No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
DeWine Appointee May Face Dismissal After Helping to Advance Conservative Resolution
The Ohio State Board of Education met on November 15th to discuss proposed amendments for Resolution 27, Shea’s Resolution. Board member, Brendan Shea, introduced the original resolution in September to oppose Biden’s expansion of Title IX, to support parental rights, and to support Attorney General Yost in a lawsuit he filed along with attorney generals in 21 other states opposing Biden’s proposal.
An amendment was proffered by SBE member, Michelle Newman, in which she proposed stripping out the Preamble clause (the first three paragraphs of Shea’s Resolution). Melissa Bedell, a recent DeWine appointee, suggested a second amendment to remove the language requiring the Superintendent of Public Instruction to notify every public school district of the passage of the Resolution. The first amendment passed, while the second amendment failed. It is worth noting that Charlotte McGuire, SBE President, voted “Yes” on both amendments. On December 13th, the State Board of Education convened again and adopted a final version that is commonly referred to as the Shea/Toal Resolution.
Although the Shea/Toal Resolution was a weakened version of the original, it kept to the original intent of opposing Biden’s Title IX expansion and in communicating to Ohio school districts that Biden’s proposal is not law. While there is cause to celebrate the passage of the Resolution, there may have been a price to be paid for State Board of Education appointee, Mike Toal. Toal was originally appointed by Governor Kasich and has served 4 years on the board. There is speculation that Toal’s involvement with amending the language of Shea’s Resolution, which ultimately led to its passage, could put his reappointment at risk.
The Five Whys - Getting to the Root of the Problem
Why Ohio Schools Are Failing
The Five Whys Technique (5Ys) isn’t just a useful tool for team leaders and managers of a corporation, it can also help to quickly identify problems on non-profits and governing boards - such as the Ohio State Board of Education.
For example…Let’s examine the current attitude regarding the State Board of Education. Many Ohio voters and legislators are disgusted by what they perceive as a lack of competency and a climate of dysfunction cultivated by the board leadership, specifically by the Board President, Charlotte McGuire and Vice President, Martha Manchester. I had the opportunity to speak with several SBE members, and they all agreed that the leadership has been poor and very weak.
Why are people complaining about the Ohio State Board of Education? – Because Ohio’s public school system ranks 34th in the nation!
Why does Ohio rank so low? – Because there is more focus on implementing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards in Ohio than there is on merit-based standards and academic achievement.
Why is the focus on SEL and NOT on academic success? – Because SEL is a heavily FUNDED un-mandate, meaning there is NO federal or state law which requires Social Emotional Learning Standards, Model Curriculum or Assessments of students on SEL in Ohio.
Why are we implementing something that is NOT a mandate? – Because this un-mandate was ushered in by Charlotte McGuire (current SBE President) when she chaired the Integrated Student Supports Committee in 2019.
Why would the State Board of Education President bring SEL to Ohio schools? Many have speculated that Ms. McGuire, initially appointed by Kasich and then later elected to the SBE, is being guided- not by the will of her voters, but by the Ohio Department of Education and the Interim State Superintendent’s Chief of staff.
Although the 5Y’s can help us begin the process of peeling back the layers in understanding why things have plummeted into a downward spiral for Ohio Public Education, there are still many questions that need to be asked. Implementing Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Critical Race Theory (CRT), and Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in public schools across the U.S. has been funded by billions of taxpayer dollars, including millions of dollars to Ohio Schools out of the State of Ohio budget. During the 7/1/19 through 6/30/23 budget cycle, nearly $3 billion dollars was earmarked for Social Emotional learning through the “Success and Wellness” fund. This is just the state money, and does not include the federal money being used to advance SEL that began pouring in with ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) as early as December of 2015. For those who would like to take a deep dive into the origins and history of SEL, I would suggest listening to WTF is SEL?, a podcast by James Lindsay.
Lame Duck Chicanery
SB178 - Reform function, responsibilities of state education offices (aka, BIG GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER OF EDUCATION)
What is the Lame Duck Session?
The Lame Duck Session refers to the period following a general election and before the newly elected officials take office. Generally, it takes place mid-November through December. It can be a very unpredictable time in the General Assembly when legislators are scurrying to introduce, amend, or pass pending bills BEFORE the end of the current General Assembly. Legislation is often accelerated and negotiated with very little opportunity for public comment, and often, dubious bill language is cemented to unrelated bills, which have a high probability of passing.
