COLUMBUS -- "For redistricting, House Democrats and Senate Republicans have separate bills with somewhat different approaches to taking the politics out of the task, but they could be reconciled by keeping the best features of each.
The Senate plan, passed in September, would create a bipartisan board to approve maps for both congressional and state legislative districts. It would require at least two votes of minority-party members to approve a plan. That makes it an improvement over the current system, in which the three-member Apportionment Board, controlled by whichever party holds at least two of three designated statewide offices, can dictate state legislative district that favors the dominant party. A state legislative majority can similarly slant the drawing of congressional districts.
The House plan introduces another valuable element: allowing the public to submit proposed maps for districts, which would be graded on four criteria aimed at producing competitive districts and fair representation of the parties and avoiding splitting municipalities between districts. A similar demonstration project sponsored by the Ohio League of Women Voters recently produced impressive results," The Columbus Dispatch. Feb 8: Checks of voter records coming Brunner wants notices sent if registration info conflicts with file data
COLUMBUS -- "Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner is completing a plan to address a lingering controversy from the 2008 general election in Ohio that generated national attention, lawsuits and even death threats.
Brunner expects to issue a directive soon detailing what county boards of elections must do when the name or other personal information provided by a voter doesn't match state or federal records after an automatic computer check.
Preliminary guidelines call for counties to mail a notice to voters whose information doesn't match so the voters can update their records. That raises concerns among some county officials about the cost and possible voter confusion," Mark Niquette, The Columbus Dispatch. Feb 8: Exclusive: How corporations secretly move millions to fund political ads
WASHINGTON DC -- "Exclusive: How corporations secretly move millions to fund political adsThe Supreme Court’s seismic January ruling that corporations are free to spend unlimited amounts of their profits to advertise for or against candidates may have been the latest shakeup of campaign finance – but gaping holes already allow corporations to spend enormous sums without leaving a paper trail, a Raw Story investigation has found.
Campaign finance experts confirmed that though disclosure rules remained intact in the new Supreme Court decision, there are effective methods to circumvent them. Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, an attorney and campaign finance expert at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice, said corporations already effectively end-run campaign finance law by shuffling money through trade associations," Brad Jacobson, The Raw Story. Posted Feb 4. Feb 8: Editorial: The more disclosure, the better
COLUMBUS -- "Whether you think the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling giving corporations, unions and nonprofits virtually unfettered campaign spending rights is the end of democracy as we know it or a sterling example of upholding the First Amendment, everyone should be able to agree on one path forward.
Disclosure. Require the companies, labor unions or whoever else starts lobbing so-called independent expenditures for and against candidates in the form of TV ads, mailings or whatever to reveal where the money comes from, put it all on the Web and do it fast.
If the pharmaceutical industry lavishes $5 million worth of TV ads on behalf of Congressman X, everyone should know about it immediately and have at their fingertips the information about precisely which companies are spending that money. Ditto if the AFL-CIO spends millions to help Senator Y," Jonathan Riskind, The Columbus Dispatch. Posted Feb 7.
COLUMBUS -- "...A way has been found to take the power out of the politicians’ hands, to simply eliminate political motivation in map-drawing.
Last year, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner sponsored a test contest promoted by a coalition of activists, including the League of Women Voters and Ohio Citizen Action.
Entrants were asked to draw congressional districts for the last decade, under certain rules, using population stats from the 2000 Census. The results were remarkable," Martin Gottlieb, Dayton Daily News. Feb 5: Citizens United impact on courts is feared
NEW YORK CITY -- "The potential impact of Citizens United on fair and impartial courts is getting greater attention in states where judges are elected, and new voices are sounding alarms.
In Ohio, the Akron Beacon Journal declared in an editorial that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling 'adds to the urgency of placing a constitutional amendment on the November ballot, otherwise Ohio risks becoming, once again, a poster child for the influence of big money in state Supreme Court campaigns,'" Peter Hardin, GavelGrab. Feb 5: Ohioan takes on corporate politicking Brown's bill calls for rules guiding campaign ads
WASHINTON DC -- "Sen. Sherrod Brown says corporate campaign spending allowed under an 'absolutely awful' Supreme Court decision last month should be subject to new requirements ensuring more transparency and accountability.
The Ohio Democrat unveiled a bill yesterday that would require corporations producing political ads or engaging in other independent campaign activities to get shareholders' approval for political spending.
Brown's bill, which he calls the Citizens Right to Know Act, also would require corporate CEOs to make personal disclaimers revealing the company's sponsorship of an ad, much as political candidates now appear briefly on camera or are heard on a radio ad taking responsibility for a spot," Jonathan Riskind, The Columbus Dispatch. Feb 4: “Doing nothing not an option"
Congress must act quickly in aftermath of Citizens United decision
WASHINGTON DC -- "The League of Women Voters [yesterday] testified before the Committee on House Administration in a hearing entitled Defining the Future of Campaign Finance in an Age of Supreme Court Activism. At the U.S. congressional hearing, Mary G. Wilson, the national League president, told committee members that they must pass legislation governing corporate and union spending quickly, in order for it to take effect for the 2010 elections.
'The Court’s majority decision in Citizens United v. FEC was fundamentally wrong and a tragic mistake. But this is the decision of the Court,' said Wilson. 'Congress needs to respond now, recognizing its own authority and responsibility to uphold the Constitution. Fair and clean elections, determined by the votes of American citizens, should be at the center of our democracy.'
'The Court’s decision in Citizens United upends basic campaign finance law that has been in place for a century. It changes the foundation on which decades of congressional enactments on money in elections are built. Such a fundamental change requires a strong response from Congress and the Executive,'" Kelly Ceballos, League of Women Voters. Feb 4:
Letson proposes public contest to redraw districts Another legislator also is proposing a revamped redistricting plan
COLUMBUS -- "Democrats in the Ohio House are backing a new plan for redrawing the state’s legislative districts that they say will remove partisanship from the process.
The resolution, offered by Rep. Tom Letson of Warren, D-64th, calls for a public competition to draw state legislative district lines and a nonpartisan arbiter to confirm the results.
