COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio House of Representatives has been facing a tense situation. First, there was drama over the Speaker of the House vote and then new rule changes proposed on the Ohio House Floor.
It’s been announced there will be 28 committees this term. Last year, there were a total of 23 functioning committees in the House. What has several lawmakers on edge is the power shift.
There are many changes this term and they could potentially shift some of the power from House Speaker Jason Stephens.
What You Need To Know
- Authority to appoint Democratic Committees now rests in the hands of Minority Leader
- Minority Leader can now appoint Dem seats if someone is absent, resigned or died
- Proposed amendments must be shared one day before committee votes
The Minority Leader of the House, Allison Russo, now has the authority to appoint Democratic members to House committees, which was done by the Speaker of the House.
The House Rules & Reference Committee can now recall bills stuck in committee and reassign them to somewhere else to be looked at.
Proposed amendments will also be required to be shared with members one day before committee votes. The rule changes will also let the Minority Leader appoint House Democrats to fill committee seats when someone is missing due to absence, death or resignation in all standing committees and subcommittees.
Stephens has already named Representative Scott Wiggam as chair of constitutional resolutions.
Lawmakers believe that could be a peace offering to the Rep. Derek Merrin supporters who continue to view Merrin as the “Leader of the House.”