The award for the the biggest Lame Duck Session shenanigan, without contest, has to go to SB178.
What is SB178?
SB178 REMOVES elected representation for ALL students and parents in Ohio. This is especially a problem for home educated students and religious 08 non-chartered schools. It would take away the power from the Ohio State Board of Education and give it to a Cabinet chosen and managed by Governor DeWine.
Sponsored by Senator Reineke, SB178 passed the Senate very quickly, largely along party lines on Wednesday, December 14th. This is not a surprise. Our current Senate makeup is very moderate-leaning and most tend to vote how the Governor and special interests direct, not how their constituents would like them to vote. As one senator recently confessed to me, "the Senate is largely moderate to left-leaning and we get a lot of pressure from the Governor."
History
As a quick reminder, DeWine is the one responsible for appointing 9 of the 19 liberal State School Board members who largely opposed Shea's Resolution and initially helped to prevent its passage. Shea's Resolution was presented by conservative State School Board member, Brendan Shea. It was a Resolution pushing back on Biden's expansion of Title IX and supporting Attorney General Yost in his lawsuit against Biden. Due to the diligent efforts of conservatives across the state, a light has been shone on just how dysfunctional the board is as a result of DeWine failing to appoint conservatives. One of the simplest actions to immediately improve the State Board of Education (SBE) would be to get rid of DeWine's appointees and make all members elected members. However, instead of opting for reforming the SBE, DeWine failed to take responsibility for his part in contributing to the disastrous state of the SBE, and instead, he chose to opt for dismantling it.
This begs the question...if we cannot trust DeWine to appoint conservatives to the State Board of Education and to support the passage of conservative policies, how can we trust him to pick a Cabinet Director that won't push Critical Race Theory and gender identity policies statewide? We are not looking for the next "Amy Acton"of Education.
SB178 is not new. This has been sitting in the Senate for quite some time. However, DeWine saw the Lame Duck session as a great opportunity to quickly push the bill forward in order to provide cover for himself, to avoid taking responsibility for his actions in appointing liberals, and to accomplish his agenda to take control over the Ohio Department of Education. The hope was that the people would not be paying attention and he could get the 2000+ page bill passed quickly through the General Assembly.
Unfortunately for DeWine, 'We the People' were paying attention. And thankfully, there were insiders from the General Assembly who were willing to share slides from the Governor's Department of Health Transformation to reveal just what his takeover of Ohio Education would look like. The goal is to create school-based health clinics where minors have access to contraceptive care and cross-sex transitioning drugs without parental consent. Additionally, this will open the door to state and federal ID tracking systems. Big Government will determine a student's academic pathway to success and what track they will be on. The State will determine what makes a good citizen using the social credit system, and the State will determine what values and virtues your child will need to have in order to be successful in society.
Secondly, this bill is extremely short-sighted. What happens in the future if a Democrat governor were to be elected in Ohio? As it stands now, we do not have a conservative governor. With no elected representation, they could take over the education system by appointing radical progressives to the Dept. of Education.
SB178 was stalled because voters were lighting up the phones and blowing up the emails of their elected Representatives after discovering DeWine's planned takeover of Education, and so, he had to come up with another plan to pass SB178 in the Ohio House.
This is when he brought in the carrots to dangle in front of conservatives. SB178 was combined with HB151 and amended with the addition of several bills--the Save Women's Sports Act (with protections for college students stripped out), two watered-down medical freedom bills, and a bill to protect homeschooling.
What is really nefarious about all of this is that with a Republican Governor and a Republican-controlled House & Senate, these bills should be no-brainers. Why are they not already passed? Let's specifically address the Save Women's Sports Act and take a look at its history. It was introduced by Representative Jena Powell in the Ohio House in July, 202l, where it passed. It then went on to the Senate...where it was thwarted by none other than Governor DeWine himself and his Senate puppets.
The Ohio Star article is incredibly misleading and it is being used as a tool to shame true conservatives who stood in the gap against a government takeover of education. We should be looking to decentralize government, not centralize it. Instead of empowering bureaucracies, we should be working to empower parents.
The question we should be asking is: what would have been the cost of passing the amended version of SB178? We should be demanding that our Republican legislators prioritize the Save Women's Sports Act as a STAND ALONE bill. They are trying to sell us on a pig with a gold ring in its snout. Frankly, it is insulting and it is wicked. And It also shows just how badly DeWine wants to control the Department of Education.
