The Ohio Channel

Link

Embed Code

Available Versions

To download a video: right-click on the version you'd like to save, then choose "Save Link As..." and save to your desktop.

Collections

The State of Ohio

Description

Critics of the redistricting process say it's not moving forward with the process Ohioans voted for. Jo Ingles reports. And younger lawmakers say they're ready to take on tough issues. Dani Issacsohn, David Thomas, Michele Reynolds, Shaquille Alexander and Munira Abdullai take questions from the Columbus City Club audience.

Markers Transcript

There are no markers for this video.

00:00:00	Support
00:00:00	for the Statehouse News Bureau
00:00:02	comes from Medical Mutual,
00:00:03	dedicated to the health
00:00:03	and well-being of Ohioans,
00:00:05	offering health insurance
00:00:05	plans, as well as dental,
00:00:08	vision and wellness programs
00:00:08	to help people
00:00:10	achieve their goals
00:00:10	and remain healthy.
00:00:12	More at Med mutual.com.
00:00:14	The law offices of Porter,
00:00:14	right, Morris and Arthur LLP.
00:00:17	Porter, right, is dedicated
00:00:17	to bringing inspired legal
00:00:21	outcomes to the Ohio business
00:00:21	community.
00:00:23	More at Porter. Right.
00:00:24	Com Porter Wright
00:00:24	inspired every day.
00:00:27	You know, Ohio
00:00:27	Education Association
00:00:29	representing 120,000 educators
00:00:29	who are united
00:00:32	in their mission to create
00:00:32	the excellent public schools.
00:00:35	Every child deserves more at o
00:00:35	h e talk.
00:00:38	Critics
00:00:38	of congressional redistricting
00:00:40	say it's not moving forward
00:00:42	with the process
00:00:42	Ohioans voted for.
00:00:45	And younger lawmakers
00:00:45	say they're ready to take on
00:00:47	tough issues.
00:00:49	That's this
00:00:49	week in the state of Ohio.
00:01:09	Welcome to the state of Ohio.
00:01:11	I'm Karen Kasler.
00:01:13	The congressional map
00:01:13	making process has now moved
00:01:15	the seven member Ohio
00:01:15	redistricting commission.
00:01:18	After a bipartisan committee
00:01:18	of state lawmakers failed
00:01:21	to approve a 15 district map
00:01:21	by September 30th.
00:01:25	This is the second phase
00:01:25	of a three part process
00:01:27	for drawing district lines
00:01:27	for members of Congress
00:01:30	that had bipartisan support
00:01:32	and was overwhelmingly
00:01:32	approved by voters in 2018.
00:01:35	But as statehouse
00:01:35	correspondent Joe Ingles
00:01:37	reports, Democrats
00:01:37	and some voters say that
00:01:40	process is not being executed
00:01:40	as it was intended.
00:01:44	Here's the.
00:01:47	In March 2018, former
00:01:47	Republican Governor
00:01:50	of California Arnold
00:01:50	Schwarzenegger raised shots
00:01:54	of schnapps
00:01:54	alongside Republican
00:01:56	and Democratic lawmakers
00:01:56	in Ohio
00:01:58	celebrating a congressional
00:01:58	redistricting plan
00:02:01	that he said would terminate
00:02:01	gerrymandering.
00:02:05	It was built on the change
00:02:05	voters made to the legislative
00:02:08	map drawing process in 2015.
00:02:11	Matt Huffman,
00:02:12	who wasn't in office
00:02:12	then after
00:02:14	he was term
00:02:14	limited out of the house,
00:02:16	helped sell the idea
00:02:18	to voters, saying it
00:02:18	encouraged bipartisanship.
00:02:21	If the minority doesn't agree
00:02:23	and two members of the
00:02:23	minority party don't agree.
00:02:26	The map will only last
00:02:26	for four years.
00:02:29	Now, the majority can still
00:02:30	redraw
00:02:30	the map after four years.
00:02:33	And so you may say, well,
00:02:33	how does that help?
00:02:35	The answer is legislators
00:02:35	and the other folks involved
00:02:39	don't want the districts
00:02:39	to change
00:02:41	in that short
00:02:41	of a period of time.
00:02:43	They have an incentive
00:02:43	to get a ten year map.
00:02:46	And that's true
00:02:46	for the majority party
00:02:48	and the minority party.
00:02:50	The process appealed
00:02:50	to almost 75% of Ohio
00:02:53	voters who voted for it.
00:02:55	It was intended
00:02:55	to have three parts.
00:02:57	The first is a bipartisan
00:02:57	legislative committee
