Rotunda Rumblings
Struck down: An Ohio judge on Thursday tossed the so-called fetal “heartbeat” law, ruling that the ban is unconstitutional after Ohioans enshrined reproductive rights in the state constitution in 2023. Laura Hancock writes that Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Christian Jenkins, a Democrat, specifically pointed in his Thursday order to the November 2023 vote that guaranteed a state constitutional right to abortion. The law, known as Senate Bill 23, had been on hold since the autumn of 2022. Under the law, abortion was generally banned as soon as a fetal heart tone could be detected, typically around six weeks into a pregnancy, and before many women know they are pregnant.
Papers please: The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio has asked a federal court to block a new policy from Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office that would-be voters whose citizenship is questioned must show documented proof of citizenship in order to vote. As Jeremy Pelzer explains, LaRose’s office says it instituted the revisions to address a narrow issue: ensuring that recently naturalized citizens who still have a “noncitizen”-marked driver’s license can use it as photo ID at the polls. However, the ACLU’s court filing argues the changes have broader ramifications and violate a 2006 federal court ruling.
Party line vote: Summit County’s four-member election board deadlocked Thursday in a party-line vote on whether to cancel Democratic U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes’ voter registration in Akron over a residency challenge, punting the final decision to GOP Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Sabrina Eaton writes. Republicans challenged the congresswoman’s registration after Sykes’ husband - Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce - listed her as a member of his household on a routine ethics form. The couple say they maintain separate residences.
Stein still in limbo: It might not be clear until just before Election Day – if not after it – whether Ohioans’ votes for presidential candidate Jill Stein will be counted or not. As Pelzer reports, that’s because a federal judge on Thursday delayed ruling on the issue until state-level courts have a chance to weigh in on whether Stein’s running mate, Anita Rios, withdrew her candidacy or not. The dispute centers on whether the Ohio secretary of state’s office was right to accept a candidate withdrawal letter submitted by an Ohio Green Party leader in Rios’ name – a move Rios claims was made behind her back.
Issue 1 confusion: Opponents to a state redistricting reform amendment have sought to sink Issue 1 in part by claiming it would bar participation in a new citizens panel by Ohio’s heroes – men and woman who have served in the military, police officers and firefighters, Robert Higgs writes. Proponents of the issue, Citizens Not Politicians, say the charge is hyperbole meant to confuse voters “that has been fabricated out of whole cloth by the politicians because they want to keep gerrymandering.”
Gone: A state audit spotlights how $3.2 million in improper pandemic unemployment aid made it out the door, part of the $7.5 billion in fraudulent and non-fraud claims alike. As Jake Zuckerman reports from the audit, Ohio hired a consultant who hired a subcontractor who hired a staffing agency who brought on an employee that didn’t receive proper training or oversight.
Don’t panic: Cuyahoga County’s board of elections is cautioning absentee voters not to panic if the online ballot tracker doesn’t show their ballot has been returned. Kaitlin Durbin writes that the high volume of ballots being returned via mail and drop box for the general election have slowed down bipartisan staff who have to process them by hand. It could take three to four days to process the ballot and enter it into the system.
Ratings shift: A pair of political prognosticators that previously gave a “toss-up” rating to Sykes’ race against Republican former Ohio legislator Kevin Coughlin on Thursday shifted their assessments to “lean Democrat,” in light of Sykes’ big fundraising edge over Coughlin. Cook Political report noted that the $1.3 million that Coughlin raised in the cycle is as much as Sykes raised over three months in this year’s third quarter. Sabato’s Crystal Ball noted the fundraising edge and said Republicans are hoping that a strong showing by Republican ex-President Donald Trump in Ohio might have coattail effects for Coughlin and other GOP challengers.
Rocky Road: U.S. Rep. Mike Turner bid to lead the House Intelligence Committee for a second term could get rocky if Republicans keep the majority, Politico reports. Many conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus are looking to eject the Dayton Republican after multiple clashes on various policy fights including government surveillance and Turner’s warnings about Russia launching a nuclear weapon into orbit.
Buckeye Brain Tease
Question: What Ohio-born celebrity successfully sued newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst for libel over false reports of pants theft and cocaine abuse?
Email your response to capitolletter@cleveland.com. The first correct respondent will be mentioned in next week’s newsletter.
Thanks to everyone who answered last week’s trivia question: A disease that is the scourge of cruise ship passengers takes its name from this Ohio county seat. What is it?
Last week’s answer: Norwalk, which is Huron County’s seat. According to Cleveland Clinic, the first norovirus outbreak occurred in Norwalk, Ohio, in a school in 1968. For this reason, the first strain of norovirus was known as the Norwalk virus.
Capitol Letter reader Rob Kirchstein, of Plain Township in Stark County, was the first to provide the correct answer.
Tick Tock
The 2024 election is approaching, where Ohioans will help decide the presidential race, control of the U.S. Senate, how the state draws state legislative and congressional lines and many other down-ballot races. Here are some key dates in the election countdown:
Deadline to request an absentee ballot... 4 days (Oct. 29)
Final day of early voting... 9 days (Nov. 3)
Last day to postmark an absentee ballot... 10 days (Nov. 4)
Election Day... 11 days (Nov. 5)
Also, make sure to check out our Ohio guide to the 2024 November election
Birthdays
Friday, Oct. 25: Danielle DeLeon Spires, policy advocate with Ohio Poverty Law Center
Saturday, Oct. 26: Ohio Rep. Beth Liston
Sunday, Oct. 27: Nick Rhodes, Ohio House Republicans’ policy advisor; Jacob Cox, Ohio’s 28th governor, U.S. interior secretary (1828 – 1900).
RECOMMENDED•cleveland.com
Straight From The Source
“Too much, right? Just 18 more days and you won’t have to do that anymore. I’m sorry.” - Republican U.S. Senate nominee Bernie Moreno, replying to a kid at last weekend’s Circleville Pumpkin Festival who shouted at him, “I’ve seen you on TV!” Moreno, whose comment was reported by the New York Times, was alluding to the tsunami of U.S. Senate ads that have been airing around Ohio this campaign season.
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