'The House reapportionment reform plan takes the politics out of reapportionment by providing specific criteria as to how district lines are to be drawn,' Letson said during a Monday press conference at the Statehouse. 'This, in turn, makes each district more competitive,'" Mark Kovac, Youngstown Vindicator. Feb 4: Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagan defends hiring of mapping system manager
CUYAHOGA COUNTY -- "Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagan has leaped to the defense of John Kable, the new, but very much in limbo, manager of the county's geographic mapping system.
Kable has been the subject of much debate since being chosen last month to replace J. Kevin Kelley, who last year pleaded guilty to corruption-related charges. Some county officials are concerned with the appearance of hiring Kable since he was previously employed by Michael Baker Jr. Inc.
Michael Baker Jr. worked with Kelley on the mapping system, and federal prosecutors have referred to the company in their widespread investigation of county government. Kable has not been identified by name or description in any documents related to the probe and the company is cooperating with investigators," Henry J. Gomez, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Feb 3:
Parties fight over district redrawing
COLUMBUS -- "'You remember 8th grade social studies? Remember gerrymandering? That's the best way to describe it to citizens,' said Catherine Turcer with Ohio Citizen Action.
Turcer wants to see Ohio eliminate gerrymandering once and for all. She supports a new bill that would create a fair way to draw legislative lines.
'The problem is you can't ever really take the politics out of things,' Turcer said. 'You might as well just own it and be practical and say, 'okay, what we want to do is create criteria that is sensible,'"Jim Heath, ONNtv.com. Feb 3:
The impeachment drum starts to beat again
WASHINGTON DC -- "It’s not a drumbeat yet. But calls for impeachment of one or more Supreme Court justices are bubbling up in response to the Citizens United decision. Not so long ago, similar calls came from the right; but no matter the source, when such calls are made in political fury, they fly against the intent of our nation’s Founders. In American Chronicle, writer Gary Ater singles out Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel Alito, (in photo above) contending they testified under oath about the limited role of the Supreme Court, then stepped to vastly overreach that role in Citizens United. 'At least these two justices have broken the law by not fulfilling their own commitments that were made while being under oath,' Ater writes, urging a group of elected officials to 'pursue these justices,'" Peter Hardin, GavelGrab. Feb 2:
Ohio House Democrats have plan to redistrict Idea would let public have a say in layout of legislative maps
COLUMBUS -- "Supporters of finding new, less political ways of drawing legislative and congressional districts say it's time for Democrats and Republicans to marry their ideas.
House Democrats introduced a plan yesterday that would allow the public to submit legislative maps, which then would be graded based on four criteria, including whether districts could produce a fair number of representatives from each party, whether districts are competitive, and the number of times municipalities are divided.
Senate Republicans passed a plan in September that would create a bipartisan board that would need a supermajority vote to approve maps for both legislative and congressional districts," Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch. Feb 2:
Who is New Models?
COLUMBUS -- "Anyone wishing to find out who bankrolled a campaign to halt Gov. Ted Strickland's plan for slot machines at racetracks was supposed to be able to find out [Friday, January 29].
That was the deadline for LetOhioVote.org to report its funding sources to Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. The group, headed by three conservatives, has refused to provide information about who is paying its considerable bills. (Those bills add up to more than $1.5 million, mostly to mount a petition drive to place Strickland's slots-at-racetracks plan on the November ballot.)
But [Friday, January 29] only deepened the mystery," Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch.
COLUMBUS -- "Ohio gubernatorial candidates Ted Strickland and John Kasich jumped into the 2010 election year with millions in their campaign pockets and on pace to make their race one of the most expensive in state history. Strickland, the Democratic governor and former congressman who raised a record $16.8 million for his 2006 gubernatorial bid, raised $6.4 million in 2009. (His 2006 GOP opponent, Ken Blackwell, raised $12 million.)
Thanks to strong fund-raising in 2008 and early 2009, Strickland has $6.4 million on hand, more than any incumbent Ohio governor 10 months before an election in state history, his campaign says," Mark Naymik, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Kasich, Strickland tally up donations Campaign reports show governor's challenger narrowing money gap Joe Hallett and Mark Niquette, The Columbus Dispatch.
COLUMBUS -- "Signaling just how fierce the two parties will battle for control of the Ohio House, Democrats and Republicans each posted a record fundraising total for 2009.
Republicans need a net pickup of four seats in November to regain control of the chamber.
The House Democratic Caucus, which uses its money to help House Democratic candidates in key districts across the state, raised a record $4.5 million since the start of 2009 and ended the year with a bit more than $4 million on hand. Leading the caucus is Speaker Armond Budish, whose fundraising efforts have been well-known since he first ran for office in 2006," Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch. Feb 1: Ohio House leaders plan to delete all Tweeting
COLUMBUS -- "House Speaker Armond Budish said he would move to strengthen rules preventing members from communicating with lobbyists or sending "Tweets" electronically while on the House floor.
Responding to a Dispatch story yesterday about how some members posted commentary on their Twitter pages during Tuesday's State of the State speech by Gov. Ted Strickland, Budish said he would put a stop to such activity, although he didn't go into detail on how.... 'The reason we don't allow communications from the floor already is because we don't want lobbyists communicating with legislators while discussion of various bills is going forward,' Budish said. 'We will make sure in the House that that does not occur,'" Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch. Feb 1: Public employees' immunity limited
COLUMBUS -- "Public employees who act recklessly are not protected by their employers' cloak of immunity and can be sued personally for damages, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled yesterday.
A lawyer who regularly defends local governments said he fears that the ruling will prompt a flurry of lawsuits against public employees.
The ruling ended appeals in a wrongful-death lawsuit in which the estate of a woman killed in a 2003 crash with a drunken driver sued two Circleville police officers and a dispatcher, accusing them of reckless conduct,'" Randy Ludlow, The Columbus Dispatch. Feb 1: Blog: Gone but not forgotten
LOS ANGELES -- "Media coverage and commentary have vastly overstated the likely impact on federal election campaigns of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, which ruled that corporations have the same right to free speech as individuals. It has also obscured the extent to which members of Congress from both parties had previously opened the door for corporate and union financing in federal campaigns.
