Democratic-aligned voting rights group files second lawsuit against Ohio over legislative maps: Capitol Letter
Doubling down: A second lawsuit challenging Ohio’s new Republican-drawn legislative maps was filed with the Ohio Supreme Court on Friday. As Jeremy Pelzer and Seth Richardson report, the suit was filed by an affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee led by former Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder. It makes similar arguments to the first lawsuit, from the ACLU of Ohio, that the maps are unconstitutional.
More on that first suit: Earlier on Friday, the Ohio Supreme Court ordered the state’s redistricting commission to file a reply to the ACLU of Ohio’s lawsuit by next Tuesday. Asked about the redistricting litigation, Gov. Mike DeWine told reporters Friday, “We knew there were going to be lawsuits that will be filed – there are always lawsuits filed. The courts will make their decision, and we’ll abide by the decision.”
Travel restrictions: California will restrict state-funded travel to Ohio after statehouse Republicans included a provision in the two-year budget allowing medical providers to deny care to LGBTQ patients, Jane Morice reports. The ban starts Sept. 30.
Down one: Dan McCarthy, Gov. Mike DeWine’s legislative aide who previously ran a dark money group connected to the FirstEnergy House Bill 6 scandal, resigned on Friday, Richardson reports. McCarthy had faced public scrutiny for overseeing Partners for Progress, a 501(c)(4) used as a passthrough by the utility.
Crypto: Energy Harbor Corp., the parent company of the two nuclear power plants spun off from FirstEnergy amid the House Bill 6 scandal, is one of several nuclear power plants to strike a deal with cryptocurrency mining services to provide power, the Wall Street Journal’s Jennifer Hiller reports. Energy Harbor will provide electricity to Standard Power’s nuclear-powered bitcoin-mining facility at a former paper mill in Coshocton starting in December.
Ohio first: The $768 billion defense authorization bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives includes multiple Ohio priorities, Sabrina Eaton reports. That includes a provision to improve parental leave benefits for military members heralded by GOP Rep. Dave Joyce, mental health services for service members transitioning into civilian life backed by Republican Rep. Anthony Gonzalez and a piece requiring the military to provide reserve and National Guard service members incentive and special-duty pay at the same rate as active-duty service members authored by Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan.
Abortion: Ohio’s Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted with the caucus on a bill to prevent states from curbing access to abortion, Eaton reports. The bill would establish a statutory right to provide and receive abortion care, a reaction to state laws passed in places like Ohio, Texas and Mississippi seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade.
It’s all right: The Columbus Dispatch’s Haley BeMiller took a dive into the white, evangelical vote in Ohio and how the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate are courting that demographic. As BeMiller writes, former Treasurer Josh Mandel has been the most aggressive pursuing evangelical voters, though others like former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Jane Timken and author and venture capitalist JD Vance have both made extensive pitches to the Christian right.
Wrong way: The state continues to see weekly increases in the number of reported deaths of Ohioans with coronavirus, Richardson reports. The 224 new deaths reported Friday mark the fifth straight week since Aug. 20 — when the state reported 41 deaths — that those figures have increased.
Inbound refugees: The 37,000 refugees coming from Afghanistan — including 855 who will be resettled in Ohio — will go through a multi-layered screening and vetting process, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Friday. As Eaton writes, Mayorkas said around 400 federal employees have been deployed overseas to help screen the inbound refugees.
To be clear: Darrel Rowland of the Columbus Dispatch writes that “confusion is thick” over exactly how state lawmakers have limited DeWine’s coronavirus powers. As he summarizes: DeWine can now only issue a state of emergency for 30 days – extending it beyond then requires legislative approval. State health orders, on the other hand, don’t have that 30-day limit, though the legislature can vote to halt the order.
Five things we learned from the May 17, 2021 financial disclosure form filed by state Rep. Susan Manchester, a Republican from Auglaize County.
1. Her only stated income last year was her legislative salary of $56,692.45.
2. Her investments include an Ohio Public Employees Retirement System account, a Thrift Savings Plan retirement account, an Edward Jones Roth IRA, and stock in her family’s farming company.
3. At some point in 2020, Manchester owed at least $1,000 to Capital One and Park National Bank.
4. The House reimbursed her $2288.33for travel last year between Columbus and her home.
5. She reported receiving last September a “Legislator of the Year Award” from the Ohio Children’s Alliance worth $64.50.
Rebekah Alt, Buckeye Institute chief operating officer
Josh Mandel, ex-state treasurer and 2022 U.S. Senate candidate
Portia Watkins, Ohio House 10th floor receptionist
State Sen. Sandra Williams
Ex-state Rep. Ron Young
Avi Zaffini, vice president of strategic initiatives, Ohio Business Roundtable
“You got the red and you got the blue, but Shannon’s ‘conservatism’ is green.”
-Ralph King, a conservative activist, quoted in a Politico profile about Strongsville GOP President Shannon Burns, who has emerged at the forefront of the conservative outrage ecosystem as both a leading voice and lucrative vendor.
Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free.
Text source: MCC.EXCHANGE