00:03:00	that is to come up
00:03:00	with an agreement on a map
00:03:03	before it goes to the Ohio
00:03:03	Redistricting Commission,
00:03:06	which had been created
00:03:06	in the state legislative
00:03:08	redistricting amendment voters
00:03:08	approved in 2015.
00:03:13	Now, in this current process,
00:03:13	that deadline
00:03:16	passed on September 30th
00:03:16	without an agreement.
00:03:19	And even though
00:03:20	Democrats proposed a map
00:03:20	before that deadline,
00:03:23	Republicans haven't yet
00:03:23	publicly unveiled a map
00:03:26	and may not until the third
00:03:26	phase of the process
00:03:30	on its final day of work.
00:03:32	Senate Minority Leader
00:03:32	Nikki Antonio
00:03:34	told the legislative committee
00:03:34	that this is not
00:03:37	what voters intended
00:03:37	for a map to be passed.
00:03:40	It was required
00:03:40	that it be part bipartisan.
00:03:45	I interpret
00:03:45	that as the will of the people
00:03:47	for us to sit down and work
00:03:47	together.
00:03:49	I don't interpret
00:03:49	it as we'll just sit back
00:03:53	and run the clock out, which
00:03:53	unfortunately seems to be
00:03:57	what the plan is here,
00:03:57	and that
00:04:01	that is disrespectful to the
00:04:01	people of the state of Ohio.
00:04:05	Antonio said
00:04:06	voters intended
00:04:07	fairness to be part
00:04:07	of the constitutional process,
00:04:10	to which Republican Senator
00:04:10	Jane Timken responded.
00:04:13	This one.
00:04:14	The word fairness is not
00:04:14	in the Constitution,
00:04:17	correct?
00:04:21	It's not in this Constitution.
00:04:25	Quiet in the crowd.
00:04:27	We're
00:04:27	going to have to ask that.
00:04:28	If you cannot refrain
00:04:28	from outburst,
00:04:31	we're going to have to ask you
00:04:31	to leave.
00:04:32	So. Oh, sorry.
00:04:34	Sorry, coach. Please continue.
00:04:36	I think you, So.
00:04:46	While the word.
00:04:49	We'd have to do a complete
00:04:49	combing of the constitution
00:04:53	to find out
00:04:53	if it's in there anywhere.
00:04:54	I am referring to the.
00:04:56	Oh, just to this.
00:04:57	I can tell you about
00:04:57	other things.
00:04:59	It's not in there either.
00:05:00	But since that legislative
00:05:02	committee couldn't
00:05:02	come up with an agreement
00:05:04	on the basic interpretations
00:05:04	of the process, it's
00:05:07	now up to the Republican
00:05:07	dominated
00:05:09	Ohio Redistricting Commission.
00:05:11	It has until the end of
00:05:12	the month
00:05:12	to come up with an agreement
00:05:14	on a map that has buy in from
00:05:14	both Democrats on the panel.
00:05:18	But it seems doubtful
00:05:18	that will happen.
00:05:20	Republicans,
00:05:20	who can pass a map
00:05:22	with a simple majority
00:05:22	of lawmakers in the third
00:05:25	phase of redistricting
00:05:25	next month
00:05:27	have repeatedly said
00:05:27	the map isn't due
00:05:29	until the end of November.
00:05:31	And now, House
00:05:32	Speaker Matt Huffman says
00:05:32	they may not show their hand
00:05:35	until then.
00:05:36	Well,
00:05:36	there isn't a map until I know
00:05:37	what needs to go into it
00:05:37	in order to get an agreement.
00:05:41	And then we can
00:05:41	present that to the public.
00:05:43	But we also want
00:05:43	the public having input.
00:05:46	So we'll see what happens
00:05:46	in the next, 31 days.
00:05:50	And then, you know, if that
00:05:50	if that doesn't work, we'll,
00:05:52	we'll start off in November
00:05:52	with a new process,
00:05:54	a new question
00:05:54	to a new group of people.
00:05:56	But a map passed
00:05:56	with only one party support,
00:05:59	which is what could happen
00:06:01	if the process goes
00:06:01	to supermajority.
00:06:03	Republicans in the legislature
00:06:03	won't last ten years.
00:06:07	Katherine Tercer of Common
00:06:07	Cause Ohio,
00:06:09	who also work to pass
00:06:10	the current redistricting
00:06:10	process in 2018, said
00:06:14	that shorter time
00:06:15	period for maps
00:06:15	that are not bipartisan
00:06:17	hasn't really worked
00:06:17	as intended.
00:06:19	So one of the things that
00:06:21	I think is really sad here,
00:06:21	is there all sorts of ways
