Maureen O’Connor
Attorney general candidate files criminal complaint against Ohio GOP redistricting commissioners
Democratic state Rep. Jeff Crossman announced Thursday his filing of a criminal complaint asking the Ohio State Highway Patrol to investigate Republican members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission for dereliction of duty. Crossman, the Democratic nominee for attorney general this November, said the GOP commissioners had “recklessly failed to perform a duty expressly imposed by […]
Ohio Secretary of State says he didn’t call for Supreme Court chief’s ouster
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Tuesday denied that he had called for the impeachment of Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor after she had repeatedly ruled against LaRose and the rest of her fellow Republicans on the Ohio Redistricting Commission. LaRose’s comments come four days after he told a group of Union […]
Ohio Supreme Court justices Kennedy and DeWine undermining judiciary with redistricting partisanship
Justice is supposed to be blind. But not in Ohio. Not when a pair of Ohio Supreme Court justices dropped all pretense of impartiality and objectivity in the super high stakes redistricting cases before the court that have utterly upended Ohio politics. Justice Sharon Kennedy and Justice Pat DeWine effectively removed their metaphorical blindfolds to […]
Ohio Republicans throw temper tantrum as attempts to cheat with gerrymandering shot down
It takes a real dirtbag sensibility to claim the Ohio Supreme Court demanding districts in line with the Ohio Constitution voters overwhelmingly amended that actually represent Ohioans’ political preferences and still give your party a majority is somehow the real gerrymandering. Nevertheless, that’s what we’re seeing from many Ohio Republican Statehouse politicians confronted with the […]
Gov. DeWine doesn’t regret backing invalidated maps, promises better next time around
Gov. Mike DeWine is promising a more inclusive and transparent process after the Ohio Supreme Court threw out a pair of new House and Senate maps Wednesday. In an end of year interview with Ohio Capital Journal, DeWine said talks have already begun, and a first meeting could happen Monday. “The first thing we need […]
Betraying voters, Ohio Senate President Huffman and House Speaker Cupp declare moral bankruptcy
Nearly 75% of Ohio voters reformed the state constitution in 2018 to end gerrymandering and bring about fair, legal U.S. Congressional districts. Instead state Republican legislative leaders hijacked the process, betrayed voters, and have all but declared total moral and ethical bankruptcy in their cynical pursuit of political power at all costs. The behavior of […]
Profiles: Ohio Supreme Court seats up in contested races
Two seats on the Ohio Supreme Court are up in November’s election. The six-year terms on the state’s highest court are held by two longtime incumbents, and contested by two judicial veterans with experience vying for seats on the court or governmental positions. French v. Brunner Judith French French has been a justice with the […]
Bar exam postponed amid pandemic, prolonging uncertainty for aspiring lawyers
The Ohio Supreme Court announced last week that the Ohio Bar Examination — the compulsory test to be licensed to practice law — will be postponed until early October and will be conducted online. The exam, which was taken by nearly 900 aspiring lawyers last summer, was originally scheduled for July 28-29, but was postponed to Sept. […]
Ohio Supreme Court rules courts don’t have to consider ability to pay when imposing fees
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a split 5-2 decision that courts do not have to consider a defendant’s present or future ability to pay court fees when deciding whether such costs are applicable, overturning an appellate judge’s earlier ruling. The case stems from a complaint filed by Darren Taylor who was convicted of […]
Amid other challenges, Medicaid department conducting massive overhaul
The Ohio Department of Medicaid is working on a complete revamp of the lion’s share of the $27 billion program amid complaints that it hasn’t made much progress on much smaller tasks. The department is working to “reprocure” the services of the managed-care companies that represent more than 90% of Ohioans receiving benefits from Medicaid […]
Ohio needs a systemic, statewide approach to keep incarcerated people safe from COVID-19
A recent Great Lakes poll shows that 80% of Ohioans approve of the job Gov. Mike DeWine is doing during the coronavirus pandemic. Large majorities support school closings, limits on public gatherings, and other measures the state has taken. What’s missing from DeWine’s response is a focus on the risks facing our incarcerated neighbors and […]