As associate director for policy of the Campaign Finance Institute from 2002-09, I wrote a number of studies showing the rise of corporate and union spending, via tax-exempt organizations, in federal elections. My research found that this spending supported media ads and grass-roots mail, phone and other communications that tore down or boosted candidates without using explicit phrases such as 'vote for' or 'vote against,'" Stephen R. Weissman, Los Angeles Times.
CLEVELAND -- "Last week's Supreme Court decision granting corporations the right to spend unrestricted amounts of money supporting or opposing candidates in federal elections is so strained in its reasoning and so removed from the realities of American life that it would be grotesquely comedic, were its implications not so dire.
We're all familiar, of course, with the disenfranchisement of corporate America. It's common knowledge that the interests of big business are routinely ignored at every level of society, and that the deprivation of rights suffered by those unfortunates who populate its executive suites is a continuing affront to the national conscience. That, at least, was the suggestion of the strident tone taken by Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. 'If the First Amendment has any force,' he wrote, 'it prohibits Congress from fining or jailing citizens or associations of citizens for simply engaging in political speech.'
You would think that the federal prisons were overflowing with corporate martyrs to freedom of expression. This is reasoning ludicrous on its face and radical in its dismissal of judicial decisions stretching back to Theodore Roosevelt's presidency. The notion that corporate rights and individual rights -- particularly those recognized by the First Amendment -- are congruent is absurd. Do corporations have a right to freedom of religion, or just to those liberties that advance commercial interests,?" Plain Dealer guest columnist Tim Rutten, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
CLEVELAND -- "Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason has known Christopher McCauley for two decades: Mason was in McCauley's law school class in the 1980s, rented office space from him in the 1990s, represented him in a 1997 foreclosure, paid him for campaign work in 2002 and 2003 and employed him in the prosecutor's office in 2004 and 2005.
What he has not done is prosecute him, even though the Ohio Supreme Court's disciplinary arm ruled that McCauley misappropriated more than $300,000 from his clients and kept it for his own use -- partly while in Mason's employment," Mark Puente, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Jan 27: The more things change... Campaign finance reform still not on agenda of Issue 6 supporters
CUYAHOGA COUNTY-- "Local activist Greg Coleridge plans to push for campaign-finance reform in Cuyahoga County, but he wonders if local officials are as committed to the idea as he is.... Big money is here to stay in national and state politics, judging from last week's controversial Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. But there are viable options to local campaign-finance reform, and if it is indeed going to happen on the local level, now is the time to ride the momentum, says Catherine Turcer of Columbus-based Ohio Citizen Action. That's Callahan's point: After elected offices are filled in November, inertia will likely take hold and incumbents will naturally favor whatever system favors them.
'You use the momentum to keep moving the process,' says Turcer. 'You need to make sure you have good [campaign- finance] rules in place beside the change in government. If you don't take care of it right away, you fall back into the same habits — it's hard work to raise money from alternative sources and not from your employees,'" Damian Guevara, Cleveland Scene. Jan 27: Redistricting plan is stalled
COLUMBUS -- "The state legislature can move quickly and act decisively — when it wants.... A plan to end gerrymandering in our time — a problem that has been on the legislature's radar for decades — appears to be stalled, however.
Odds are that voters in this state will be stuck for an additional decade with a system of drawing legislative districts that undermines the one-man, one-vote ideals of our democracy," Dennis J. Willard, Akron Beacon Journal. Jan 27: Husted seeks disclosure of corporate donors
COLUMBUS -- "Responding to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week allowing corporate spending for political campaigns, state Sen. Jon Husted is calling for expanded disclosure requirements in Ohio.
Husted, a Kettering Republican and a former House speaker who is running for secretary of state, sent a letter Monday to Democratic House Speaker Armond Budish and Republican Senate President Bill M. Harris calling for new legislation to prevent 'the influence of unlimited, undisclosed contributions from dominating the 2010 elections.'
Experts have said the Supreme Court ruling could make Ohio's ban on corporate spending for political advertising for or against candidates unenforceable," Mark Niquette, The Columbus Dispatch. Jan 26: Husted urges campaign finance “transparency” in wake of U.S. Supreme Court ruling
DAYTON -- "In the wake of last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibiting a ban on spending by corporations and unions in candidate elections, state Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, has proposed safeguards to “ensure transparency in campaign finance and advertising.”
Husted, who is running for secretary of state, outlined the proposal on Monday, Jan. 25, in a letter to Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, and House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood. Copies were sent to Gov. Ted Strickland and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner," William Hershey, Dayton Daily News.
COLUMBUS -- "A quarter-century from now, when we celebrate the bicentennial of de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, what will we think of Citizens United? The majority opinion was written to be revered, in the way that New York Times v. Sullivan or The Pentagon Papers Case has been. But perhaps, instead, it may be seen as a stain on the fabric of democracy, one sending the country into another era of sullied politics like the one before the Progressive Era took hold. The 90-page dissent is certainly written with this sort of prognosis in mind.... If a quarter-century from now, Congress remains dysfunctional, Citizens United will hardly have been the only cause. People will point to the filibuster, gerrymandering, and other factors that preceded Citizens United. And the bicentennial of de Toqueville’s book will not be a happy occasion. Let us hope that that is not the situation in which we find ourselves.
Let us hope, instead, that we look back upon Citizens United as a spur which helped motivated Congress to engage in institutional self-improvement, which started a process that reduced the nation’s democracy deficit," Edward B. Foley, Election Law @ Moritz.
DAYTON -- "From Catherine Turcer, of Ohio Citizen Action, a consumer advocacy group, on the case for changing a system that creates too many legislative districts that are hopelessly lopsided in favor of one political party:
'Competitive districts tend to create more centrists. And wouldn’t that be nice to have in government, because there’s something to be said for consensus-building?'
Here, in other words, is a chance to actually do something about partisanship," Martin Gottlieb, Dayton Daily News. Jan 25: Editorial: Corporations didn’t need more rights
WASHINGTON DC -- "The court has ruled that corporations may use unlimited amounts of their own money on federal elections. That overturns a 63-year-old law federal. Ohio has a similar law.
