Ohio Republican State Central Committee January 6th Meeting
Election of Officers, Filling of Vacancies, and Passage of 2 Resolutions
Photo Credit: The Ohio Press Network
On January 6th, the Ohio Republican Party held an election of officers for Chairman, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, and Secretary. In an effort to do my due diligence in preparing to cast a vote for the next Chairman to replace Bob Paduchik, I attended candidate forums, reviewed letters of interest and resumes, spoke with the Chair candidates, and received recommendations from Republican GOP leaders and voters in district 5. Additionally, I and my colleagues (Stephanie Kremer, District 12 and Christine Maurer, District 29), designed a questionnaire that we asked the Chair candidates to complete. Dale Fellows, Alex Triantafilou, Jimmy Stewart, and Bryan Williams chose to participate. Jean Anderson declined and opted to send an addendum as her response to the questionnaire. On the eve of the election, Chair candidate Jimmy Stewart contacted the Committee to share that he was “stepping aside and […] endorsing Alex Triantafilou for State Party Chairman.”
Over the course of several weeks, I heard from hundreds of voters who asked me to cast a vote for their preferred Chair candidate. I had the most phone calls, texts, and emails for Chair candidate Bryan Williams, followed by Alex Triantafilou and Dale Fellows. In response to the overwhelming voter support for Mr. Williams, I cast my ballot for him.
After the ballots were cast by Committee members, the results revealed that Alex Triantafilou, State Central Committee Member and Chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party, won the election. The remaining offices were won by State Central Committee members: Vice Chair, Curt Braden; Treasurer, Ron Maag; Assistant Treasurer, Gary James; and Secretary, Tony Schroeder.
Four vacancies were also filled during the meeting. Allison Zwicker in District 33, Orlando Sonza and Lauren Bowen in District 9, and David Glass, in District 17.
Although Chairman Triantafilou was not my choice for Chair, I look forward to working with him to build a party of integrity, transparency, and principles. I am hopeful that Chairman Triantafilou will immediately begin working with members to:
Open the books for inspection to all SCC members. I would like to see the ORP employ the services of an OHIO-based CPA firm to run the party’s books and make them available to all SCC members who have questions.
Make the rewriting of the ORP Bylaws a top priority by calling for several Zoom meetings with substantive discussions.
Update the ORP website to include the contact information of the State Central Committee members and the recently passed party resolutions.
The final vote tally was 40 votes for Alex Triantafilou, 17 votes for Bryan Williams, 3 votes for Dale Fellows, 2 votes for Jean Anderson, 1 vote for Jo Ann Davidson, and 1 blank ballot. It is interesting to note that ninety-five year old Jo Ann Davidson, State Central Committee member in District 3 and national committeewoman for the RNC, was not a candidate for the ORP Chair and yet she received a vote. This is another reason why I am a huge advocate of roll call voting so that there is a voting record for each member, just as there is for members of the Ohio General Assembly. It is my opinion and the opinion of many other SCC members - that not only should our contact information be available to our voters, but our voting record should be as well.
One epic moment during the Committee meeting was when State Central Committee member Arthur McGuire (District 6) gave a rousing speech to support the Censure of Republicans that sided with Democrats in electing Ohio Speaker of the House.
FULL TEXT of Title IX Resolution Passed!
After months of working alongside my colleagues, Stephanie Kremer (District 12) and Christine Maurer (District 29) on “A Resolution to Support Parents and School Districts in Rejecting Harmful, Coercive, and Burdensome Gender Identity Policies…” (the Resolution opposing the detrimental changes to Title IX by the Biden Administration) the FULL TEXT of the Resolution was finally passed by the Committee! With the exception of one State Central Committee member, all members voted to pass the Resolution with no debate. Within District 5, the Darke County Republican Party adopted the Title IX Resolution at their November meeting, and the Miami County Republican Party will be meeting on January 31st to discuss passing the resolution.
Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee Passes Censure Resolution
State Central Committee member, Joshua Brown (District 16) introduced a resolution to censure the twenty-two (22) Republican Representatives who broke from the Republican caucus to side with the entire Democratic caucus to elect a Speaker of the House. I, along with sixteen of my colleagues, cosponsored a resolution to censure these twenty-two representatives with language that specified a penalty. However, at the last minute, and unbeknownst to the cosponsors, the specified penalty was removed from the resolution. The revised resolution was ultimately passed, although not unanimously. Even though this is not the original resolution I cosponsored, it is definitely a start in holding elected Republican officials accountable to the Republican voters and to the principles of the party.
On January 9th, I sent a letter to every County and Executive Republican Party Chair in District 5 (Miami, Preble, NW Montgomery, S. Darke, N. Butler) to ask for their support of the Ohio Republican Party's censure. The Darke County GOP passed a proclamation resolution acknowledging and thanking Representative Jena Powell and Representative Angie King for remaining loyal to the majority of the Republican caucus in the recent speaker vote. Miami County GOP will be meeting on January 31st and Montgomery County GOP will be meeting on February 2nd to discuss the passage of a censure resolution.
Counties who have recently adopted a censure resolution are: Clark, Defiance, Licking, Mercer, Monroe, Sandusky, and Shelby. The Delaware County GOP chose to pass a proclamation resolution for their representatives who voted faithfully with the Republican caucus, and a ‘Vote of No Confidence’ for the representatives who voted with the Democrats. Other county GOP’s around the State who will be considering the passage of the Resolution within the next few weeks are: Auglaize, Champaign, Greene, and Richland.
While there have been rumors circulating that there are State Central Committee members who are advocating to ‘undo’ the censure resolution that was passed on January 6th, I have not yet been contacted by any members whipping up support for this action. If and when I am contacted, I can assure my constituents that I will not support any effort to ‘undo’ the censure resolution. It is my firm and unwavering opinion that the twenty-two (22) representatives earned the censure they have received through their deceptive actions which has resulted in the destructive fallout of creating a climate of distrust and of sowing derision amongst their colleagues and their Republican constituents.
The die has been cast. The Rubicon has been crossed. The question that begs for an answer is: Where do we go from here?
In an effort to find an answer to that question for my constituents, for my colleagues, and for myself, I have had many conversations with SCC members, county GOP leaders, and Ohio House Representatives discussing the potential next steps following the censure resolution. Those discussions have consisted of whether the current resolution should be amended to add in penalty language for the twenty-two members, and if penalty language is added, whether there should be a ‘restoration clause’ in place to provide a path of atonement for the censured members. The argument for adding in a restoration clause is that if the 22 are not given a way to get back into the good graces of the party and the voters, they will be forced into the arms of the Democrats and they may be unwilling to help move conservative policies forward. The argument against adding in a restoration clause is that it would weaken the position of the ORP, and that the 22 members have irrevocably and irreparably broken the trust of the Republican caucus and Republican voters, and therefore, the focus should be on primarying them - not working with them.
In speaking with District 5 Republicans, the pressing concern most often brought to my attention is the state of Ohio school districts. With a proposed resolution that follows Biblical principles and provides a path for penance and restoration, it is possible that the duplicitous 22 Representatives could be challenged to pass conservative policies that would help fix our broken school system.
Committee for A Better Ohio has conducted a SWOT analysis to help SCC members analyze the strengths and weaknesses of two potential scenarios. Scenario 1 provides penalties for censure and provides a method of redemption by passing proposed legislation so the censured can get back in the good graces of the party. Scenario 2 provides penalties for censure and not providing a method of restoration.
A SWOT Analysis is a method of helping organizations too make good decisions. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. For Strengths and Opportunities you assign a positive value and for Weakness and Threats you assign a negative value.
If you have a positive number greater than 0 in a SWOT analysis then you should consider moving forward with the proposal being considered. If you have a 0 or negative number you should not consider moving forward with the proposal.
When you look at the SWOT Analysis and look at Biblical principles, it may be possible to successfully pass conservative legislation over the next two years.
It is of the utmost importance that I accurately gauge where my constituents stand on the censure issue. Please take the time to complete this short poll to help us determine how to best move forward. Your feedback is greatly valued and appreciated.
