CLEVELAND – Ohio’s Republican-controlled state legislature has approved a bill to put President Joe Biden on the state’s November ballot. political gamesmanship during a period that has been relaxed without drama in recent years.
The measure, which passed a special session of the state Senate on Friday, now targets Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. DeWine, who called an extraordinary session Biden is expected to sign a bill to address the issue and deal with unrelated campaign finance legislation.
“I don’t think anybody on this side of the aisle really feels like they’re going to vote for President Biden, but at the same time, Ohioans deserve a choice in this election, and that’s what we want to give.” them today,” Republican Sen. Rob McColley said Friday in support of the measure.
Approval of the bill is not expected to stop Biden’s bid for the nomination virtual voting well before the convention at the end of August.
The Democratic National Committee announced the plan earlier this week, opting to sidestep what has become an unexpected partisan battle and ensure Biden is confirmed as the nominee before Ohio’s Aug. 7 primary. The DNC said Friday that Tuesday’s meeting will go ahead as scheduled to make a decision that would allow for a virtual call for the rules and regulations committee. The full DNC vote will follow.
“Today’s action reflects what we already know: Since the beginning of this process, Ohio Republicans have been playing partisan games and trying to undermine our democracy, while Democrats have stood up for Ohioans’ right to vote,” said DNC senior spokeswoman Hannah Muldavin. . “Joe Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states, and we’re already taking steps to make sure that’s the case, regardless of Ohio Republican machinations.”
In the past, both parties have had to align their late-summer nominating conventions with previous state terms to confirm candidates for the general election ballot. Ohio, for example, relaxed the deadline four years ago for both Democrats and Republicans without much fanfare or controversy. This year, the issue only concerns Democrats in Ohio, as the GOP had planned to hold its convention in mid-July.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican warned Democrats last month He said that Biden is in danger of not being able to participate in the vote. In recent weeks, many GOP lawmakers have conditioned their support for changing the voting period to bar non-U.S. citizens from donating to campaigns for state ballot initiatives. DeWine demanded of the state The Legislature is considering both issues when it calls for a special session this week.
Democrats have described the restrictions on foreign money and other elements of the legislation as an unnecessary “poison pill” that would weaken citizen-led petitions. Ohio voters codified abortion rights in the state constitution last year, and progressives are backing a redistricting reform measure slated for the November ballot.
Republicans hold advantages in both the state House and Senate, but GOP leaders in both chambers have rarely been on the same page when negotiating legislation. fragmented domestic politics those who It rocked Ohio State State house In recent years. The uncertainty frustrated Democrats and prompted Biden and the DNC to launch a virtual recall.
In the end, the state House and Senate approved both the campaign finance legislation and Biden’s separate bills.
“This bill — just a temporary fix — was tentative through an attack on voter ballot initiatives,” state Rep. Dontavius Jarrells said in a speech Thursday in support of the Biden-linked bill. “The political maneuvering and legislative tricks that brought us to today’s special session are a reminder of why we must end gerrymandering in Ohio.”
Jarrells and other Democrats expressed frustration that the bill only eased this year’s certification deadline, meaning presidential candidates from both parties could face a similar situation in future elections. Democratic amendments to make the amendment permanent were debated Thursday and Thursday. Republican lawmakers said they were open to the idea but wanted more time to get input from state and local election officials.
“I think we should get some input from the secretary of state,” state Rep. Bob Peterson, the Republican who chairs the House Government Oversight Committee, said Wednesday. “I think we should talk to local election councils. There are reasons why these time frames are set so that they can do the work.”