And the corporations (and presumably unions) are no longer banned from funding 'issue-oriented' ads out of their general fund in the two months before an election, as they were under McCain-Feingold.
However, the corporations may still not give money directly to candidates. (The court was silent on that.) And the part of McCain-Feingold that banned unlimited contributions to national parties remains in force," Dayton Dayly News.
WASHINGTON DC -- "Ohio has 18 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Yet even in what is expected to be a volatile political year, more than a dozen shouldn't have a care in the world about the November elections.
As most Ohio congressional incumbents cruise to re-election this year, they can thank the relatively safe congressional districts drawn up in 2002 by the Republicans when they controlled the governor's office, the Ohio Senate and the Ohio House.
And Ohioans are on the verge of seeing the same much-criticized process locked in again for the next 10 years," Jack Torry, The Columbus Dispatch. Jan 22: Expect an 'onslaught' of Ohio political ads this fall, thanks to Supreme Court on corporations and free speech
WASHINGTON DC -- "That's Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's advice for Americans this fall, when they could get caught in an onslaught of TV, radio and Internet political commercials, the velocity and volume of which we've never seen. The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday opened the gates for a new level of discourse, ruling 5-4 that corporations have a constitutional right to political communication. That means they can use shareholder money, and labor unions can use membership money, to run ads, show critical movies, mock or praise politicians, and urge voters to support or oppose candidates for election.
They'll be able to spend as much as they wish," Sabrina Eaton and Reginald Fields, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
CUYAHOGA COUNTY-- "Corruption in Cuyahoga County government will likely cost taxpayers $250,000 in additional accounting work.
And because that work has taken so long to finish, millions more dollars could be spent for higher interest payments on money borrowed to build a medical mart and convention center.
The added costs and delays in releasing the county's 2007 and 2008 state audit findings fueled debate Thursday as commissioners broke their own rules for an employee buyout program. The commissioners voted to rehire two accountants who retired a week earlier," Henry J. Gomez & Laura Johnston, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Jan 21: High Court rolls back campaign spending limits
WASHINGTON DC -- "The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down key provisions of some of the central laws governing how the nation's political campaigns are financed just ahead of the pivotal 2010 midterm congressional primaries and election season.
By a 5-4 vote, the court ruled that corporations may spend freely to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress, overturning a 20-year-old ruling.
It could take weeks to sort through the full ramifications of the landmark ruling, but its ripple effects could endanger federal limits on corporate and union contributions to candidates, as well as other measures that restrict how political ads are regulated. The ruling could unleash a flow of new corporate cash into the political realm," Deborah Tedford, Liz Halloran, National Public Radio.
CUYAHOGA COUNTY-- "Cuyahoga County commissioners will break their own rules Thursday by rehiring two accountants one week after the workers took taxpayer-financed buyouts.... Catherine Turcer, of the watchdog group Ohio Citizen Action, was flummoxed by the rationale.
'This kind of revolving door of employment is unfair,' Turcer said. 'It also highlights the need to better prepare all employees for transitions. At any point, one of us may win the lottery or get hit by a bus. It's sad to think that the county is so badly prepared,'" Laura Johnston, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Jan 20: Editorial: Waiting for Democrats The state could use an improved way for drawing legislative districts. Will the Ohio House deliver on the necessary constitutional amendment?
AKRON -- "Voters often complain about unresponsive government. Then why not give them the opportunity to elect representatives more likely to cross party lines to reach sensible compromises? That's the essential goal of a proposed constitutional amendment that would improve the way legislative and congressional districts are redrawn in Ohio.
The trouble is, just two weeks remain before a Feb. 3 deadline to place an amendment on the May 4 ballot. At this point, the promising plan passed in September by the Republican-controlled Senate remains stalled in the Ohio House," The Columbus Dispatch. Jan 19: Editorial: Democrats must act now on redistricting
COLUMBUS -- "The November ballot will include races for governor, secretary of state and auditor. Whichever party wins two of those races would control map-drawing completely under current rules. So, whichever party is looking strongest by summer or fall is unlikely to support reform. And without support from both parties, reform has been rejected by voters in the past.
And after November, the actual redistricting process will be imminent. It starts after the 2010 federal Census is done.... Citizens and organizations that are against a system that gives one party the spoils in each decade — and results in, for example, districts that make a near circle around unwanted voters — need to be contacting legislators of both parties," Dayton Daily News.
CUYAHOGA COUNTY -- "As one of the leaders of the campaign for Issue 6, which voters passed overwhelmingly in hopes of ending county government as they know it, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason ought to understand better than most how sick the electorate is of cronyism, patronage and pay-to-play politics.
He has to know that his decision to award a no-bid contract to a former employee is exactly the kind of suspicious deal that drove the Issue 6 reform.
Is it possible that he doesn't know how empty his protests that he sees no conflict of interest sound,?" Cleveland Plain Dealer. Jan 19: Voting machine maker in antitrust suit
COLUMBUS -- "In early 2007, Legislative Inspector General Tony Bledsoe, charged with policing the horde of lobbyists who seek to influence Ohio lawmakers, was looking at 660 cases of agents or their employers who had failed to file forms disclosing how they spent their lobbying money.
Bledsoe beefed up enforcement of the laws and now offers training sessions, sends postcard reminders of filing deadlines and has created an electronic filing system to make the job easier.
The results are clear: In early 2008, only 48 lobbyists or their employers were delinquent on required forms. In all of 2009, only 25 missed deadlines," The Columbus Dispatch.
Every ten years, the United States conducts a count of the population known as the Census. The census determines the amount of federal funding states receive for services such as Head Start, Women, Infants and Children program, emergency food and shelter grants, programs for the elderly, and hundreds of other programs we all depend on.
For every person not counted, Ohio could lose $12,000 over the 10-year census cycle. With the economic challenges facing Ohio, we need to work toward a full and accurate count.
Census numbers are also used by government and businesses in determining where to build schools, plan for public transit, and develop retail outlets.
Finally, census data determine the number of members each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. Ohio is in danger of losing up to two Congressional seats, reducing our representation from 18 to 16.
