Ohio utilities judge who advised on writing HB6 withdraws from overseeing FirstEnergy

Rotunda Rumblings

Price drop: Greg Price, an administrative law judge for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has withdrawn from overseeing four investigations into FirstEnergy Corp. because he “provided legal review and advice” to former PUCO Chair Sam Randazzo (whom FirstEnergy later admitted to bribing) about the scandal-ridden House Bill 6. As John Caniglia reports, a PUCO spokesman wouldn’t comment on why Price failed to withdraw earlier and if Price would withdraw from any future cases involving HB6 or FirstEnergy.

Pipe cleaners: Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday that his H2Ohio initiative is offering more than $4 million to help local water systems find and replace toxic lead pipes. As Jeremy Pelzer reports, about half the money will go to six communities around the state that have already mapped out where their lead pipes are; the remainder will be given out in “mini-grants” to locals or distributed via rural associations to help small water systems.

Planes for Ukraine: Democratic U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan of the Niles area and Marcy Kaptur of Toledo sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday to urge his administration to “work with our NATO allies who have MiG and Sukhoi fighters to enable them to provide those available planes to the Ukrainian military. Providing Ukraine with additional fighter capabilities enables them to counter Russian attacks and provide maximum protection of Ukrainian civilians.”

Special price: The cost to the state of holding last year’s special elections in Ohio’s 11th and 15th congressional districts has exceeded $3 million, as the Ohio Controlling Board on Monday approved Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s request for an additional $572,013 to reimburse county boards of elections for costs associated with the special elections. Democrat Shontel Brown was elected to represent Ohio’s 11th Congressional District, while Republican Mike Carey won the special election for Ohio’s 15th Congressional District. Controlling Board members previously approved about $2.48 million in special-election reimbursements.

Hitting the brakes: DeWine is opposed to the bill in the Ohio Senate to pause for five years the latest 17-cents a gas increase that the legislature passed in 2019, as well a registration fees for hybrids and plug-in hybrids. He said the state needs the money to fund the highway safety projects, including improvements to the Brent Spence Bridge that connects Cincinnati to Northern Kentucky and a plan to build a second bridge over the Ohio river nearby. However, state Sen. Stephen Huffman said that the state will receive $11.5 billion from the infrastructure bill Congress recently passed, Ohio Public Media’s Karen Kasler reports.

Government closest to the people is wrong: The Dispatch’s Laura Bischoff highlights bills in which the Ohio General Assembly has taken power from local governments. Lawmakers have passed bills overruling local governments on disposable plastic bags, gun restrictions and public health restrictions having to do with the coronavirus.

Going to the Matt: Two women who are longtime fixtures in Ohio Republican politics are backing Matt Dolan for U.S. Senate. Jo Ann Davidson, the former Ohio house speaker, and Betty Montgomery, the former state attorney general, both announced they are endorsing Dolan on Tuesday. “Out of respect for the candidates, some of whom I know personally, I have declined to share my opinions publicly,” Davidson said in an open letter. “And yet, in recent weeks, I have come to see the tone and tenor of the contest shift. In these moments, like many Ohio Republicans, I ask myself what kind of public servant this moment requires. I now say, without reservation, that I strongly believe that leader to be Matt Dolan.” And Montgomery said in a statement: “I have taken the time to watch this race closely and it’s clear that Matt Dolan’s experience, character set and strict adherence to the Constitution and rule of law set him apart from the field.”

Bloody Sunday: Congressional Black Caucus chair Joyce Beatty, a Columbus Democrat, spent Sunday crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma Alabama, to mark the 57th anniversary of a day when civil rights demonstrators including former U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Alabama were beaten by police, in an event known as Bloody Sunday. “Bloody Sunday is not a day of fear and suffering, rather, it is a day for hope and bravery in the face of daunting oppression,” said a statement from Beatty. “Even when the battle seems too great, we must have the courage to persevere and fight for our place at the table.”

Education spending: Ohio colleges and universities got nearly $1.2 billion over the past year in funding from the American Rescue Plan, at least half of which was used to provide direct financial relief to students so they could continue their education during the pandemic, Sabrina Eaton writes. As part of a weeklong Biden administration drive to promote the bill’s positive effects on the anniversary of its passage, the U.S. Department of Education announced totals received by institutions including Kent State University, Cuyahoga Community College, Lorain County Community College and University of Akron.

Deadline pressure: The Ohio Senate has announced a session for today, at which they plan to pass legislation in response to Friday’s news that the federal government won’t be giving Ohio an extension on the March 18 deadline to mail absentee ballots to military and other overseas voters. We’re not sure what the legislation will be, but one idea that was discussed on Monday was possibly extending the post-election deadline by which military members’ mail ballots must arrive. As it stands, elections officials, particularly those in large counties, say they are unable to meet the March 18 deadline, due to redistricting delays.

Lobbying Lineup

Five groups lobbying on Ohio House Bill 13, a Republican-sponsored measure aimed at reforming campaign finance law by requiring corporations and labor unions to more often report political expenditures, among other election law changes. The bill was introduced last year but has only had two hearings. State lobbying forms do not require lobbyists to disclose what side of a bill they are on.

1. Common Cause Ohio

2. Ohio AFL-CIO

3. Ohio Chamber of Commerce

4. Ohio Farm Bureau Federation

5. The Philanthropy Roundtable

On The Move

Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan has been endorsed for U.S. Senate by the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund.

Straight From The Source

“When I saw Judge Jackson walking up to that podium, it was like the roles were reversed for the first time. It was almost like I was the little girl looking up to someone because I had never seen someone in my profession at the very, very top of it. It just affected me deeply.”

– Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals Judge Laurel Beatty Blunt, describing the significance of seeing fellow Black women judges rise the ranks in the judiciary, according to the Dispatch. President Joe Biden appointed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. If confirmed she would be the first Black female on the high court.

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