Lawmaker takes issue with Ohio voting debate criticism

(The Center Square) – The Republican chairman of an Ohio House committee condemned for limiting debate over a controversial voting rights bill called the criticism false and said it’s ironic Democrats imposed their own time limits on an upcoming statewide listening tour.

Rep. Shane Wilkin, R-Hillsboro, came under fire from Democrats on the Government Oversight and Reform Committee who claimed he prematurely cut off debate after 80 minutes for what they call an anti-voter bill.

Democrats walked out of the hearing, likening the tactics to ones used in Georgia and other states to end debates and push through election changes.

“These are the same kind of strong-arm tactics Republicans used in Georgia and other states to stifle debate, silence opposition and ram through dangerous legislation to roll back the freedom to vote,” said Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Cleveland, ranking member on the committee. “We won’t stand for it. The people will not be silenced. They will be heard.”

Wilkin called the idea false and said nearly every question was answered before Democrats left.

“The insinuation from House Democrats that debate on House Bill 294 was limited is simply not based in fact,” Wilkin said in a statement. “This is especially true considering that all questions in the 80-minute hearing were asked by the Democrats, with the lone exception of a final question that was asked after the Democrats chose to leave the hearing.”

Democrats plan a series of listening stops around the state in an effort to present the legislation to the public. Stops in Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron and Cleveland are scheduled in two-hour blocks.

“It’s also ironic that after dismissing the time allotted for this first hearing as utterly inadequate, the Democrat committee members announced a ‘statewide listening tour’ in which they allot only two hours per hearing for citizens to speak to the bill,” Wilkin said.

Sweeney said Wilkin’s recollection of the events is wrong and invited him to join Democrats on the tour.

“If he wants to have more open dialogue both in committee and across the state where Ohioans can discuss this bill openly with committee members and bill sponsors, I’d be happy to take him up on that and have him join us on our Freedom to Vote Tour, which begins June 2 in Cincinnati,” Sweeney said.

House Bill 294 would eliminate early voting the day before an election but adds hours to other early voting days. It also would require two forms of identification to request an absentee ballot online, and it would stop the mailing of absentee ballots 10 days before an election. It would require testing of voting machines before use in all elections and would expand the definition of voter activity to ensure fewer active voters are purged from voter rolls.

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