Republicans & Democrats Trade Barbs Over Proposed Election Law Changes

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State and Congressional elected officials fired criticism against each other concerning proposed changes in federal and state election laws.

State Senator Bob Peterson, a Fayette County Republican who is also seeking the 15th District Congressional seat, has co-sponsored an Ohio resolution aimed at blocking U.S. House Resolution #1.

Peterson stated in a press release Wednesday afternoon that Democrats are attempting- “an unconstitutional attempt to federalize state elections.” He continued by saying he is- “Urging the United States Congress to reject a proposed partisan power-grab that would remove state authority over elections and give it to federal bureaucrats.”

Peterson continued with a list of what he called dangers that would result in passage of U.S. House Resolution 1:

  • legalize the practice of ballot harvesting, potentially creating opportunities for voter suppression and fraud,
  • allow voters to register and vote on the day of an election without adequate time to ensure their eligibility,
  • use tax dollars to fund political campaigns,
  • ban efforts to require voter identification, and 
  • prohibit local officials from verifying voter rolls and overseeing secure elections.

“This is a brazen attempt by the radical left to destroy the safeguards that protect our voting process,” said Peterson. “Nancy Pelosi and other extremists know they can’t build a lasting majority on credible candidates and sound public policy, so their solution is to game the system and make it easier to cheat. This is exactly why I’m running for Congress – to put an end to federal takeovers of our constitutional freedoms.”

Ohio U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown returned criticism of Ohio Republican lawmakers Wednesday, claiming their proposed changes to state voting laws are a “knee-jerk reaction” to Donald Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election.

Brown told reporters Wednesday morning, that Republican legislators are responding to an “abject lie” created by the former President Donald Trump in an effort to limit voting access. 

“They should be ashamed of themselves,” Brown said. “It’s why Republicans are going to start losing more elections in Ohio because the voters know that they’re playing to that big lie from an angry president that cares more about dividing people than he does unifying our country.”

Brown joined Democratic Senate colleagues Tuesday in backing legislation they say would serve as a buffer against voting restrictions passed in other states.

With the U.S. Senate at 50-50, it still requires 60 votes to override a filibuster from Republicans, in order for the matter to be open for floor debate. The measure did not gain any support from the 50 U.S. Senate Republicans.

Ohio U.S. Senator Rob Portman said- “I’m proud of the way we conduct our elections in Ohio, in part because we’ve got high turnout. In fact, we had record turnout last year. And that’s great. And I don’t want to leave it up to federal employees here in Washington, D.C. to determine how our system should work in Ohio, which is what this legislation would do.”

Ohio House Rep. Mark Johnson Speaks About Business Concerns Over Lack Of Employees

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(Watch our YouTube interview above, with Rep. Mark Johnson)

Litter Media visited with State Representative Mark Johnson at the Ohio Statehouse, Tuesday, where we spoke about the 92nd District he represents and the legislation his constituents are talking to him about.

The 92nd District covers all of Fayette County, there western half of Pickaway County and the northern two-thirds of Ross County.

Rep. Johnson is in his first term in the Ohio House and he says he has quickly gotten up to speed on matters that have kept the legislature busy during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have ranged from unemployment benefits to trying to protect business from over-regulation.

One of these bills makes all Ohio businesses “essential” if a future health crisis occurs, as long as those businesses follow standard health practices. Johnson says he has been hearing from many small business owners who say they have had to alter their hours due to a lack of employees.

The Chillicothe Republican alluded to how the federal Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), the supplemental unemployment benefit created by the CARES Act in March 2020 at $600 per week and continued by the American Rescue Plan Act at $300 per week, was incentivizing many people not going back to work.   

Ohio will end FPUC payments after the benefit week ending June 26, 2021. 

Johnson believes people who are working should be rewarded by having the federal income tax suspended for a period of time in an effort to get people back to work.

Governor DeWine Announces College to Law Enforcement Pathway Program

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(COLUMBUS)  – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced the launch of a new pilot program that will equip aspiring peace officers with the critical skills necessary for a successful career in law enforcement. 

The Ohio Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment‘s new College to Law Enforcement Pathway Program is an entry-level leadership development program that will operate in partnership between law enforcement agencies and institutions of higher education in Ohio. The program will pair criminal justice students with law enforcement mentors who will help develop students’ leadership skills and prepare them for a law enforcement career.

This elite honors program will pilot at Cedarville University and Central State University during the upcoming fall semester. The program will be open to qualifying upper-class criminal justice majors, and participants will be guaranteed a job with a partnering law enforcement agency upon graduation. 

“Students who graduate from this rigorous professional development program will have great potential to become Ohio’s next generation of law enforcement leaders,” said Governor DeWine. “In a time when many law enforcement agencies are struggling to recruit highly-qualified candidates, this program will create a pool of pre-qualified applicants with a strong understanding of criminal justice issues and the know-how to form positive relationships within their communities.”

Law enforcement agencies that are planning to participate in the pilot project include the Beavercreek Police Department, Dublin Police Department, Fairfield Township Police Department, Fairview Park Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Lancaster Police Department, Lebanon Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Reynoldsburg Police Department, West Chester Police Department, and Xenia Police Department.

“This pilot program will be beneficial to all the parties involved,” said Dr. Patrick Oliver, director of Cedarville University’s criminal justice program and lead consultant to the Ohio Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment. “The students will graduate from a college program that will develop their ability to lead while being mentored and prepared for a career in law enforcement service, law enforcement agencies will have a pool of highly-qualified applicants, and the universities will benefit by having this unique program for criminal justice students.”

At the completion of the pilot, the College to Law Enforcement Pathway Program will expand to other law enforcement agencies, colleges, and universities in the state.

Governor DeWine created the Ohio Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment in 2020 to assist local law enforcement agencies in recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. The program operates out of the Office of Criminal Justice Services within the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

Royalty Crowned At Pickaway County Fair

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The Pickaway County Fair continues in Circleville, where earlier this week,  Evie Layton was crowned Queen and Mason McFarland as King. 

Austin Eitel is the king’s attendant and Avalon Havan is the  queen’s attendant.

Watch our interview with Queen Evie Layton, King Mason McFarland, Junior Fairboard member Aubrey Colburn and and Fair Spokesperson Christy Pence.

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