00:06:25	where lawmakers, elected
00:06:25	officials are encouraged
00:06:29	to live up to the obligations
00:06:29	in the Ohio Constitution?
00:06:35	Now, clearly,
00:06:35	they're not adequate.
00:06:38	In 2021, when the last
00:06:38	congressional map passed
00:06:41	with no bipartisan support,
00:06:41	it lasted four years.
00:06:45	But if lawmakers pass a map
00:06:45	along party lines this year,
00:06:48	it will last longer.
00:06:50	So the way to think about it
00:06:50	is things can change.
00:06:54	You know,
00:06:54	when we came together
00:06:57	as a state to make changes,
00:06:58	we were still a bellwether
00:06:58	state, right?
00:07:01	We were still a bellwether
00:07:01	state, for years,
00:07:05	you know, the difference
00:07:05	between who the governor,
00:07:07	the auditor and secretary
00:07:07	of state could be significant.
00:07:10	And so
00:07:10	this is the other reason why
00:07:12	there was a sense,
00:07:12	hey, it should be four years
00:07:14	because you could have
00:07:14	different leadership
00:07:16	on the Ohio
00:07:16	Redistricting Commission,
00:07:19	which will encourage people
00:07:19	to actually get it done
00:07:22	for years.
00:07:23	Also is it
00:07:23	encourages people because,
00:07:25	you know,
00:07:25	if you were an incumbent,
00:07:27	wouldn't you rather just know,
00:07:27	hey, this is my district.
00:07:29	I want to move.
00:07:30	I don't have to, you know,
00:07:31	you just like knowing
00:07:31	what your district is.
00:07:33	So the way to think about
00:07:33	it is okay.
00:07:37	We tried it,
00:07:37	tried to get bipartisan maps,
00:07:37	didn't manage it.
00:07:40	Let's take another
00:07:40	go at that four year mark.
00:07:43	So that's where we are 2025.
00:07:45	And those district lines
00:07:45	will last
00:07:48	until the next mapmaking,
00:07:48	which will be in 2031.
00:07:53	Tercer and others,
00:07:53	including Republican former
00:07:56	Ohio Supreme Court Chief
00:07:56	Justice Maureen O'Connor,
00:07:59	asked voters
00:07:59	last year to once again
00:08:02	change
00:08:02	the redistricting process
00:08:04	for both the congressional
00:08:04	and legislative redistricting.
00:08:07	Their plan would have taken it
00:08:07	out of the hands
00:08:09	of politicians
00:08:09	and given that power
00:08:11	to our panel of appointed
00:08:11	citizens instead.
00:08:14	And Schwarzenegger,
00:08:14	still advocating for fairness
00:08:17	and redistricting,
00:08:17	came back in March 2024,
00:08:20	six years
00:08:20	later, to rally for it.
00:08:23	We have maps now.
00:08:24	This time around,
00:08:25	the plan only had the support
00:08:25	of Democrats and advocates
00:08:28	with Republican officials
00:08:28	opposed.
00:08:30	And many voters
00:08:30	said they were confused
00:08:32	about the language approved
00:08:34	by Republicans on the Ohio
00:08:34	ballot board.
00:08:36	That included
00:08:36	one word gerrymander.
00:08:39	In a year
00:08:39	where Ohio helped Donald Trump
00:08:42	when a second term
00:08:42	as president and no Democrats
00:08:46	won statewide,
00:08:46	the issue failed.
00:08:49	It would take a lot of money
00:08:50	to go back to the ballot
00:08:50	to change the process again.
00:08:54	So for now, the map drawing
00:08:54	effort at the state House
00:08:58	continues under a process
00:08:58	that many of its onetime
00:09:02	supporters say is not working
00:09:02	as intended.
00:09:06	Joe Ingles,
00:09:06	Statehouse News bureau.
00:09:09	The average age in the US
00:09:09	Congress is 57.5 years,
00:09:13	which is lower than it was at
00:09:15	the start of the last two year
00:09:16	congressional session in 2023.
00:09:18	An analysis of Ohio's state
00:09:18	lawmakers by the Eagleton
00:09:22	Institute of Politics
00:09:22	at Rutgers
00:09:23	University, done two years
00:09:25	ago, showed the average age
00:09:25	was just over 52 years,
00:09:29	with only 18 of 132 state
00:09:29	legislators under 35 years
00:09:33	old. Voters under 24
00:09:33	are the demographic bloc
00:09:37	with the lowest turnout,
00:09:38	with voters
00:09:38	25 to 34 only slightly higher.
00:09:42	It's long been suggested
00:09:42	that part of the reason
00:09:44	is that those younger voters
