Indicted former House speaker wants more checks, balances in Ohio government
(The Center Square) – Ohio’s former House speaker facing indictment on federal bribery charges wants lawmakers to have to more control over the governor’s powers and wants elected county officials to have more control over local health department orders.
Larry Householder, R-Glenford, introduced two pieces of legislation Thursday, one calling for voters to approve his plan to change the state’s constitution to allow a simple majority vote of senators and representatives to modify or end an executive order from the governor.
If Householder’s resolution gets through the General Assembly, it calls for a vote on the 2022 primary election ballot.
“This resolution would exemplify a true checks and balances system in Ohio government, something we haven’t seen a very long time,” Householder said. “It also ensures a commonsense approach to legislative oversight over actions of the over-powerful executive branch.”
Householder also wants county commissioners to be able to change or end any countywide order issued by a county board of health. According to his proposed bill, commissioners would need to pass only a resolution to alter or terminate and local order.
“Unelected boards need to be held accountable by elected officials, such as our county commissioners who are chosen by the people they serve, to make decisions,” Householder said. “This bill adds a well-deserved balance between the people and the unelected board, something our state so desperately needs during these times we’ve been facing.”
In the year since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued countless orders that closed businesses, established curfews and required social distancing and mask wearing.
The House and Senate passed legislation in December that would limit the governor’s authority and emergency powers, but DeWine vetoed those bills. New bills are in the General Assembly to do the same thing.
County health departments throughout the state also established their own, often more strict guidelines, in an effort to combat the pandemic.
Both pieces of legislation proposed by Householder await numbers and committee assignments.
Federal prosecutors allege Householder is at the heart of a $60 million bribery and racketeering scheme involving Ohio’s $1 billion nuclear bailout.
Householder, along with four co-conspirators, were charged eight months ago in what federal prosecutors called the largest political corruption case in state history. Three of the six entities charged have pleaded guilty. Householder pleaded not guilty. He was removed as speaker but won reelection to the Ohio House in November.
Also charged are former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges and lobbyist Neil Clark. Juan Cespedes, co-founder of The Oxley Group, and former Householder adviser Jeffrey Longstretch also have pleaded guilty.
House Bill 6 created a new Ohio Clean Air Program to support nuclear energy plants and some solar power facilities. Electricity consumers were to fund the program with the surcharge that ran through 2027.
The fee, which was scheduled to begin Jan. 1, was stopped by the Ohio Supreme Court in late December. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost also reached a deal with FirstEnergy to stop what would have been a $120 million windfall for the company this year based on another part of HB 6.
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