Addressing Senator Huffman’s Support of SB178:
In a response shared with me from a constituent questioning Senator Stephen Huffman’s (District 5) support of SB178 and HB151, Huffman maintains that the Ohio State Board of Education is dysfunctional and the solution is to give control over to a Cabinet selected and managed by the Governor. He claims that “Someday when a Democrat is elected Governor who then appoints eight people to the state school board, the Democrats will have total control of the education department in Ohio.” He also states that “Currently, the Department of Education does not follow the laws we [the General Assembly] pass if they do not like them and there is no recourse.”
While Senator Huffman and I can certainly agree that the State Board of Education is dysfunctional and in need of reform, I wholly disagree with him that the solution lies with expanding government. Senator Huffman fails to address the elephant in the room- that many of the issues we’re having are directly linked to DeWine’s nine appointees. Furthermore, he fails to acknowledge the failure of the Senate in two key areas:
The Senate must approve the Governor’s Appointees to the SBE. If the Senate is approving liberals to the Board, the Senate is part of the problem.
If the Board isn’t following the laws, it is up to the General Assembly to impose penalties upon them and hold them accountable. Why aren’t they doing that now?
Senator Huffman states that if and when a Democrat Governor comes to power, the Governor would appoint 8 people to the state school board and the Democrats would have total control of the education department in Ohio. Again, I would argue that we are already experiencing this situation under a Republican Governor with a Republican-controlled legislature due to 1) DeWine’s failure to appoint conservatives and 2) the Senate confirming DeWine’s liberal appointees. Finally, Huffman argues that SB178 was amended “so that the Senate would have to approve or deny the Governor’s appointee of the Dept. of Education’s Director and with a concurrence of a joint resolution from both chambers an order from the Director could be removed.” Unfortunately, given the Senate’s poor track record of confirming the Governor’s liberal appointees and failing to hold them accountable, this gives me little reassurance that it would be any different with DeWines hand-picked Director of Education.
What’s the Answer to Solving Ohio’s Education Crisis?
I had the opportunity to speak with several Ohio House Representatives last week and there is a clear consensus that we’ve got to do something about the State Board of Education. But what? Some representatives I spoke with were initially strongly opposed to voting in favor of SB178, but they ended up deciding to vote “YES” at the last minute either due to pressure to accept the HB151 amendments or because they felt that doing something was better than nothing to address the issue.
Jon Morrow with Committee for A Better Ohio suggests that Ohio Republicans can support five things to dramatically change the Democrat dominance in our K-12 schools and give Ohio and America a brighter future.
According to Morrow, laws in Alabama, Louisiana, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania automatically allow partisan school board elections.
Another five states, Georgia, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina, have laws effectively allowing — but not requiring — political party identification of candidates. Many states are considering legislation in 2023 and 2024 to make school board races a partisan affair.
Ohio fits in with 41 states and the District of Columbia, where state law requires nonpartisan school board elections. That’s estimated to provide for the election of 90% of school trustees in the U.S. without political party affiliation. And guess what? Democrats like it that way.
Morrow states that the left has “always argued for nonpartisan elections arguing ‘The goal of having nonpartisan elections is not to remove all politics from governing, but rather to remove a conflict point that keeps the school board from doing its job. Explicitly partisan elections invite state and federal battles into a local governing context at the expense of truly local issues.’”
Our right-sided argument is that the left has so far orchestrated such a push to the left by concentrating on winning schoolboard seats for Democrats - and thereby angered so many parents - that the left-leaning operation of local school boards has become very political in wake of political “wokeism.”
Many Republicans will traditionally endeavor to do nothing to change the political dynamic at the local level because the funding by teachers’ unions exclusively favors Democrats and State School Board Associations embrace liberal ideologies harmful to Ohioans. Their perception is that these hurdles are so enormous that the Republican party has very little hope in overcoming these hurdles.
In Morrow’s view, Republican support for the following five things will reduce Democrat domination in our K-12 schools:
Move school board elections to mid-term and presidential election years
Make school board races partisan races
Define gross immorality and gross neglect within the Ohio Revised Code
Tie tenure to gross immorality and gross neglect
Bring parity to the collective bargaining agreements process by requiring a public referendum on all such agreements.