COLUMBUS -- "A lawyer for the state who was reprimanded last month for alleging wrongdoing in state government says the punishment sends a chilling message to other potential whistle-blowers.
Joseph C. Sommer, a veteran attorney for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, is contesting the reprimand he received Dec. 17 for asking the state watchdog to investigate alleged problems with the process of nominating a candidate to a state board.
In May, Sommer used his state e-mail account to request an investigation of the process that led Gov. Ted Strickland to name a new member of the Industrial Commission. The three-member commission hears appeals of bureau decisions," James Nash, The Columbus Dispatch. Jan 15: Legislators shouldn't let chance slip away Ohio has opportunity to create fairer districts
COLUMBUS -- "In the face of a once-in-a-decade chance to improve the political landscape in Ohio, Democrats and Republicans instead are gripped with gambler's fever.
The correct step at this time in state history would be to ask voters to amend the Ohio Constitution to remove the overtly partisan manner in which legislative districts are redrawn after each decennial census.
For 40 years, Ohio has constructed and run a disgraceful gerrymandering process that is a throwback to politics of an unenlightened era," Dennis Willard, Akron Beacon Journal.
KANSAS CITY-- "...So officials urge people who have been forced to live with friends or relatives temporarily because of hardship to include themselves in that household's census count.
"People need to be counted where they're living," Groves said, "even if they don't, in their own mind, think that they'll live with their brother-in-law the rest of their life."
A publicity campaign will begin this month for the count, which determines how many seats each state gets in the House of Representatives," Matt Campbell, The Columbus Dispatch. Jan 13: Debate over redistricting: Hearing today on plan to change how Ohio draws new boundaries
CUYAHOGA COUNTY-- "A proposal to change the way Ohio draws legislative districts every 10 years is set for a hearing in the House of Representatives today after already passing in the Senate.
The move comes just as many were saying a legislative mapping change was not likely to occur for another 10 years, thanks to a gridlock in state politics.... In 2009, the League of Women Voters, Ohio Citizen Action, Brunner's office and other groups and individuals sponsored a competition to come up with a better way to draw legislative districts. In her column, Brunner said the state should use the competition's criteria - emphasizing compact but competitive districts - to determine the best way to redraw the lines," Justin McIntosh, Marietta Times. Jan 13: Giving corporations an outsized voice in elections Voters stand to lose out if the Supreme Court treats political spending by businesses and other big-money players as protected speech.
LOS ANGELES -- "Corporations are pitching a bizarre product -- a radical vision of the 1st Amendment. It would give corporations rather than voters a central role in our electoral process by treating corporate political spending as protected speech. If this vision becomes reality, businesses and other big-money players will spend billions either hyping their preferred candidates or running attack ads against elected officials who don't support their preferred agenda. Voters will be forced into a couch-potato role, mere viewers of the electoral spectacle bought and paid for by wealthy companies.
The Supreme Court's decision in the hotly anticipated campaign finance reform case Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission -- which may be announced as early as Tuesday -- will show whether a majority of the Roberts court is buying their argument," Monica Youn, Los Angeles Times Jan 13: Capitalists' tool or good-government visionary? Either way, Marty Zanotti may be the most powerful unelected politician in Cuyahoga County
CUYAHOGA COUNTY-- "[Marty Zanotti, former mayor of Parma Heights] vows that campaign finance will be addressed in the county's [Cuyahoga] new government, but skeptics continue to harp about the issue and say it will be much harder for the county to make changes once politicians are entrenched in office. Catherine Turcer, of the good-government group Ohio Citizens Action, says this is the perfect opportunity for Cuyahoga County to reform campaign finance and create 'real transparency.'
While it's not illegal on the county level to take employee contributions, Turcer says, 'Employees can feel extorted and the public officials can feel like they owe the employees something — they may feel like they owe their friends or family jobs. It's kind of a cornerstone of nepotism and setting up an old boys' and old girls' club. It's really time to stop, not just in Cuyahoga County, but all over the state,'" Damian Guevara, Cleveland Scene. Jan 12: After legal objection, campaign finance reports for Bill Mason and Gerald McFaul removed from public database
CUYAHOGA COUNTY -- "Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason and former Sheriff Gerald McFaul, both criticized for accepting campaign cash from their employees, have avoided closer scrutiny amid an effort to make politics more transparent. Last month, the Board of Elections removed finance reports submitted by Mason and McFaul from a public database launched days earlier on the board's Web site. Jane Platten, the board's director, said she quickly took down the reports after an assistant county prosecutor raised the possibility of a lawsuit. At issue is whether the home addresses of the deputies, prosecutors and other law enforcement officers who gave money to their bosses can be released with public records under Ohio law," Henry J. Gomez & Laura Johnston, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Jan 12: Third Frontier, a casino location and redistricting may be heading to ballot The Legislature’s deadline for May election is Feb. 3.
COLUMBUS -- "When it comes to getting things done, 2009 was not a very good year for the Ohio Legislature and Gov. Ted Strickland.
Strickland signed 16 bills into law, the fewest for the first year of a legislative session dating back to 2003.
That record of gridlock makes the task before lawmakers this month seem even more daunting, although they won’t need Strickland’s help for the three proposed constitutional amendments backers want to put on the May 4 ballot," William Hershey, Dayton Daily News Posted Jan 10. Jan 12: Editorial: To be effective, Cuyahoga County's government reform task forces require broad community participation
CUYAHOGA COUNTY -- "It speaks to the political challenge of becoming Cuyahoga County's first elected chief executive that two candidates -- both Democrats who opposed Issue 6 -- have already announced for a primary that won't be held until September. An independent who wouldn't be on the ballot until November is expected to launch his campaign this week. All three know they have a lot of work to do.... Remember: Passing Issue 6 was just the first step to reshaping Cuyahoga County. Participation from every segment of this diverse community is the best way to ensure lasting political reform. Sign up or learn how to help online at: charter.cuyahogacounty.us,"Cleveland Plain Dealer. Jan 11: Lobbyists' spending easily tracked with new system
COLUMBUS -- "As Ohio legislators agonized over how to put together a state budget last year, Statehouse lobbyists were shelling out nearly a half-million dollars to influence legislators' decisions on that two-year, $50 billion spending document and other measures.