Support for the Ohio Republican Party to become a Certified Right-to-life Organization
Help Encourage Your State Central Committee Members to Make the Ohio Republican Party a Certified Right-to-life Organization! Becoming a certified Right-to-Life organization means the party cannot endorse any pro-abortion candidates. Please go to Ohio Promise Keepers and fill out a form to directly email all of the Ohio Republican State Central Committee members. Once you get to the website, please scroll down to add your name to the list of supporters and to contact the Committee members.
RNC Chair Ronna McDaniels Faces Challenges from Harmeet Dhillon and Mike Lindell in a Highly Contentious Chair Race
The Republican National Committee (RNC) will convene on Friday, January 27th to choose the next RNC Chair. State Chairpersons and the RNC Committeemen and Committeewomen from all 50 states will cast their vote to determine if Ronna McDaniels will retain her seat or if she will lose it to Harmeet Dhillon. Although Mike Lindell is also a contender for the seat, it is highly speculated he will not have the support needed to win.
Reportedly, Ronna has refused to participate in a public debate against RNC chair challengers Mike Lindell and Harmeet Dhillon. According to Politico, Ronna declined due to the fact that she had a prior commitment to an RNC members- only forum. Catherine Salgado of PJ Media reports that “this is one more illustration of the fact that some Republican leadership doesn’t care what the base thinks, as a majority of Republican voters want to see McDaniel replaced.”
Although Ronna will be absent, Harmeet and Mike Lindell will be participating in the debate scheduled for January 25th. Harmeet stated that she believes it is “crucial for the candidates to make their case to grassroots conservatives rather than conduct business strictly among the RNC’s 168 voting members.”
Ohio will have 3 votes to cast for the RNC Chair. It had previously been reported that former Chairman Bob Paduchik would be casting a vote for the RNC Chair, but it is now understood that the newly elected ORP Chair, Alex Triantafilou, will be casting a vote instead. The remaining votes will be cast by RNC Committeewoman Jo Ann Davidson and RNC Committeeman Jim Dicke. In December, Davidson and Dicke both signed a letter endorsing the current Chair, Ronna McDaniel for reelection.
Please contact the three Ohio RNC representatives who will be voting this Friday, January 27th and let them know your thoughts.
1. Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou
Email: Judgealext@gmail.com
Ph: 513-535-5220
2. Jo Ann Davidson (Ohio State Central Committee, District 3)
Email: jadavidson@ameritech.net
Ph: 614-203-0308
3. Jim Dicke (Business Owner, Crown Equipment)
Email: jim2@dicke.com
On January 25th, My fellow colleagues (Christine Maurer, District 29 and Stephanie Kremer, District 12) and I drafted a letter to Chairman Alex Triantafilou on behalf of our constituents expressing our desire that Chairman Alex cast his vote for Harmeet Dhillon at the RNC meeting this Friday. We have emailed the letter to all SCC members to give them the opportunity to sign in support if they so choose. I will post the final letter with signatures on my Facebook Page and in the next newsletter.
The Battle Continues for Control of Ohio Schools
The Senate Launches a Second Attempt to Give Control of the State Board of Education to the Governor’s Office
On January 11th, Senate Bill 1, which is similar to Senate Bill 178 from last year was introduced. SB 178 failed to get legislative approval in the House during the December lame duck session by a narrow margin of 46 to 41, falling only a few votes short of the 50-vote majority needed to pass.
So what exactly would change if SB 1 passes?
SB 1 will create a cabinet level agency. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce will be combined and transformed into the new Department of Education and Workforce (DEW).
The head of that agency (DEW) will be a Director appointed by the governor. The (DEW) Director would then appoint two deputy directors. One deputy would serve over a division of K-12 education, which would include preschool, and the other deputy would preside over what will be referred to as the workforce and career division. These two deputy directors would also have a seat on the governor’s Workforce Transformation Board.
The Ohio State Board of Education would still maintain its current structure, with 11 elected members and 8 appointed by the governor. However, their powers would be greatly reduced in that they would no longer do any of the setting of standards or model curriculum. Most importantly, they would not be involved with creating any of the rules that are required when legislation is passed by the General Assembly. Instead, all of the rule-making authority would be facilitated by the (DEW) Director appointed by the governor’s office.