Activism is alive and well in Ohio schools and it is growing at a rapid rate. A wake-up call was Critical Race Theory-like policies that were creating hate and racial division in our schools. Then woke gender identity policies began infiltrating our schools and brought to light the perverse intent of the left to allow for the secret indoctrination of Ohio children to be groomed for and accept alternate lifestyles that parents may not feel appropriate for the school to teach, nor match with the parent’s religious beliefs.
This collusion of teachers, teachers’ unions, and school board associations have not gone unnoticed by parents - and the Republican party should not bury its head in the sand of the influence of the Democratic party to change society through the environment of education. We are a product of our environment - Democrats realize this!
The Ohio Republican State Central Committee (ORSCC) has the power to provide a seachange shift in Ohio’s education system. If reform of Ohio schools does not become a priority for the ORSCC, then Ohio schools will be doomed to become the leftist indoctrination centers we fear. No single legislator has the power to focus enough legislators to fix our education system.
ORSCC members have the power and a mechanism of accountability to reform our education system through endorsement and financial support. It is time we become the lightning rod on Ohio education and gives direction to our legislators so they can better work together.
Ohio Legislative Alert
Bills to Watch
SB 357 — Modify penalties for certain weapons offense
HJR 6 — Requires 60% vote for initiated constitutional amendment. Failed to pass on 12/14. May return (as a different resolution) in 2023.
HB 290 — “Backpack Bill” This legislation would create a statewide voucher system, with amounts of $5,500 per K-8 student and $7,500 per pupil for a high school student.
HB 458 — Bans most August special elections, specifically targeting the common practice of schools and other local governments putting levies on the ballot in August, when voter turnout is low.
HB 454 — Known as the Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, aims to prohibit certain procedures from altering a minor child’s sex.
SB 368 - Expands existing eligibility for EdChoice scholarships to everyone in Ohio entering K-12. Additionally, it increases the income tax credit for homeschooling parents from $250 to $2000.
Congressional Legislative Updates - District 5
Congressman Mike Carey, U.S. Representative for the 15th District, disappointed conservatives yet again with his second vote to support the Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA) despite an outcry from conservative constituents to reverse his course.
The Respect for Marriage Act was introduced in the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives in July 2022. Carey voted in support of the bill, which passed the House on a vote of 267 to 157 on July 19th. An amended version of the bill passed the Senate on November 29, and it was sent back to the House for approval. Carey’s conservative constituents asked him to vote “No,” but he chose to move forward and vote to support the bill for a second time. The House approved the Senate’s version on December 8th. HR 8404 – The Respect for Marriage Act codified same-sex marriage into federal law.
Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, responded to the decision by stating: “Not only will the redefinition of marriage into federal law result in a negative sea-change of consequences for the institution of marriage and our culture, but the Republican Party’s support for it is likely to result in a massive exit by evangelicals.”
Rev. Creech acknowledges that some will argue for tolerance, but he agrees with the late renowned Presbyterian minister, Dr. D. James Kennedy, who said: ‘Tolerance is the last virtue of a dying culture.’ Rev. Creech also states that equating same-sex marriage with traditional marriage is the equivalent of “writing a lie into law.”
The Republican National Committee Party Platform strongly defends traditional marriage and states: “Foremost among those institutions is the American family. It is the foundation of civil society and the cornerstone of the family is natural marriage, the union of one man and one woman…Strong families, depending upon God and one another, advance the cause of liberty by lessening the need for government in their daily lives.”
We would strongly urge Representative Carey to either embrace the Republican Platform or change his party to Democrat in the next election.
Congressman Warren Davidson, U.S. Representative for the 8th District, voted against the Respect for Marriage Act. In an interview with the Washington Watch, he reacts to the Senate passage of the (Dis)Respect for Marriage Act and a Department of Defense report on the threat posed by China. You can sign up for his newsletter to receive timely legislative updates on his website.
“The Biden Administration continues incentivizing companies to participate in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities. However, many businesses have learned the hard way that if “you go woke, you go broke.” ESG forwards progressive politics—not social responsibility or sound corporate governance.
Earlier this week, eleven of my colleagues and I sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). We seek information regarding the Commission’s use of ESG in their enforcement actions. The FTC should be focused on protecting consumers, not promoting ESG activities, and Congress must do its part to hold the Commission accountable.
This week, I also spoke at a Financial Services Subcommittee hearing about the failures of ESG metrics to reflect any meaningful information about a company’s value to shareholders.”
We the People Convention states that “Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) praised the omnibus spending bill to fund the government through September of 2023 during a press conference Tuesday, despite House Republicans crying foul.”
