Ohio Redistricting Commission plans to redraw legislative districts by Saturday: Capitol

Rotunda Rumblings

Back to work: The Ohio Redistricting Commission reconvened on Tuesday, and as Andrew Tobias writes, commission members say they plan to approve a constitutional state legislative district map plan by Saturday. Meanwhile, House Speaker Bob Cupp said legislative leaders are holding off redrawing a congressional map – they have until next month to do so — while they deal with redrawing the state legislative situation first.

Advance notice: Last January, many Ohioans were surprised to discover they were victims of unemployment fraud when they unexpectedly received a tax form in the mail listing benefits for which they never filed. As Jeremy Pelzer reports, state unemployment officials have been trying to avoid a repeat of that by notifying 955,000 Ohioans that benefits were filed for in their names in 2021, so anyone victimized can file a fraud claim before a 1099-G tax form is sent to them.

It’s official: Less than three weeks after stepping down from her post as Minority Leader in the Ohio House of Representatives, Akron Democrat Emilia Sykes announced she’s running for Congress in Ohio’s newly reconfigured 13th congressional district, even though its boundaries are uncertain after Ohio’s Supreme Court rejected the Republican-drawn map as an illegal gerrymander, Sabrina Eaton reports No matter where the district’s borders end up, Sykes says she plans to run “because it’s important for a fighter who cares deeply about the community, who is willing to listen, and willing to work to be a member of Congress.”

Hat in the ring: The lead plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court case that made gay marriage legal throughout the United States has embarked on a new political crusade, Eaton writes. Jim Obergefell, who has moved back to his hometown of Sandusky, announced Tuesday that he’s seeking the 89th Ohio House District seat currently held by Republican D.J. Swearingen of Huron. “I think I’ve proven with my fight for marriage equality that I don’t mind being an underdog. I don’t mind fighting a very big fight when it’s the right thing to do,” said Obergefell.

Open for business: A day ahead of schedule, the https://www.covidtests.gov website where U.S. residents can order free at-home coronavirus tests from the federal government is online and accepting orders, reports Eaton. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the site run in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service will officially launch this morning but started early in the “beta testing phase.”

Locked and loaded: The Transportation Security Administration seized 43 guns at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in 2021, up from 19 in 2020, Adam Ferrise reports. At the John Glenn Columbus International Airport, 33 more guns were seized last year, up from 24 2020. The number of funs seized at the Akron-Canton airport was four last year, the same number as in 2020.

Moving on: The Ohio National Guard-supported testing site in Cleveland, which was run by University Hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic, is ramping down operations on Sunday, due to decreased demand. Julie Washington reports that National Guard members will provide new support for testing locations in several Southeastern Ohio communities, as the omicron variant moves across the state.

Hometown crowd: The HuffPost’s Liz Skalka traveled to Middletown, J.D. Vance’s hometown, to profile the candidate’s campaign for U.S. Senate, which she described as “still anyone’s race.” Vance’s name recognition, thanks to a book, “Hillbilly Elegy” and a movie adaptation of it, was expected to propel him to the front of the seven GOP candidates in the primary race, but it hasn’t.

Denied: The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear arguments that salaried retirees for Delphi, a Dayton auto parts manufacturer, were wronged when the federally controlled Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. took over and, in many cases, reduced their pensions, Thomas Gnau reports for the Dayton Daily News. That ends 12 years of court battles. A statement from U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Niles-area Democrat who is running for U.S. Senate, said the decision highlights the need for Congressional action to restore the retiree pensions “and provide them with the retirement benefits that they have always deserved.”

Lobbying Lineup

Five groups lobbying on House Bill 98, which would allow side windows in the front of a vehicle to be darker, by decreasing from 50% to 30% the allowable light transmittance percentage. Fines for nonconforming vehicles would be capped at $25.

1. The Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association

2. Ohio Automobile Dealers Association

3. Ohio Optometric Association

4. Ohio Conference of AAA Clubs

5. City of Columbus

On the Move

Michael Payton, who was executive director of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission for 18 years before retiring in 2019,was awardedthe Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Governor’s Humanitarian Award for work educating the public about the commission and overseeing an enhancement of the commission’s civil investigative process.

John Meacham is the new executive director of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. He replaces Tony Bishop, who is now deputy policy director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington.

The Ohio Cable and Telecommunications Association changed its name to Ohio’s Broadband and Cable Association. In a release, the industry group said the new name “better aligns with the evolution of the industry and the scope of the association’s membership.”

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio, an evidence-based public policy organization in Columbus, has promoted Hailey Akah to associate vice president, Carrie Almasi as a senior health policy analyst and Stephone Listisen and Jacob Santiago as health policy analysts.

Birthdays

Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber

Straight From The Source

“Schools aren’t a magical place where you can’t catch COVID-19. I know kids that have caught COVID-19 at school.”

-Columbus Education Association President John Coneglio said to the Dispatch’s Megan Henry. The teacher’s union sent a letter last week, signed by more than two-thirds of its 4,200 members, calling for the district to pivot to remote learning for two weeks. However, district and city officials insist students need to learn in person. The dispute has drawn attention in political circles, including Jim Renacci, a GOP gubernatorial candidate saying he supports kids in school.

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