What would remain the same?
Under SB 1, the primary responsibility the State Board of Education members would retain is to appoint a Superintendent of Public Instruction, as this is their duty under the Ohio Constitution. However, most of the powers and duties of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education will be transferred to DEW. Additionally, they (the SBE and Superintendent) would retain their responsibility for territory transfers when there is a property shift from one district to another and for teacher licensure, revocations and disciplinary action under the Office of Professional Conduct.
In summary, the newly proposed SB 1 will strip the power away from the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction and give most of that power to a governor-appointed education director who would be responsible for administrative rule making. This director will answer directly to the governor.
Surprisingly, some “conservative” organizations are sending out messengers to rally support for the bill and are involved in large-scale outreach efforts to patriot groups and grassroots organizations who were formerly opposed to SB 178. These messengers, sent to proclaim the “good news” of SB 1, possess the charisma of a televangelist and the tenacity of a used car salesman. They argue that the Ohio State Board of Education (with the exception of a few good men and women) is primarily seated by deplorable liberals seeking to unleash their woke agenda upon Ohio School Districts. They proclaim that the current system must be utterly dismantled and reconstructed. They further contend that the only way to accomplish these goals is to take away the SBE’s authority and give it to individuals who are better equipped to handle such a responsibility. Individuals who are handpicked by and who will answer directly to the governor. They also argue that parents and community members can still voice their concerns to their locally elected boards of education. What they are not saying is that although this may be relevant for local school district policy, it has absolutely nothing to do with state policy.
When they are questioned about the problem of enlarging the government and giving it even more power and authority, they will redirect their audience to the fact that there will still be elected representatives on the State Board of Education. They will fervently argue with impassioned and zealous pleas that this will pave the way for charter schools to flourish! And after all they argue, “aren’t we all supporters of school choice?” Listeners might wonder after hearing their feverish sales pitch - if there might already be a deal in the making to pass a bill, such as the Backpack Bill, in exchange for handing over power to the governor’s office.
If someone were to ask them about the problem of handing all of the rule-making authority over to a cabinet handpicked by a governor with a disastrous track record for choosing liberal, Obama-loving, Planned Parenthood advocates for directors and woke progressive leftist appointees to the State Board of Education - a blank stare and a quick change of subject is the response.
What these impassioned zealots will NOT address are the many elephants in the room. The largest and most ill-mannered elephant being the problem of the rule-making authority. What difference does it make to voters if their ‘elected’ State Board of Education members have no authority in the rule-making process? For example, rules for home education come primarily from the Department of Education. Now, those ‘rules’ would be placed under the jurisdiction of a brand new agency, that as a reminder, is controlled by a director that is handpicked by and answers directly to the governor.
While home education is just one example of a group that would be affected by this monumental shift of power, EVERY STUDENT - home educated, special needs, gifted, private schools, pre-schools, career-tech, e-schools, public schools, private school charters, and many more will be affected! And if a voter has a problem with the director’s rule? Tough break. The directors are accountable and accessible to the governor - not to private citizens!
Another elephant in the room that cannot be ignored is the lack of transparency with the inability of the public to view discussions, contact their elected board members, and testify at meetings to share their thoughts and concerns. If SB 1 were to pass, the elected board members would have no voice in the creation of the rules, which means the public would have no voice. There will be nowhere to go to complain since the rules will now be made by unelected cabinet directors. And by the way, the unelected council form of government is the Communist form of government.
If we accept SB 1 as a solution to the failing school system and the deliberate dumbing down of Ohio students, we ‘the taxpayers’ will be funding the destruction of academic education, and we will also be funding for-profit corporations - not our local schools. For more on the unholy union between public and private sectors, see the first two articles of this four-part series where it was revealed how our government is working in partnership with the private sector and civil society to take away our freedoms.
