11/12/03

Columbus - Ohio House and Senate leaders are giving lawmakers a day off from passing bills to attend a lauded politician's funeral today. Some committees have been canceled, too.

But the fund-raising events will continue.

State lawmakers will host more than 20 breakfast, dinner or cocktail parties in the next two days to raise money for their campaigns - a startling number even to the politically initiated.

To Ohio Citizen Action's Catherine Turcer, the fact that sessions or committees would be canceled while fund-raising continues is telling.

"It shows that when you're in Columbus, this is a time for their cash constituents when it should be a time to be making laws and doing the work that goes into that," said Turcer, campaign finance director for Ohio Citizen Action.

The money-making functions today and tomorrow are hosted by both Republicans and Democrats, both senators and representatives. Spokesmen for the parties said legislators have often made arrangements with a restaurant, hotel or caterer for these social functions - and can't change them on a dime.

"It's a commentary on modern-day politics," said Dan Trevas, a spokesman for the Ohio Democratic Party. "It's necessary to raise funds to get the message out, so every legislator has to have fund-raisers upon fund-raisers. I'm sure they'd all rather be doing the legislative work than spending time at all these fund-raisers."

Ohio Republican Party spokesman Jason Mauk said the party stresses discretion on the timing of fund-raisers - but hasn't asked anyone to cancel one since it recommended calling off all party functions on the first anniversary of Sept. 11.

Mauk pointed out that the funeral of Corwin Nixon, a former Republican legislative leader who spent 30 years at the Statehouse, conflicted directly with today's 1:30 p.m. floor sessions - while fund-raisers were either in the morning or after 5.

Still, Turcer said, lawmakers' preference for holding fund-raisers when they're in session creates problems of its own.

According to a recent Citizen Action study, 104 of 109 fund-raisers held during the first six months of the 125th General Assembly were held on session days. That means lawmakers are asking for money - or lobbyists are offering it - on the very days that key votes on bills might be happening, Turcer said.

"There's nothing inherently wrong with money. They need it to get their message out, and to run their elections," Turcer said. "But what happens to the people who they solicit right before they go in to vote? There needs to be a bigger separation than a matter of hours."

But Mauk said lawmakers have lives and jobs back in their districts and like to make efficient use of their time in the capital.

"It has less to do with a connection to the legislative process itself than it does to finding a time that's convenient for the invitees," Mauk said.

Turcer said those appearances could be offset by stricter financial reporting requirements.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

jsmyth@plaind.com, 1-800-228-8272