Which legislator got the most? What bill attracted the most attention from lobbyists? How were their outlays for gifts, travel and meals divvied up?... "It just makes it so much easier to have a sense of the flow of the money and to better understand who is influencing the process," said Catherine Turcer, director of Ohio Citizen Action's Money in Politics Project," Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch. Jan 11: Letter to the Editor: How state draws its lines needs to change Redistricting: Map competition would make districts better reflect communities
COLUMBUS -- "If our state legislature can come to an agreement to place the issue before the voters in May, Ohioans have a historic opportunity to change their government.... We have seen with our state's election system that how we structure our government process has much to do with fairness, participation and citizen trust. Changing the way we draw the boundaries of our state legislative districts will go a long way toward creating a governmental system that fosters this. There is a way to draw legislative districts that protects rather than splits the common interests of communities and balances those interests within them," Jennifer Brunner, The Columbus Dispatch.
COLUMBUS -- "The deadline for putting proposed constitutional amendments on the May 4 ballot is Feb. 3, just 23 days after legislators get back to work on Tuesday, Jan. 12.... Redistricting reform, [however], remains a work in progress. The Republican-controlled-Senate has approved a plan, but the Democratic-controlled House hasn’t acted.
Will it? 'We have a lot of work to do between now and then (Feb. 3),' said Keary McCarthy, spokesman for Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood," William Hershey, Dayton Daily News Posted Jan 10. Jan 8: All Sides with Ann Fisher: Census 2010
COLUMBUS -- "The U.S. Constitution requires there be a count of every resident in the United States every ten years. About preparations for the 2010 Census including community partnerships to count hard-to-reach groups, and issues raised by the population count, with Detroit Assistant Regional Census Manager Mario Matthews,The Latino Action Circle Community Development Specialist/Community Organizer Ruben Castilla Herrera, and You Can Count On Me Ohio co-chair Catherine Turcer," Recorded January 7.
COLUMBUS -- "Statewide office-seekers won't be able to collect and spend certain campaign contributions as freely after earning election, nor use expensive ballot issue campaigns to further their own aims, under a bill being considered by the state legislature.
The Ohio Senate passed legislation Dec. 16 limiting how candidates use so-called transition accounts, but not before senators added language to stop statewide candidates from using ballot issue campaigns to further their own candidacies.
Substitute House Bill 5, sponsored by Rep. Mark Okey (D-Carrollton) passed by a final vote of 31-2 and heads back to the Ohio House for concurrence," Marc Kovac, Stowsentry.com. Posted Dec 27. Jan 7: Strickland lists top legislative priorities for start of 2010
COLUMBUS -- "Gov. Ted Strickland says his top three legislative priorities at the start of the new year are getting an issue on the statewide ballot in May to renew the Third Frontier program, making changes in how elections are run and redistricting reform.... Strickland noted that with a Feb. 3 deadline for the legislature to place an issue on the May ballot, the Thurd Frontier renewal is of immediate importance, as is making election changes and considering a redistricting plan. The House and Senate have passed separate election bills but haven't taken further action.... Strickland also said he's open to discussing proposals for redistricting, saying he thinks it is an important step toward reducing polarization in legislative bodies in Ohio, other states and Washington D.C.," Joe Hallett, The Columbus Dispatch. Jan 7: Big-time lobbyists' feuding lingers
COLUMBUS -- "A bitter feud between two former influential lobbying partners has moved from a Columbus trial court to a Florida bankruptcy court.
Republican Neil S. Clark and Democrat Paul Tipps, a lobbying duo who had an outsized influence on public policy at the Statehouse for nearly two decades, have dropped lawsuits against each other in Franklin County Common Pleas Court while Clark is seeking bankruptcy protection.... Clark and Tipps formed State Street Consultants in 1986 and it was arguably the most powerful lobbying firm on Capitol Square until it was dissolved in 2005, when Tipps retired. In December 2008, Tipps sued Clark, claiming that his "erratic behavior" and big-spending habits had jeopardized the operation of the firm," Joe Hallett, The Columbus Dispatch. Jan 6: Blog: Web site launched to provide Ohioans with census information
COLUMBUS -- "The state has launched a new Web site, www.census.ohio.gov, to provide Ohioans with easy-to-get information on the upcoming 2010 census.... The homepage features links to a site with information on temporary census jobs and to a site with lesson plans, maps and other material to help teachers and students learn about the census, the release said.
In addition to the Web site, there will be a '2010 Census Rally' from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 11, at the Statehouse in Columbus with speakers and displays," William Hershey, Dayton Daily News. Jan 6: Lobbyists, bosses fined for not filing
COLUMBUS -- "For the first time, the legislative inspector general has turned two lobbyists and 13 lobbyist employers over to the attorney general's collections-enforcement section for failure to pay fines associated with late filings.
Ohio lobbyists and the companies and organizations that employ them are required to file expenditure reports three times a year outlining their efforts to influence policy and how much they spent in doing so.
Through the first eight months of 2009, Ohio's lobbying community spent more than $450,000 on state lawmakers," Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch.
COLUMBUS -- "Candidates from as many as six political parties could be on the ballot for governor or other offices in Ohio this year.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner issued a directive last week continuing ballot access for the Libertarian, Green, Socialist and Constitution parties in addition to the Democratic and Republican parties.... Although supporters of broader ballot access say it gives voters more options and encourages greater voter participation, critics say candidates who have little chance to win can help decide who does, in some cases," Mark Niquette, The Columbus Dispatch. Jan 5: Jon Husted: Ohio’s hyper-partisan redistricting rules can be changed
COLUMBUS -- "In the four decades this system has been in place, it has not served Ohio well. It has largely led to one-party control of state government for decades at a time and immunized many legislators from competitive elections.
Further, this system has contributed to the hyper-partisan atmosphere in state government (and in Congress) because the political leaders who run it can serve their partisan interests and arguably have more power in elections than the voters. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can reform the system. The time to act is now.
