Redistricting commission hearings kick off, but Gov. Mike DeWine has other plans: Capitol Letter

Ohio Redistricting Commission public hearing at Cleveland State University

The state's first redistricting commission public hearing was held Monday in the ballroom of Cleveland State University's Student Center. (Cameron Fields, cleveland.com)

Rotunda Rumblings

Mapmakers: The Ohio Redistricting Commission held its first public hearing Monday in Cleveland as it sets out to draw new political maps, Cameron Fields reports. Attendees expressed concern about getting fair districts instead of the heavily gerrymandered variety from the last decade.

False start: Gov. Mike DeWine, one of the redistricting group’s members, was flagged by voter advocates for skipping the first hearing and instead attending the Cincinnati Bengals practice, Andrew Tobias reports. Jen Miller, a spokeswoman for Fair Districts Ohio and Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, called DeWine’s absence “a profound dereliction of duty.” A DeWine spokesman said the practice was previously scheduled and the governor would review information gathered at the hearing by an aide who attended in his place. Only three of the official commission members attended the Cleveland meeting.

Mission critical: The left-leaning Innovation Ohio and the Ohio Federation of Teachers are hosting a discussion Tuesday evening about bills in the legislature that would ban critical race theory from being taught in K-12 schools. The theory is not taught to students outside universities, but the concern is that the bills will be so broad that local schools will be worried about running afoul of the law and cancel other lessons, Laura Hancock reports.

No rush: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is urging federal officials to let seniors and other “vulnerable populations” get a third coronavirus shot now. But as Jeremy Pelzer reports, DeWine isn’t joining in his fellow Republican’s push to accelerate federal officials’ plan to limit booster shots to the immunocompromised until Sept. 20.

Bring your keys and forks: The Ohio House Health Committee is having a hearing at 11 a.m. today on House Bill 248, the bill that made the state a national laughingstock after a doctor testified that the coronavirus vaccine made people magnetized. Although the bill, which would prohibit employers, including hospitals, from even asking if employees are vaccinated, lacks the votes to pass, Rep. Scott Lipps, the committee chair, scheduled a rare August hearing. On Monday afternoon, House Speaker Bob Cupp issued a statement, which is rare before a bill has passed, making it clear the bill will not pass or be amended today. He said lawmakers will then pause hearings to work with “all interested parties on this important issue.”

More vaccine holdups: As children go back to school, many of them are missing their vaccines, the Associate Press’ Julie Carr Smyth reports. No, not the coronavirus vaccine, but routine vaccines like polio, measles, tetanus and whooping cough. The slowdown was largely caused by pandemic-related interruptions, such as canceling routine doctor’s visits or other events like summer camps where children tend to get vaccinated.

Cedar Point: State investigators determined an L-shaped metal bracket about the size of a man’s hand flew off of Cedar Point’s Top Thrill Dragster as it moved at about 120 mph, striking a 44-year-old Michigan woman and leaving her in the hospital with serious injuries, Susan Glaser reports. David Miran, chief of the amusement ride safety division at the Ohio Department of Agriculture, said they are still investigating what caused the accident, though did not believe it was anything they missed during the ride’s last inspection in May.

Not THAT John Adams: John Adams, the former Ohio House member from Shelby County, has announced he’s challenging Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose in next year’s Republican primary. As Tobias reports, Adams is running on an “elections integrity” mantle, a term that’s gained currency on the right following former President Donald Trump’s false and legally rejected claims about the 2020 election. Adams’ specific concerns though, include LaRose’s acceptance of an elections grant from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg last year, and LaRose’s support for DeWine’s decision to move the March 2020 primary.

What’s in a name? The liberal political group Justice Dems released an ad attacking moderate Democrats for wanting to separate the bipartisan infrastructure bill from a larger reconciliation package, including Texas Rep. Tony Gonzalez. Well, at least they thought they were attacking that Gonzalez. Instead, they featured a picture of Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, a Rocky River Republican, in the spot. Oops.

Jackson Hole connection: Patagonia, the outdoors wear retailer, will no longer supply product to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort stores in the area due to an Aug. 5 fundraiser resort owner Jay Kemmerer co-hosted for the House Freedom Caucus, featuring U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a Champaign County Republican. Also headlining were Reps. Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia and Mark Meadows, who was chief of staff under former President Donald Trump, according to WyoFile, a nonprofit news organization. Patagonia has been involved in political activism for and against organizations that don’t match its values for decades.

Hot housing: The number of homes sold in Ohio dipped in July from the same point last year, a possible sign that the red-hot real estate market may be calming, Eric Heisig reports. The average sale price of homes also went down from June of this year.

Correction: Monday’s Capitol Letter inaccurately described the Progressive Change Campaign Committee as a coalition of liberal groups. They are a single group.

Full Disclosure

Five things we learned from the May 11 financial disclosure form of state Rep. Mark Fraizer, a Newark Republican.

1. Aside from his legislative salary of $65,527.32, Fraizer reported earning $25,000 to $49,999 as project manager for Huntington National Bank.

2. Fraizer’s investments were an IRA and 529 College Savings plan through Merrill Lynch, a 401(k)with Huntington National Bank, an investment account with E*Trade, an Ohio Public Employees Retirement System pension and stock in Alphabet, Amazon, Ford and Kroger.

3. At some point in 2020, Fraizer owed more than $1,000 to US Bank, Park National Bank, Discover Financial, American Express, Ohio State University Hospital, Licking Memorial Hospital and on a Synchrony Bank BP Gas Card.

4. The Central Ohio Transit Authority gave Fraizer a hat and mask worth $28.

5. Fraizer is a notary public.

On the Move

The Matriots – an organization that supports Ohio women running for political office – announced it hired Emily Quick Schriver as its first full-time CEO. She’ll help with the organization’s goal of increasing the level of women in statewide and local office in Ohio from the current 31% to 50%.

Birthdays

State Rep. Nino Vitale

Tom Stickrath, Ohio Department of Public Safety director

Kyle Miller, legislative aide to state Rep. Adam Holmes

Adam Schwiebert, policy analyst for the County Commissioners Association of Ohio

Straight from the Source

“But I think people should know there is a virus here, it kills people and the only way we can prevent it is get vaccinated, we wear masks, we do social distancing, washing your hands all the time and not just to think about, ‘Well my freedom is being disturbed here.’ No, screw your freedom. With freedom comes obligations and responsibilities.”

-Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in a CNN interview about people who are against wearing masks to help stop the spread of coronavirus. The comments about “freedom” caused supplement brand REDCON1 to pull its sponsorship from next month’s Arnold Classic in Columbus (incidentally, one of the first major North American events upended by coronavirus in 2020) with REDCON1 saying it was “dangerous and anti-American.”

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