other nonprofits that serve poor, uninsured women in Ohio.
Don't be fooled by his pet anti-abortion project, House Bill 298, which first appeared last April only to be squashed by some concerned lawmakers. It tramples on women's health care in an effort to get rid of abortion in Ohio. The bill was voted out of the Ohio House Committee on Health and Aging last week, but no decision has been made on when to bring the bill before the full House for a vote, says a spokesman for House Speaker William Batchelder.
Batchelder and Gov. John Kasich, both practical anti-abortion advocates, ought to prod the Ohio General Assembly into focusing on more productive matters, such as boosting jobs.
Redistricting, redrawn: Constitutional commission has a chance to repair rotten system for drawing Ohio General Assembly and congressional lines: editorial
Published: Saturday, November 17, 2012, 5:36 PM Updated: Saturday, November 17, 2012, 5:37 PM
The Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission that's begun meeting must make it a priority to recommend reforms in how the state goes about redrawing Ohio House and Senate and congressional districts every 10 years.
The Ohio State Bar Association said as much last Tuesday. It's right.
There is no more urgent constitutional question in Ohio than revising how legislative boundaries are drawn to make them fairer -- and no better time than now, following egregious gerrymanders that sliced many once-united communities and areas into multiple congressional districts.
The constitutional commission, co-chaired by House Speaker William Batchelder, a Medina Republican, and Rep. Vernon Sykes, an Akron Democrat, is bipartisan and includes some of Ohio's best and brightest. The panel cannot itself change the constitution -- only the voters can, by approving amendments proposed by the legislature or by initiative petition.
Hannah Report 11/16/12
GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE
The first week of committee meetings in the 2012 lame duck session was packed with topics such as family planning funding, concussions, drug tests for welfare recipients and public officials, and the governor's Financial Institutions Tax (FIT), among other topics.
The 2012 Ohio Statehouse Tree Lighting and Holiday Festival, marking the beginning of the holiday season on Capitol Square, will take place Monday, Dec. 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. A short tree lighting ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. on the west steps (High Street side) of the Statehouse with First Lady Karen Kasich, and daughters Emma and Reese, scheduled to attend and participate.
Senate Democrats re-elected Sen. Eric Kearney (D-Cincinnati) as minority leader Wednesday, as well as the rest of his leadership team. House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) said he expects everyone in his leadership team to move up a spot because of the departure of term-limited Rep. Lou Blessing (R-Cincinnati), the speaker pro tempore, leaving an opening for someone new to take over as assistant majority whip. That means Rep. Matt Huffman (R-Lima) would become the new Speaker Pro Tem. Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) said leadership elections for his caucus are scheduled for Nov. 28.
The first week of committee meetings in the 2012 lame duck session was packed with topics such as family planning funding, concussions, drug tests for welfare recipients and public officials, and the governor's Financial Institutions Tax (FIT), among other topics.
The 2012 Ohio Statehouse Tree Lighting and Holiday Festival, marking the beginning of the holiday season on Capitol Square, will take place Monday, Dec. 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. A short tree lighting ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. on the west steps (High Street side) of the Statehouse with First Lady Karen Kasich, and daughters Emma and Reese, scheduled to attend and participate.
Senate Democrats re-elected Sen. Eric Kearney (D-Cincinnati) as minority leader Wednesday, as well as the rest of his leadership team. House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) said he expects everyone in his leadership team to move up a spot because of the departure of term-limited Rep. Lou Blessing (R-Cincinnati), the speaker pro tempore, leaving an opening for someone new to take over as assistant majority whip. That means Rep. Matt Huffman (R-Lima) would become the new Speaker Pro Tem. Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) said leadership elections for his caucus are scheduled for Nov. 28.
Gongwer 11/16/12
Redfern Atwitter: It sounds kind of like him, includes his picture and addresses familiar issues, but a profanity-laced Twitter account purporting to be the "angrychairman" version of Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern is in fact a parody and not of his own doing, he said Friday.
The racy tweets addressing a variety of political themes from the delayed Florida presidential ballot results to the GOP-led House's advancement through committee of a controversial bill to "defund" Planned Parenthood outlets in Ohio are picking up notice - and followers - around Capitol Square.
As with the prior hijacking of Speaker Bill Batchelder's Twitter account, the development could be a conundrum of sorts for Mr. Redfern, who recently won election to his former House seat and will soon be participating in the legislative process with members who are being disparaged by the aforementioned profane tweets.
Nevertheless, the ODP chairman responded in an email to a question regarding the account with his own humor intact.
"It ain't me," Mr. Redfern said. "I swear much more than the parody account reflects."
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