Republicans in the Senate have added to their budget a provision that could directly affect the upcoming process to draw new maps for a 15-member Congressional delegation 鈥� down from 16 鈥� and for the Ohio House and Senate.
The provision would allow only the Senate President and the Speaker 鈥� currently both Republicans 鈥� to use state dollars to hire outside attorneys to intervene in disputes over maps before the Ohio Supreme Court. Usually the attorney general defends state laws. Republican Dave Yost currently occupies that office.
Policy issues are added to budgets every time, including , creating , and provisions over several budgets . Gov. Mike DeWine had even attempted to put elements of the gun regulations he had proposed after the 2019 Dayton mass shootings , though the House took them out and the Senate did not restore them.
But Jen Miller from the League of Women Voters says the budget is supposed to be a financial document.
鈥淚nstead, what we have are these last-minute legislative power grabs that really weaken one of the building blocks of our representational democracy, which is the separation of powers," Miller said in.
Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said this guarantees the legislature a seat at the table in legal disputes.
because Census data is being delayed. But to decide that.
The House would have to agree to the provision before it could go to the governor.
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