The Select Committee has referred former president Donald J. Trump to the Department of Justice on four (4) criminal charges, including obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to make a false statement and “incite,” “assist” or “aid or comfort” an insurrection.
After a three-year legal battle, former president Trump’s tax returns have been released for anyone to review. The House Ways and Means Committee early Friday released redacted versions of six years’ worth of his returns. These returns have been posted for those curious to review.
Sandusky – Erie County Recorder Barbara A. Sessler has announced her retirement as county recorder effective January 27, 2023. Sessler submitted her retirement to the Erie County Commissioners during their meeting Thursday, October 31, 2022.
Ohio Republicans introduced a new resolution today that purposely makes it more difficult for citizens to amend the state Constitution. Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) put forward the “Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment,” which is “designed to help protect the Ohio Constitution from continued abuse by special interests and out-of-state activists.” There is no evidence that Ohio is being overrun by out-of-state special interest groups that are trying to capture Ohio’s Constitution.
Despite the Ohio Supreme Court declaring maps drawn by the Ohio Republicans illegal and unconstitutional at least seven times, Ohioans just elected representatives to the state Legislature and Congress using maps illegal and unconstitutional maps. The result? Republicans dominated statehouse elections and lost two congressional seats.
Dispatch Editorial Board: Ohio needs a governor willing to lead not cave. “DeWine has been consistently run over or outshined by members of his own party — most notably State Senate President Matt Huffman.” Ultra-conservatives in the Ohio General Assembly are driving the state so far right past the will of the people that the state is becoming unrecognizable. Despite the moral consequence and economic consequence Republican Mike DeWine, has refused to use the power voters have given him to curtail those legislative efforts not supported by a majority of Ohioans.
Ohio’s top Republicans – Ohio House Speaker Bob Cupp, of Lima; Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, also of Lima; Republican state Sen. Rob McColley, of Napoleon; and Republican state Rep. Jeff LaRe, of Violet Township, Fairfield County, who assumed Cupp’s and Huffman’s positions on the redistricting commission earlier this year after Cupp and Huffman stepped away from the process – announced they are appealing the Ohio Supreme Court’s decision ruling the state’s congressional map unconstitutional to the U.S. Supreme Court. Ohio Republicans – including Governor Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Auditor Keith Faber who were also members of the commission – have literally ignored the Ohio Supreme Court’s numerous orders that all maps submitted were unconstitutional.
Several recent polls show a statistical dead heat between Congressman Tim Ryan and J.D. Vance: Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) is leading Republican J.D. Vance by 3 percentage points, according to a new Spectrum News-Siena College poll. 46% of likely Ohio voters indicated support for Ryan, compared to 43% who said they would vote for Vance, a gap within the poll’s margin of error with 9% said they didn’t know or had no opinion. A Marist College poll shows Vance up on Ryan 46% – 45% with a 3.6% margin of error. The same Marist College poll shows Vance up on Ryan 48% – 47% among voters who plan to definitely vote. The poll also showed Ohioans have a 40% favorable view of Ryan, 25% have an unfavorable view with 35% not sure compared to 30% having a favorable view of Vance, 36% unfavorable view and 34% unsure. Ryan leads 42% – 40% among unaffiliated voters.
Following knock-down, drag-out fights over congressional and legislative maps, Republican lawmakers are turning their attention to redrawing the state’s appellate court district lines − either this year or next legislative session.
