Here he said it again: "he even agrees with several of the changes proposed. But, despite advocates’ insistence to the contrary, LaRose does not feel he has the authority to take these actions unilaterally..."
Let me clear, we didn't receive the immediate relief we sought. That is disappointing.
But on the fundamental question that brought us to court in the first place?
6/
On this two-year narrative by LaRose that Ohio law has kept him from implementing online applications?
The Court agreed with us: “Having reviewed R.C. 3509.03, we find the plain language of the General Assembly does not prohibit qualified electors from making a written..."
7/
"...absentee ballot application to the county director of elections by email or fax or otherwise.”"
The law is not the problem, the Court is confirming.
Then later: “Nothing in this determination should be read as limiting the secretary from, in an exercise..."
8/
"...of his reasonable discretion, implementing R.C. 3509.03 to permit methods of delivery other than mail or in-person should the circumstances warrant it.”
Again, the court is saying LaRose can DO online or electronic applications if he wants to. It's up to him.
9/
So LaRose wasted two years telling the state he couldn't implement a 21st century system many other states have implemented, when it fact he could have done so all along.
He's been wrong the entire time, requiring voters to print, mail and put stamps on these applications
10/
Our only hope now is that after yesterday's ruling, he can finally stop pretending the law is an obstacle here, and he can start doing what so many other states have been doing without problems.
He's wasted enough time on this already.
Please get to work.
END
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Appointing the 🦊 to guard the 🐔 house (when the 🦊 has a hen in its mouth)
A 🧵
At the risk of souring your Sunday mood, I have an update on a story from my recent visit to Athens.
It’s quick. Read on…
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The basic story I shared was that Ohio’s five-member Ohio Oil and Gas Commission voted to re-open an injection well that had been found leaking dangerous chemicals, which led to six more months of leaking.
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And I exposed how the makeup of the commission (all appointed by the Governor) which made that decision comprised a stacked deck in favor of industry.
Ohio Attorney General Yost truly thinks Ohioans have short memories, or are just plain dumb
A quick 🧵
When he was using his official position to try to scare Ohioans into voting against Issue 1 last year, Yost released a legal “analysis” to show the dramatic..
1/
…impact of the new right to reproductive freedom that was on the ballot
Here’s the impact he described then:
The new language would “create a new standard that goes further than Casey’s ‘undue burden’ test or Roe’s
‘strict scrutiny’ test and will make it harder for OH to maintain the kinds of laws already upheld as valid prior to…Dobbs. In other words, the Amendment would give greater protection to abortion to be free from regulation than at any time in OH history.”
3/
Scholarship: (n)
•“a grant-in-aid to a student” (Merriam Webster)
•“a sum of money or other aid granted to a student, because of merit, need, etc., to pursue their studies.” ()
In the height of Jim Crow Alabama, a Black voter trying to register to vote would face the form below.
Look at question 16 in particular: asking if they’d ever seen the registration form before
1/
What was that about?
Well, civil rights groups like the NAACP and others were working hard to help voters register across the South—which included onerous forms and literacy/character tests.
So they would prep those voters for what traps and tricks to be prepared for.
2/
Of course, the Jim Crow state govts who set up all those traps and tricks and tests didn’t like that groups were trying to help voters overcome them.
So question 16 was a way to get voters to reveal who was helping them.
Had they practiced? W what groups? What people? Etc.
3/
So, I asked AI what we could do about the crisis of corruption via regulation of dark money in Ohio. In no time at all, it provided a number of clear answers: