OHIO REPUBLICAN STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE REPORT
May 5, 2023
The Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee held its spring meeting in Columbus, Ohio Friday May 5, 2023, at the Sheraton Columbus at Capitol Square. First, we prayed, pledged allegiance to our flag, did roll call, adopted the Agenda and approved of the minutes from January 6, 2023. New Business included the appointment of Debbie Lang to fill a vacancy in Senate District 4 – Butler County.
Next, we took a vote to pass a Resolution to Protect Innocent Life and Parental Rights by Raising the Voter Approval Required for Citizen-Initiated Constitutional Amendments in Ohio, attached. If there is one issue that unites this body, it is protection of the unborn! The Judicial Screening Committee Endorsement Process was then debated as to whether the Candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court should be passed by simple majority or two thirds. I spoke up in favor of setting a higher bar knowing all three candidates would be able to meet that challenge. It was stated during discussion that this change only applies to the specific vote; it is not a permanent rule change. When the vote was taken, the majority preferred a simple majority for endorsement and that effort carried. So, when the endorsement vote was taken, Justice Joe Deters, Judge Megan Shanahan and Judge Dan Hawkins from Franklin County easily earned endorsement and will be our Republican candidates for the 2024 election.
Standing Committees were then addressed and a vote was taken to allow for re-assignment of standing committees. I thought this made sense to give our current Chairmen flexibility to adjust committee assignments that were set up by his predecessor. That motion carried and new members of a committee called Chairman & Vice Chairman Review Committee was approved. They will be Jim Dicke, George Vincent, Jane Timken, Dave Johnson, Mark Wagoner, and Jake Warner.
The Platform Committee, on which I serve as Secretary, presented the platform that had been in process since December. Committeeman Bryan Williams amended the platform to include a Right-to-Work plank. After much discussion and a vote, the amendment failed and the platform also failed. By not passing it, it now becomes imperative for the Platform Committee to get one passed at the September meeting because this party needs a platform! The Building Committee announced plans are underway to sell the headquarters building in downtown Columbus. Maintaining the building has become cost prohibitive and the space is ill-suited to the needs of the party.
Three Resolutions were then considered. Two, presented by Laura Rosenberger addressing issues with Parliamentarian and Legal Counsel, were rejected. The third Resolution in Support of 60% Majority for Constitutional Amendments presented by Committeeman Josh Brown and Committeewoman Jesse Franz, attached, passed unanimously by voice vote. As mentioned above, the pro-life issue unites us like no other. We then received reports from both our Treasurer, Ron Maag and our Chairman, Alex Triantafilou. Both were encouraging and reveal that we seem to have entered a new era for the ORP. We will continue to build on our successes. Not the least of which was that on the 10th of May 2023, The Ohio House finally voted to protect the Ohio Constitution by having a special August election to raise the threshold for revisions and amendments to 60%. This is long overdue in my opinion and should have been addressed back in the days of placing casino addresses into this important document. Our next scheduled meeting is September 8, 2023. With that our meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Holwadel
Ohio Republican Party
State Central Committeewoman
Senate District 8
Attachments:
