COLUMBUS
There’s nothing that surprising about Senate Republicans’ expected rejection of Gov. Ted Strickland’s appointments to the new Casino Control Commission.
The GOP stomped in this month’s election — whether voters were siding with Republicans or simply voicing their frustration over incumbents is another matter.
They regained control of the
And they positioned themselves to control how Ohio draws its legislative district lines, meaning they’ll likely control state government for the next decade or more.
Given those circumstances, no politician in his or her right mind would sign off on the appointments of a lame duck governor — especially appointments to a newly created state board that pays its members $60,000 a year and will oversee Ohio’s coming casinos.
Changing times
What’s surprising about Republicans’ anticipated action is the message the GOP-controlled chamber sent Ohioans earlier this year about the need to establish that voter-approved board, post haste.
“I believe we have concluded our work for the spring session, so we will be going on a rather lengthy break” Sen. Tom Niehaus, a Republican from New Richmond who is poised to take the gavel from outgoing Senate President Bill Harris, told members on the last voting session in June, before breaking for the summer and campaign season.
But he added, “I will advise members that, because of the casino legislation and the need to advise and consent on the governor’s appointments, there may be a need to come back one day during the summer to advise and consent and fulfill our statutory responsibilities there, again, so that we can get the casino gaming commission up and running as quickly as possible.”
Back in early June, the Senate’s GOP leadership was ready to call members back to the Statehouse, away from the campaign trail, to sign off on Strickland’s appointees. The commission needed to be “up and running as quickly as possible.”
Now, they’re ready to reject the lot outright and allow Gov.-elect John Kasich to name his own board.
The waiting game
And Strickland’s appointees, who already met a couple times, are left to twiddle their thumbs while they wait for the Senate to act.
Strickland said last week that he finds the situation “disappointing.”
“If they choose to reject some of those, I think they have an obligation to state very clearly why they found that particular individual to be unacceptable,” he said. “I’m not the one that made the decision that the Senate would not be in session for five or more months.”
But Senate Republicans’ decision is not really surprising. It would be crazy for them to allow Strickland’s selections to remain.
Just as it would be crazy for Strickland to defer to the governor-elect in filling the seat on the Ohio Supreme Court that opens when Justice Maureen O’Connor becomes chief justice.
Marc Kovac is The Vindicator’s Statehouse correspondent. E-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or on Twitter at OhioCapitalBlog.
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