00:09:44	have trouble
00:09:46	connecting with older
00:09:46	officials and candidates
00:09:48	who may not see issues related
00:09:48	to technology, education,
00:09:52	housing and health care.
00:09:53	The way they do
00:09:55	this summer for state
00:09:55	lawmakers, Senator Michelle
00:09:57	Reynolds and Representative
00:09:57	David Thomas, both Republicans
00:10:00	and Minority Leader
00:10:00	Danny Isaacson
00:10:02	and Representative Munira
00:10:02	Abdullahi,
00:10:04	both Democrats,
00:10:04	were on a panel
00:10:06	at the Columbus
00:10:06	Metropolitan Club
00:10:08	on the new leaders
00:10:08	shaping Ohio politics.
00:10:11	Also on
00:10:11	the panel was Shaquille
00:10:12	Alexander,
00:10:12	the Democratic treasurer
00:10:14	of the Columbus
00:10:14	suburb of Whitehall.
00:10:17	The lawmakers were asked
00:10:17	by Columbus
00:10:18	Dispatch reporter
00:10:18	Haley B Miller
00:10:20	whether
00:10:20	when they got to the office
00:10:22	after winning their elections,
00:10:24	if it was what they expected.
00:10:26	The short answer is yes.
00:10:29	Which, you know, I, I'm, I,
00:10:32	I think you sort of
00:10:32	have to be to do this job,
00:10:33	but I'm very naturally
00:10:33	optimistic person.
00:10:36	Couldn't do it if, I think
00:10:36	any of us, if we weren't.
00:10:40	And the state House,
00:10:40	in many ways, as frustrating
00:10:43	as it is
00:10:43	to be in the super minority,
00:10:47	and to feel like there's
00:10:47	sort of a portion of the state
00:10:49	that doesn't get
00:10:49	representation as a result.
00:10:52	Even with that, I remember my
00:10:54	first, couple weeks,
00:10:54	some of the committee chairs.
00:10:58	So members
00:10:58	of the majority party
00:11:00	sat down with me
00:11:00	one on one, walked me through
00:11:03	what to expect
00:11:03	in the committee.
00:11:05	You know, they asked me
00:11:05	what issues I cared about.
00:11:06	And then they ended
00:11:06	the meeting by saying,
00:11:08	you're not going to like this
00:11:08	committee.
00:11:10	You know, you're not going to
00:11:10	like what we do.
00:11:13	You're not going to agree
00:11:13	with what we push forward,
00:11:16	but I'm going
00:11:16	to give you the chance to
00:11:18	make your argument
00:11:18	and ask your questions and
00:11:23	and it was one of the
00:11:24	controversial committees,
00:11:24	so and, and, and then I,
00:11:27	I said that to a friend of
00:11:27	mine who is new in Congress,
00:11:30	and I sort of relayed that
00:11:30	I just had this experience.
00:11:34	And he
00:11:34	was just because a chairman
00:11:36	of one of my committees,
00:11:37	not only would he never go
00:11:37	get coffee with me,
00:11:42	he would never speak to me
00:11:42	one on one,
00:11:46	certainly not to ask me
00:11:46	what I cared about.
00:11:49	And so I do think there's a
00:11:49	the like
00:11:51	we disagree on the policies
00:11:51	dramatically.
00:11:53	You know, and
00:11:53	we can get into that or not.
00:11:55	But so
00:11:55	there's no doubt about the,
00:11:57	you know, the level
00:11:57	of disagreement there,
00:11:59	but in terms of the day
00:12:00	to day of how
00:12:00	the state House functions,
00:12:03	it is much closer,
00:12:03	I think, to what people want
00:12:07	their government to function
00:12:07	like than certainly in D.C.
00:12:10	now, DC sets
00:12:10	a pretty low bar, so
00:12:14	there's room for improvement
00:12:14	in the state House for sure.
00:12:16	But I have,
00:12:19	I have appreciated both that
00:12:20	you can find opportunities
00:12:20	to be bipartisan.
00:12:23	And,
00:12:24	there's a people on the stage
00:12:24	who have done that
00:12:26	and who I've gotten to do that
00:12:26	with, and,
00:12:29	and you can find opportunities
00:12:29	to fight like hell
00:12:31	and make your case
00:12:31	and argue and,
00:12:33	you know, be
00:12:33	as honest as you want
00:12:37	and then move on to the next
00:12:37	business of whatever's coming,
00:12:39	you know, whatever needs to be
00:12:39	addressed, afterwards.
00:12:43	And so I think it's been
00:12:46	maybe even a little better
00:12:46	than I expected.
00:12:50	I was a very reluctant
00:12:50	candidate.