Epoch Times reports that the $1.7 trillion omnibus bill will provide a larger budget for the Justice Department to prosecute January 6 prisoners according to a House Appropriations Committee summary revealed Tuesday.
It is being reported that the Omnibus bill will possibly be voted on today (Thursday, December 22nd). Please take the time to contact your Congressman and ask them to vote “NO” on the Omnibus Bill. Please leave your name, address, and phone number.
Mike Carey: 614-927-6902
Mike Turner: 937-225-2843
DC Senate: 202-224-3121
DC House: 202-225-3121
District 5 Local News
Bethel Township (Miami County):
Bethel Local School District is now facing three lawsuits filed against them from Bethel parents and community members.
Please visit their website to learn more.
The first lawsuit was brought forth by petitioners for removal of board members: Mansfield, Sebastian, and Elam on grounds of improper exercise of authority and gross neglect of duty. It is being handled by Michael Sandner attorney at law and is community-funded through donations.
Dayton Daily News - Court filing seeks Bethel school board members’ removal over transgender issues
The second lawsuit was brought against the board as an entity based on multiple open meeting act violations. It is being handled by Matt Miller-Novak, attorney at law.
The third lawsuit is a federal lawsuit against the board and superintendent on the basis of the 1st and 14th amendments. It was brought forth by multiple Christian and Muslim families. It is being handled by Joey Ashbrook and America First Legal.
Fox News- Muslim, Christian parents sue Ohio school board over transgender bathroom and locker room policies
Washington Examiner - Ohio school district sued for transgender bathroom policy that caused students to 'hold their urine'
If you would like to help with their legal expenses, please go to GiveSendGo to make a donation.
West Chester (Butler County):
Fox 19 News states “The school board that oversees one of the largest districts in the Tri-State, Lakota Local Schools, voted 4-1 Monday night to stop the public comment portion of its meetings amid an ongoing controversy involving its superintendent.”
Ohio Value Voters reports that “Parents are outraged about allegations that Matt Miller, the Lakota school superintendent, has a highly compromised sexual history.”
You can learn more about this story at Mission America and The Ohio Press Network.
Piqua (Miami County):
The following article was submitted by Gary Koenig. Gary is a Miami County Republican Central Committee member in Piqua Precint 5-B.
Title: Ohio City Home Rule vs. State Overreach on a “Dam Project”
Do Cities in Ohio have “Home Rule?” The Ohio Constitution (Article XVIII, Section 3) states: “…Municipalities shall have authority to exercise all powers of local self-government…”
The poster child of State of Ohio overreach to destroy “Home Rule” is what is happening to Piqua, Ohio, today. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has contacted the City of Piqua to make design changes to their city dam. The ODNR has decided (no explanation for this decision – possibly “climate change”) that Piqua must modify the dam from an as-constructed design storm of 5 inches of rain in 24 hours to a modified construction design storm of a larger storm of 27 inches of rain in 24 hours. There is a risk versus investment trade-off in dam projects. In this case, the ODNR has directed that their acceptance of risk will require the citizens of Piqua to invest from $20 million to well over $100 million depending on which design option is pursued. The ODNR is not going to fund any of their demands as this is an unfunded state mandate. The current dam could be improved; however, it has been performing adequately (original construction around 1879). Home Rule would leave decisions on future investment on the city dam to the City of Piqua.
The Republican Party controls the Ohio State Government. They are responsible for this government overreach if they do not reestablish the power of the local government for “Home Rule.” Reverse the ODNR overreach and support “Home Rule.” Allow the City of Piqua to act responsibly on this “Dam Project.”
Attorney General Yost’s Response:
On September 6, 2022, members of the Miami County Central Committee and Miami County Republican Men’s Club sent a letter to Attorney General Yost expressing concern with the August 8th FBI raid on Trump’s Residence and asking what actions AG Yost might take to prevent the FBI from overstepping their statutory and constitutional authorities against Ohio citizens. On October 31st, we received the following response:
NEWS from the Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee
“Ohio GOP chair Bob Paduchik says political parties flout state law to help candidates”
Article from the Columbus Dispatch - December 9th, 2022
by Haley BeMiller
The outgoing leader of the Ohio Republican Party implied that party officials often flout state law to fill their candidates’ campaign coffers, according to privately recorded conversation revealed this week.