Charlotte Iserbyt, original whistleblower and author of “Deliberate Dumbing Down of America” and “The True Goal of School Choice,” writes that “the goal of school choice, unbeknownst to many, is and has always been the opposite of what we are told. The goal is the takeover of the public and private sector through partnerships with the corporate sector in order to implement socialist work force training, formerly found only in communist countries” and the “school choice/charter school proposals being recommended by [certain “conservative” groups] is undermining our representative republic with its elected form of government through acceptance of tax-supported charter schools which have NO elected school boards (no accountability to taxpayers). This is known as taxation without representation.”
Sold to the Highest Bidder!
How backroom deal making is robbing voters and destroying the future of Ohio
There has been widespread speculation that the Ohio Education Association (OEA), a teachers union which serves as the largest such organization for educators in the state of Ohio, was responsible for “paying off” the twenty-two (22). But according to Jon Morrow with Committee for A Better Ohio, that may not make a lot of sense. The logical question to ask is if this action would benefit the unions more than it would harm them? Money coming from unions would be easy to track and the potential backlash from such action might solidify Republican opposition. In his opinion, it would be much more likely that funds could be more easily obscured by those seeking to do business with Intel and from Intel themselves. While Trans and Abortion items do align with the Ohio Education Association - who does it for the unions? How does pushing this help their members or put money in their pockets? These are items the union pay lip-service to in order to gain Democrat support. For Intel - just google it......they have been very passionate as a corporation in championing Wokeist - California values such as abortion and trans rights.
Now let’s pan to Mike DeWine not being able to take over Ohio's schools unilaterally. According to Morrow, the censured 22 Ohio House members were allegedly guaranteed a deal if they help push for transgendered rights by INTEL. (Intel is leading the nation for abortions and transgendered rights - so this is not a leap).
The thought was that if the members remain censured and are hampered in their re-elections that they will help on two key issues: Transgender rights and Abortions that is very important to Intel.
They (a person representing the 22) were promised help from some pretty recognizable Republican names, as the story goes, from well-connected Republican INTEL lobbyists:
Kevin Hoggatt (connected to Rob Portman)
Brittany Warner (Who worked for Matt Borges at the Ohio GOP)
Josh Rubin (connected to Mike DeWine)
Sarah Totedo (Connected to Matt Dolan)
Jay O'Bryant (Connected to Rob Portman)
If they were to help (the censured 22) - they would get help to ensure that the censured House members would have funds and support from Republicans like Portman and Kasich working to help on the backside (from behind the scenes to make connections).
Notably - INTEL is the number one corporate sponsor of Abortion in the United States and makes substantial donations every year to Planned Parenthood - they have also committed to paying transportation costs for Ohio employees and for their abortions performed in other states.
Morrow states: “We don't put out too many rumors but everything just fits and it is from a credible source. This credible source has provided recordings in the past.”
The source believes that (but has no proof at this point) Mike DeWine has, through a back door, helped to push this through his relations with the INTEL lobbyists. Intel is a huge proponent of SEL (Social Emotional Learning) which is thought to be a gateway for wokism, CRT, and LGBTQ affirmations and indoctrination policies. Morrow’s source contends that would be the only way to make all this work is with Mike DeWine's support. He believes DeWine ramped up his efforts after his failure to take total control of Ohio Schools.
Josh Rubin was a legislative aid to Mike DeWine and is Ohio's chief Intel Lobbyist. Josh was DeWine's 2018 Campaign Manager. He was also a First Energy Lobbyist during the HB6 scandal. Josh owns the CJR group which employs all of the mentioned lobbyists here.
Again all the dots seem to connect. If DeWine did organize this all from behind the scenes - This will only help to further split the Ohio Republican Party and lose county leaders and the grassroots support they command.
Miami County Parents Continue to Fight to Protect their Students Despite Opposition from ACLU
Bethel Township (Miami County):
On November 23rd, a federal lawsuit was brought against the board and superintendent on the basis of the 1st and 14th amendments. It was brought forth by multiple Christian and Muslim families, and it is being handled by Joey Ashbrook and America First Legal.
Recently, Dayton Daily News reports that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) asked the U.S. District Court for Southern Ohio to allow it to intervene in legal action filed against the Bethel Local Schools in Miami County over access to restroom facilities for transgender students.
