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The News
Leader
Capital
News: GOP enters summer with proof of bipartisanship
by Marc
Kovac
June 13,
2012
Columbus --
Gov. John Kasich and the Republican leaders of the Ohio House and
Senate took a
much-deserved victory lap last week to mark the completion of a spring
session
to beat all spring sessions.
Last year
was busy. This year could be called grueling. And Kasich says, “You
ain’t seen
nothing yet,” when it comes to what’s next on his agenda.
“We’re
going to continue to push and shove and reduce the cost of doing
business, help
job creators, reward taxpayers,” he told reporters last week.
Kasich
& Co. have a lengthy list of legislative accomplishments --
exotic animals,
human trafficking, fracking, third-grade reading guarantee, video slots
at
racetracks, Cleveland schools reform -- not to mention a major budget
bill and
other mid-biennium review policy changes.
And most of
the major bills passed with Democratic support. Republicans even
managed a
couple of minority party votes on legislation limiting water used from
Lake
Erie and its watershed -- a bill that most Democrats railed against.
Democrats
are appearing at bill signings and dotting the “i” in Kasich’s name.
They’re
laughing at the governor’s jokes. A couple have given him hugs in
public.
That’s
quite a contrast from a year ago, when minority party members were up
in arms
over Senate Bill 5, election reform, the coming redistricting process
and other
issues.
The
narrative going into the summer campaign season for Kasich and GOP
leaders is
that the culture in Columbus has changed. The two parties have found
ways to
work together for the good of the people. At a time when the folks in
Washington, D.C., can’t agree on whether it’s night or day, Republicans
and
Democrats in Ohio are putting aside their differences and focusing on
what
matters.
That’s the
rhetoric, and Statehouse Republicans have plenty of proof that it’s
true --
much to the chagrin of the minority leaders of the Ohio House and
Senate, who
aren’t buying the bipartisan talk.
“Webster’s
dictionary defines ‘bipartisanship’ as cooperation, agreement and
compromise
between political parties,” Senate Minority Leader Eric Kearney, a
Democrat
from Cincinnati, said in a released statement. “So, it strikes me as
very odd
that the governor and Republican leaders would hold a press conference
touting
their new-found spirit of bipartisanship and not invite Democrats to
the
event.”
House
Minority Leader Armond Budish acknowledged Democratic involvement in
developing
first-of-its-king legislation related to Cleveland schools, which
ultimately
received the backing of both political parties.But he said his members
have not
been involved in other major legislation.
“When I
first met the governor right after the election, he indicated to me
that he
would be having the four legislative leaders meet on a regular basis,”
Budish
said. “I’m still waiting for the phone to ring. ... I have made it
clear that I
would love to work more closely with the legislative leaders and with
the
governor, and it is possible to do that. ... When we are at the table,
when we
are allowed to participate, even though we’re in the minority, we can
come up
with very positive programs.”
He added,
“We have voted for many bills, and we vote for bills if they’re good
bills. ...
We put aside party or try to do that when we can, as Democrats, to
support good
legislation. But that does not make the bill bipartisan.”
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