The conversation involving Chairman Bob Paduchik centered on the party’s critical, but often behind-the-scenes role in helping candidates raise money for elections. Paduchik told the person recording − a member of the Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee who requested anonymity − that critics mistakenly thought the party donated too much money to Gov. Mike DeWine’s primary campaign.
DeWine and other statewide candidates are able to raise money for a fund managed by the Ohio Republican Party. Per state law, political parties can’t earmark those dollars for specific candidates while soliciting the donations. But Paduchik said money raised by DeWine eventually found its way back to the governor’s campaign.
“Legally, they don’t own that money, and we can give it to whoever we want,” Paduchik said in the recording. “But traditionally it finds its way home. That’s not an easy thing to say publicly, and I would never explain it like that publicly. I let the lawyers handle it because I’ve been doing this for 36 years, and I don’t want to go to jail.”
An edited clip of the September recording was published on YouTube Monday by Jon Morrow, a critic of Paduchik, just weeks after the Chairman announced he would step down. The USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau reviewed the online audio and obtained through email a copy of the full recording.
The release of Paduchik’s conversation came after years of infighting over how the state GOP should be run. Morrow is among a contingent of Republicans who have accused Paduchik of mismanaging the party and silencing critics. That faction also pushed back against the State Central Committee’s decision to endorse DeWine in the May primary and provide his campaign with financial support.
Campaign finance records show the Ohio Republican Party gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to DeWine’s and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted’s reelection bid, including a $500,000 contribution before the primary. The party also covered expenses for the governor’s campaign, including payroll, consulting and accounting fees, according to state records.
Ohio Republican Party spokesman Dan Lusheck attributed the recording to GOP dissenters who “spent the last two years attacking our party and Republican candidates.”
“You can add this to their growing list of slanders and dirty tricks,” Lusheck said. “They do not deserve the time of day, and certainly not a response from us.”
Paduchik and a campaign spokeswoman for DeWine did not respond to requests for comment.
What is the state law?
Ohio law doesn’t explicitly lay out a ban on earmarking, but election law experts say these rules are largely tied to one state statute that prohibits people from making donations “to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications in the name of another person.” Anyone who violates that can be fined up to $1,000, according to the Ohio Elections Commission.
Phil Richter, an attorney and executive director of the commission, said allegations of earmarking are infrequent and haven’t been made to the commission in at least a decade.
Bans on earmarking aim to ensure donors don’t exceed limits on what they can give to individual candidates. Otherwise, someone could donate the maximum amount possible to a candidate and separately give to the party for that same candidate.
Another state law prohibits candidates from using more than one campaign committee to receive donations and pay expenses.
‘There are games being played’
While the practice Paduchik described on the recording is illegal, observers say it’s also common. Money is often earmarked with a wink and a nod for specific candidates, even if a candidate’s name isn’t on the check.
Campaign finance critics say sidestepping this rule makes it difficult for voters to follow the money and see who’s attempting to influence politicians. At the same time, it’s almost impossible to enforce violations.
“We understand that there are games being played,” said Catherine Turcer, executive director of Common Cause Ohio. “On the other hand, that doesn’t make for good, accountable democracy if we don’t actually have greater transparency.”
Morrow said he hopes the recording will inspire Republicans to reflect on their leadership.
“I look at this as one of the ways that we’ve allowed a lot of corporations and wealthy individuals to buy our political parties, on the Democrat and the Republican side,” he said.
Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
Who will be the next Ohio Republican Party Chair?
Meet the Candidates
by Jon Morrow
Following Chairman Bob Paduchik’s announcement that he will not be running for re-election at the January 6th Ohio Republican Organizational Meeting, several individuals have emerged to announce their candidacy.
Jean Anderson
Jean Anderson is the former Mayor of Vermilion, Ohio, and has a reputation for getting things done. While she does not have experience in running a political party - she has many of the same qualities of Susan Weddington when she took over the Texas Republican party is credited with engineering the Republican Revolution that turned Texas solidly red. Jean is an Ohio Promise Keeper and has pledged to implement 14 reforms to make the party more ethical and accountable. She is considered to be the most conservative and transparent of those running.
Dale Fellows (Sponsor Denise Verdi)
Dale Fellows is the long-time chairman of the Lake County Ohio Republican Party. He has promised to institute a few substantial reforms privately with SCC members, but has made no public pledges on party reforms. While Dale is considered to be very conservative, as chairman of his party he has not been as successful as other candidates that are running that are party chairman. Colleagues say he is very trustworthy and conservative.
