Ohio lawmaker wants Legislature to support Keep Nine Amendment

(The Center Square) – An Ohio lawmaker wants the General Assembly to join Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted in calling on Congress to adopt a new amendment to the U.S. Constitution to establish the number of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, recently introduced Concurrent Resolution 18, which urges Congress to pass the Keep Nine Amendment. It says the Supreme Court will be composed of nine justices.

The resolution is in response to President Joe Biden’s commission to study the possible expansion of the court from its current number of nine justices. Biden’s commission was formed in April and quickly was opposed by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.

DeWine and Husted issued statements a week later, calling any attempt to increase the number of justices political and divisive.

Portman announced in October his support for the Keep Nine Amendment.

Schmidt said she believes an independent court is essential for the nation’s checks and balances and believes the president and Congress should be prohibited from changing the number of justices.

“The policies and actions we are watching come from Washington, D.C., are truly concerning,” Schmidt said. “If the Democrats continue their efforts to ‘pack the Supreme Court’ they need to be aware that the American people are watching. This resolution is modeled after other resolutions across the country and, while nonbinding, we cannot sit back and allow these fundamental shifts to occur in our federal government.”

The resolution is in the House Civil Justice Committee.

The Keep Nine Amendment would add 13 words to the U.S. Constitution: the Supreme Court of the United States shall be composed of nine Justices.

The current number of nine is set by federal statute and was established in 1869.

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