The fight over who will be the speaker of the Ohio House through the end of this year continues to take strange turns as members try to find a replacement for former House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger. He resigned in April amid an FBI investigation into his activities.
Finance Chair Ryan Smith wants to be the speaker through December as well as next year. He and 26 of his House colleagues, including Democrat Bernadine Kennedy Kent, say they want to vote on who will be speaker immediately.
“Let’s have a vote. Let’s have clarity. I’m a big boy. I can take it either way. But let’s go,” he said.
But acting Speaker Kirk Schuring has given all members until close of business Friday to vote on one of two plans to resolve this. Schuring says the House won’t be back in session until Tuesday, so he can’t call for a vote right now.
But Rep. Mike Duffey, who backs Smith, says if the powers that be wanted that vote, it could happen.
“They could ask the (Ohio State) Highway Patrol to go collect all 99 members,” he said.
Duffey says Smith’s supporters are being denied access to the House’s legal counsel, so they can’t ask for an opinion. In a written statement, Rep. Larry Householder, who also wants to be speaker in January, is calling for lawmakers to make a rule change to allow Schuring to serve as speaker through the end of this year.