The Census, followed by the 2010 elections, will once again commence the redrawing of both legislative and congressional districts. Several constitutional amendments to reform the present system have been proposed," Jon Husted, Dayton Daily News. Jan 5: Our New Year's resolution: Blogging along as Cuyahoga County transitions to a new charter government
CUYAHOGA -- "Cuyahoga County government will provide no shortage of intrigue in 2010.
Voters last fall overwhelmingly chose to overhaul a system that dates back 200 years. The transition from three elected county commissioners to a sole county executive and 11-member county council has stoked the ambitions of many local politicians.... County leaders and reform cheerleaders already have flipped the switch on what they hope will be a grass-roots effort. Volunteers are being encouraged to sign up online to serve on one of several committees being convened to oversee the transition. As of this afternoon, more than 300 had registered via the web site to participate," Henry J. Gomez, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Jan 5: News from the bench
COLUMBUS-- "Keeping tabs on the Ohio Supreme Court just got a lot easier.
Following the FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies, the court has launched a free news service which allows users to receive updates through e-mail or text message.... While other government entities at both the federal and state levels have been utilizing such systems, the Ohio Supreme Court is believed to be the first court in the United States to launch the service," Catherine Candisky, The Columbus Dispatch.
COLUMBUS -- "State lawmakers will flock back to Columbus this month from winter break after wrapping up a 2009 marked by an extended budget brouhaha and legislative gridlock between warring chambers.
With Democrats and Republicans splitting power in the Ohio legislature for the first time in 14 years, Ohio lawmakers passed fewer bills in 2009 -- a mere 16 -- than during any legislative year in recent memory. That's less than half as many bills as were passed in the first year of the last three General Assemblies -- in 2003, 2005 and 2007.... Catherine Turcer, who heads the Money in Politics project for Ohio Citizen Action, a government watchdog group, said lawmakers were 'stuck in first gear' throughout the year.
'It was business as usual when it came to the fund-raisers, but what they weren't doing was coming to consensus very well,' Turcer said. 'You expect some bumps with divided government for the first time in 14 years, but it really took them a long time to get together and come up with some workable solutions,'" Aaron Marshall, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Posted on Jan 3. Jan 4: Editorial: Deadline approaching The Ohio Senate has acted. Now the House must act quickly to improve the drawing of congressional and legislative district lines
COLUMBUS -- "Partisan gridlock at the Statehouse almost prevented action to repair an $851 million budget deficit by the end of the year. At least part of the blame for the difficulty in coming to grips with such a serious fiscal problem must rest ultimately with the way legislative districts are drawn. The process invites polarization by producing lawmakers who represent the extreme wings of their parties. Finding the middle ground, never easy, can prove all but impossible. The same criticism applies to the state's congressional districts.... The timing is right. If Democrats maintain control of the Ohio House, the governor's office and secretary of state's office next November, they will have the upper hand. If the past is a guide, they will craft districts to maximize their power while packing Republicans into as few districts as possible. Yet Republicans could just as easily seize control after November. So each side, not to mention Ohio voters, stands to gain from fairer and more competitive districts," Akron Beacon Journal. Jan 4: Noe's '06 conviction upheld
COLUMBUS -- "Tom Noe's 2006 conviction for stealing millions from Ohio's injured workers' trust fund was upheld by the 6th District Court of Appeals yesterday, with the court ruling that Noe received a fair trial in Toledo.... Noe was convicted in November, 2006, on several counts of theft and corruption stemming from charges that he stole millions of dollars from a rare-coin fund he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
A jury found him guilty of 29 charges of corruption, theft, money laundering, and tampering with records. He was found not guilty on 11 other charges, and several others were dismissed or consolidated," Erica Blake, Toledo Blade. Posted on Jan 1.
CLEVELAND -- "Last week's Supreme Court decision granting corporations the right to spend unrestricted amounts of money supporting or opposing candidates in federal elections is so strained in its reasoning and so removed from the realities of American life that it would be grotesquely comedic, were its implications not so dire.
We're all familiar, of course, with the disenfranchisement of corporate America. It's common knowledge that the interests of big business are routinely ignored at every level of society, and that the deprivation of rights suffered by those unfortunates who populate its executive suites is a continuing affront to the national conscience. That, at least, was the suggestion of the strident tone taken by Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. 'If the First Amendment has any force,' he wrote, 'it prohibits Congress from fining or jailing citizens or associations of citizens for simply engaging in political speech.'
You would think that the federal prisons were overflowing with corporate martyrs to freedom of expression. This is reasoning ludicrous on its face and radical in its dismissal of judicial decisions stretching back to Theodore Roosevelt's presidency. The notion that corporate rights and individual rights -- particularly those recognized by the First Amendment -- are congruent is absurd. Do corporations have a right to freedom of religion, or just to those liberties that advance commercial interests,?" Plain Dealer guest columnist Tim Rutten, Cleveland Plain Dealer. 
COLUMBUS -- "A quarter-century from now, when we celebrate the bicentennial of de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, what will we think of Citizens United? The majority opinion was written to be revered, in the way that New York Times v. Sullivan or The Pentagon Papers Case has been. But perhaps, instead, it may be seen as a stain on the fabric of democracy, one sending the country into another era of sullied politics like the one before the Progressive Era took hold. The 90-page dissent is certainly written with this sort of prognosis in mind.... If a quarter-century from now, Congress remains dysfunctional, Citizens United will hardly have been the only cause. People will point to the filibuster, gerrymandering, and other factors that preceded Citizens United. And the bicentennial of de Toqueville’s book will not be a happy occasion. Let us hope that that is not the situation in which we find ourselves.
Let us hope, instead, that we look back upon Citizens United as a spur which helped motivated Congress to engage in institutional self-improvement, which started a process that reduced the nation’s democracy deficit," Edward B. Foley, Election Law @ Moritz. 
WASHINGTON DC -- "The court has ruled that corporations may use unlimited amounts of their own money on federal elections. That overturns a 63-year-old law federal. Ohio has a similar law.
And the corporations (and presumably unions) are no longer banned from funding 'issue-oriented' ads out of their general fund in the two months before an election, as they were under McCain-Feingold.