If you would like to help Bethel parents with legal expenses, please go to GiveSendGo to make a donation.
Thank you to the Ohio Constitutional School Board Coalition for the updates on Ohio Schools in the news.
Ohio’s Medical Freedom Fighters
I was pleased to see a recent article in The Ohio Press Network featuring the key players in the ongoing battle for Healthcare Freedom. At the forefront are organizations such as Ohio Advocates for Medical Freedom and Health Freedom Ohio. Representatives Jennifer Gross (R- West Chester) and Representative Derek Merrin (District 42) were also listed among those representatives advancing legislation, namely HB248, to “to protect medical choice and medical freedom.” Also featured were Rishanne and Doug Golden, parents of Haleigh Golden, who died six years ago due to a grand mal seizure brought about by an adverse response to the meningococcal vaccine. Doug and Rishanne Goldens founded a vaccine education, awareness and outreach nonprofit called Haleigh’s Heart.
I would like to highlight an organization that was not recognized in the article, but nevertheless, has been an organization that has faithfully put their hand to the plow for medical freedom over the past three years.
Ohio Stands Up! (OSU!) was founded by Jason and Renee Hedges in April, 2020. The mission of Ohio Stands Up! is to reclaim and defend Ohioans civil liberties through legal, educational and political actions. I have had the privilege of serving as a board member on OSU! for three years. I can attest to the fact that the organization’s success in educating Ohioans on the reality of COVID-19 and helping to protect Constitutional rights through legal advocacy can be attributed to Jason & Renee’s leadership and their unwavering passion and commitment to speak truth, their love for God and their fellow man, and their desire to secure healthcare freedom for all Ohioans. Working with Jason and Renee and fellow board members Jen Drabick and Robert Vance has been an incredible blessing and honor, and I am grateful to call them my friends and fellow warriors in the ongoing fight to secure, preserve, and protect our God-given rights.
Since November of 2021, Ohio Stands Up! has helped to raise money to support ten Ohio lawsuits represented by Warner Mendenhall Law. These cases include the Ohio University, University of Cincinnati, Bowling Green State University, Smuckers, Akron Children’s Hospital Employees, Highland Tavern, Perrysburg K-12 case, Maumee Schools K-12, and Hudson City Schools K-12.
In this interview with Conservative Daily, Warner gives his professional opinion concerning the Ohio Tavern case, which successfully made it to the Ohio Supreme Court. Warner also discusses SCOTUS, Pfizer, and other Ohio cases.
The Ohio Press Network reports: “Warner was recently ready to “slow down” his work and spend more time with his wife, kids and grandkids when the pandemic hit in 2020. But after COVID-19 lockdowns began, the lawyer — whose career has focused on government overreach and corporate fraud under the False Claims Act — felt called to defend individuals and businesses alike, including an Ohio mother who was charged criminally for violating quarantine when she took her son to school after an indirect COVID-19 exposure and a Buckeye State bar that lost its liquor license and was shut down after refusing to close during lockdowns.
Soon enough, he was suing Ohio school boards in places like Maumee and Hudson, on behalf of parents who wanted shot and mask mandates removed from their kids’ schools. On the college level, Mendenhall has been instrumental in the fight for removing both shot and testing requirements for Ohio students as well. Currently, he’s working on lawsuits against five universities in Ohio — University of Cincinnati, Ohio University, Bowling Green State University, Wright State University and Miami University — to stop both shot and testing mandates from ever happening again.
Mendenhall, who’s also currently consulting with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ legal team on a Florida grand jury probe of Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 shots proves successful in the Texas/Pfizer lawsuit, he will begin unravelling every COVID-19 shot narrative that major drug companies, the federal government and corporate media outlets have pushed over the course of the past three years.”
To be kept up-to-date with the latest news on the status of Warner’s pending lawsuits, please subscribe to CovidLawCast. To help financially support Warner Mendenhall’s work, please go to Ohio Stands Up! to make a donation.
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Jess Franz is a ROCKSTAR OF AWESOMENESS! Keep up the good work, Jess!