Jimmy Stewart (Sponsor Bob Paduchik)
Jimmy Stewart was a charismatic State Representative turned lobbyist. He served in the Ohio legislature from 2002 to 2011. His day job and claim to fame was as a Caterpillar sales representative. Today he serves as president of the Ohio Gas Association. In his last race in the Ohio House, his race was very close with his Democrat opponent (he won by only 842 votes). This was to be expected as he was considered by colleagues to be a centrist (moderate Republican). In 2011, after supporting Kasich’s SB5 legislation and the resulting backlash, Jimmy Stewart resigned from the Ohio Senate to take a job with the Ohio Gas Association. In conversations with SCC members, he has made no assertions to address substantive reforms for accountability and increased transparency. Colleagues say he is charming and charismatic and has the demeanor of a party chairman with no experience. He is considered a moderate and colleagues believe he will support the establishment and the status quo.
Alex Triantifilou (Sponsor himself)
Alex is chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party. Alex is a lawyer with the prestigious Dinsmore & Shohl law firm in Cincinnati, OH. Alex is a former judge of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas and the Hamilton County Municipal Court. He has brought several innovations to the Hamilton County GOP party. Conservative colleagues of his call him brash and arrogant and a follower and not a leader. They say that he is unethical and thoroughly supports the establishment and the status quo. He is generally well-liked by the more moderate Hamilton County Party. He has stated to members of the SCC that he would really like to see changes made to the bylaws.
Bryan Williams (Sponsor himself)
Bryan Williams is the president of the Association of Builders and Contractors that has long been a supporter of Conservative causes in Ohio. ABC provided financial support for the Ohio Healthcare Freedom Amendment that 100 grassroots conservative groups championed and was successful in amending the Ohio Constitution in 2011. Bryan is the current Vice Chair of the party. Bryan is the chairman of the Summit County Republican Party where both the establishment and conservatives have good things to say about him. Bryan is considered to be a practical conservative by his peers (meaning he makes concessions with the establishment to work together). Bryan has been appointed to positions by Kasich and DeWine and has a high degree of interaction with the establishment and Status Quo. In his conversation with SCC members, he has stated that he would not lead reforms and take cues from what the committee wants to do. He has stated that he believes the ORP bylaws need reform. Many conservatives on the committee want Bryan to take a more leadership attitude in the reform of the party.
Jon Morrow is the founder of Committee For A Better Ohio, a policy analysis organization committed to better governance, more competition, and efficiency.
Who Will be the Next Republican National Committee Chair?
Will Ronna McDaniel remain the RNC chairwoman?
The 2023 Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairperson election will be held in early January, 2023 to determine the next chairperson of the Republican National Committee. The incumbent Chairperson, Ronna Romney McDaniel, is running for a fourth term. McDaniel is facing challenges from Harmeet Dhillon, an RNC Committee member & Trump legal advisor and from Mike Lindell, President & CEO of My Pillow, Inc.
Fox News - RNC chair Ronna McDaniel says her support is 'pretty solid' as she faces challengers in re-election bid
Ohio has 3 votes to cast for the RNC Chairperson. They are cast by ORP Chair Bob Paduchik, Jo Ann Davidson, and Jim Dicke.
It appears as though at least 100 Republican National Committee members signed a letter endorsing current RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel for reelection in a vote to be held at the RNC's Winter Meeting in January. Among the signers were Chairman Paduchik, Jim Dicke, and Jo Ann Davidson.
I would encourage District 5 voters to contact your RNC representatives and let them know your thoughts.
1. ORP Chairman Bob Paduchik
Email: bob@ohiogop.org
Phone: 614) 359-7955
2. Jo Ann Davidson (State Central Committee, District 3)
Email: jadavidson@ameritech.net
Phone: (614) 203-0308
3. Jim Dicke (Business Owner, Crown Equipment)
Email: jim2@dicke.com
Numbers 6:24-26
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Sincerely,
Jessica Franz
Ohio Republican State Central Committee, District 5
(Miami, Preble, NW Montgomery, S. Darke, N. Butler)
JessFranz@ORPSCC5.com
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) Nails it with his Final Speech on the House Floor.
Thank you Jess for your updated information concerning these important issues. It seems there are very few "correct minded", "conservative", or whatever label, people that are willing to stand up and voice their concerns. Your suggestions give me hope that someone is on the "right" track.