However, the corporations may still not give money directly to candidates. (The court was silent on that.) And the part of McCain-Feingold that banned unlimited contributions to national parties remains in force," Dayton Dayly News. 
WASHINGTON DC -- "That's Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's advice for Americans this fall, when they could get caught in an onslaught of TV, radio and Internet political commercials, the velocity and volume of which we've never seen. The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday opened the gates for a new level of discourse, 
WASHINGTON DC -- "The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down key provisions of some of the central laws governing how the nation's political campaigns are financed just ahead of the pivotal 2010 midterm congressional primaries and election season.
By a 5-4 vote, the court ruled that corporations may spend freely to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress, overturning a 20-year-old ruling.
It could take weeks to sort through the full ramifications of the landmark ruling, but its ripple effects could endanger federal limits on corporate and union contributions to candidates, as well as other measures that restrict how political ads are regulated. The ruling could unleash a flow of new corporate cash into the political realm," Deborah Tedford, Liz Halloran, National Public Radio. 
COLUMBUS -- "
COLUMBUS -- "The November ballot will include races for governor, secretary of state and auditor. Whichever party wins two of those races would control map-drawing completely under current rules. So, whichever party is looking strongest by summer or fall is unlikely to support reform. And without support from both parties, reform has been rejected by voters in the past.
And after November, the actual redistricting process will be imminent. It starts after the 2010 federal Census is done.... Citizens and organizations that are against a system that gives one party the spoils in each decade — and results in, for example, districts that make a near circle around unwanted voters — need to be contacting legislators of both parties," Dayton Daily News. 
CUYAHOGA COUNTY -- "As one of the leaders of the campaign for Issue 6, which voters passed overwhelmingly in hopes of ending county government as they know it, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason ought to understand better than most how sick the electorate is of cronyism, patronage and pay-to-play politics.
He has to know that his decision to award a no-bid contract to a former employee is exactly the kind of suspicious deal that drove the Issue 6 reform.
Is it possible that he doesn't know how empty his protests that he sees no conflict of interest sound,?" Cleveland Plain Dealer. 
CUYAHOGA COUNTY-- "A proposal to change the way Ohio draws legislative districts every 10 years is set for a hearing in the House of Representatives today after already passing in the Senate.
The move comes just as many were saying a legislative mapping change was not likely to occur for another 10 years, thanks to a gridlock in state politics.... In 2009, the League of Women Voters, Ohio Citizen Action, Brunner's office and other groups and individuals sponsored a competition to come up with a better way to draw legislative districts. In her column, Brunner said the state should use the competition's criteria - emphasizing compact but competitive districts - to determine the best way to redraw the lines," Justin McIntosh, Marietta Times. 
LOS ANGELES -- "Corporations are pitching a bizarre product -- a radical vision of the 1st Amendment. It would give corporations rather than voters a central role in our electoral process by treating corporate political spending as protected speech. If this vision becomes reality, businesses and other big-money players will spend billions either hyping their preferred candidates or running attack ads against elected officials who don't support their preferred agenda. Voters will be forced into a couch-potato role, mere viewers of the electoral spectacle bought and paid for by wealthy companies.
The Supreme Court's decision in the hotly anticipated campaign finance reform case Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission -- which may be announced as early as Tuesday -- will show whether a majority of the Roberts court is buying their argument," Monica Youn, Los Angeles Times 
CUYAHOGA COUNTY -- "Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason and former Sheriff Gerald McFaul, both criticized for accepting campaign cash from their employees, have avoided closer scrutiny amid an effort to make politics more transparent. Last month, the Board of Elections removed finance reports submitted by Mason and McFaul from a public database 
COLUMBUS -- "The U.S. Constitution requires there be a count of every resident in the United States every ten years. About preparations for the 2010 Census including community partnerships to count hard-to-reach groups, and issues raised by the population count, with Detroit Assistant Regional Census Manager Mario Matthews,The Latino Action Circle Community Development Specialist/Community Organizer Ruben Castilla Herrera, and You Can Count On Me Ohio co-chair Catherine Turcer," Recorded January 7.
COLUMBUS -- "The state has launched a new Web site, 
COLUMBUS -- "For the first time, the legislative inspector general has turned two lobbyists and 13 lobbyist employers over to the attorney general's collections-enforcement section for failure to pay fines associated with late filings.
Ohio lobbyists and the companies and organizations that employ them are required to file expenditure reports three times a year outlining their efforts to influence policy and how much they spent in doing so.
Through the first eight months of 2009, Ohio's lobbying community spent more than $450,000 on state lawmakers," Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch. 
COLUMBUS -- "In the four decades this system has been in place, it has not served Ohio well. It has largely led to one-party control of state government for decades at a time and immunized many legislators from competitive elections.
Further, this system has contributed to the hyper-partisan atmosphere in state government (and in Congress) because the political leaders who run it can serve their partisan interests and arguably have more power in elections than the voters. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can reform the system. The time to act is now.
The Census, followed by the 2010 elections, will once again commence the redrawing of both legislative and congressional districts. Several constitutional amendments to reform the present system have been proposed," Jon Husted, Dayton Daily News. 
COLUMBUS -- "State lawmakers will flock back to Columbus this month from winter break after wrapping up a 2009 marked by an extended budget brouhaha and legislative gridlock between warring chambers.
With Democrats and Republicans splitting power in the Ohio legislature for the first time in 14 years, Ohio lawmakers passed fewer bills in 2009 -- a mere 16 -- than during any legislative year in recent memory. That's less than half as many bills as were passed in the first year of the last three General Assemblies -- in 2003, 2005 and 2007.... Catherine Turcer, who heads the Money in Politics project for Ohio Citizen Action, a government watchdog group, said lawmakers were 'stuck in first gear' throughout the year.
'It was business as usual when it came to the fund-raisers, but what they weren't doing was coming to consensus very well,' Turcer said. 'You expect some bumps with divided government for the first time in 14 years, but it really took them a long time to get together and come up with some workable solutions,'" Aaron Marshall, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Posted on Jan 3.