00:12:52	Served as county auditor
00:12:52	for Ashtabula for six years,
00:12:55	was not interested at all.
00:12:55	And coming out of Columbus.
00:12:57	Love local level.
00:12:58	Love being able
00:12:59	to actually see the impact
00:13:00	that you have
00:13:00	in your community
00:13:02	when you're at the local
00:13:02	level.
00:13:03	But, my predecessor,
00:13:03	who I ran against,
00:13:07	was just not doing the job.
00:13:08	So from the very gecko,
00:13:08	I would say, in a sense
00:13:11	was able to see some change
00:13:12	just because my people
00:13:12	were not being represented.
00:13:15	And to me, that was
00:13:15	the most important thing.
00:13:17	So I'm only eight months
00:13:17	in, so still learning,
00:13:20	still having a lot
00:13:20	of those conversations and,
00:13:22	and kind of seeing
00:13:22	how the statehouse works.
00:13:24	I'd say
00:13:24	the biggest kind of happiness
00:13:26	or change aspect,
00:13:26	it's a relationship game.
00:13:29	I always thought if policy is
00:13:29	good, policy will move it.
00:13:33	Policies
00:13:33	bad policy won't move.
00:13:34	And that's just kind of how
00:13:34	things are determined.
00:13:36	Not quite.
00:13:37	It's all it's
00:13:37	all relationships.
00:13:40	Which I actually would
00:13:41	completely agree
00:13:41	with is for the better.
00:13:44	How many of you have watched,
00:13:44	you know, Parks
00:13:45	and Rec versus House of cards?
00:13:46	I always joke
00:13:47	we are not a house of cards,
00:13:47	you know, state, nor reality.
00:13:51	We're definitely much more
00:13:51	of a Parks and Rec kind of,
00:13:54	you know, fun community
00:13:54	in that sense, for,
00:13:55	for better or worse, too.
00:13:57	But that's been kind of
00:13:57	one of the nice things is
00:13:59	just we're starting to forge
00:13:59	those types of relationships,
00:14:02	and I think we're
00:14:02	a much better state for that
00:14:06	in our state House.
00:14:07	I always invite
00:14:07	folks from back
00:14:08	home, spend a day with me,
00:14:10	just walk around
00:14:11	kind of the things
00:14:11	you're allowed to
00:14:12	listen in and hear what
00:14:12	what's actually happening.
00:14:15	I think you'll actually be
00:14:15	pretty impressed
00:14:16	and happy with
00:14:16	with how the state House is.
00:14:20	I would agree with
00:14:20	both of, the comments prior.
00:14:23	But my experience starts
00:14:23	at the local level.
00:14:26	I've worked in city
00:14:26	government, county government,
00:14:29	at the executive,
00:14:31	at the governor's office,
00:14:31	and now the state House.
00:14:33	And every level
00:14:33	seems to be different.
00:14:35	I think the commonality
00:14:37	is that bureaucracy
00:14:37	is that that sucks.
00:14:40	Just
00:14:40	just bureaucracy at its best.
00:14:43	I mean, I just think the
00:14:43	government does two things.
00:14:45	Well, they solve problems
00:14:45	and create problems.
00:14:48	So bureaucracy is not great.
00:14:50	However, the difference
00:14:50	that you get to make,
00:14:53	especially at a local level,
00:14:53	is phenomenal.
00:14:56	Being able
00:14:56	to touch the people,
00:14:58	being able to solve problems
00:14:58	on your local level
00:15:01	and actually know
00:15:01	that you've made a difference
00:15:03	is astounding.
00:15:04	The state House
00:15:04	has been incredible.
00:15:07	I had no idea what I signed
00:15:07	up for.
00:15:10	I mean, I ran for office,
00:15:10	I knew what I wanted to do,
00:15:12	but when I got there,
00:15:12	I had no idea until recently
00:15:16	of exactly
00:15:18	how much power and influence
00:15:18	that we have as legislators.
00:15:22	But it is a relationship
00:15:22	building, opportunity.
00:15:26	You have to build
00:15:26	relationships.
00:15:27	No man or woman is an island.
00:15:29	It's about building bridges
00:15:31	and being able to get things
00:15:31	done together collectively.
00:15:34	And so to the extent
00:15:34	that you are able to,
00:15:38	connect
00:15:38	with people and understand
00:15:40	and not make it about you
00:15:42	and make it
00:15:42	about our collective
00:15:44	and what's good for
00:15:45	the greater good,
00:15:45	then you can be successful
00:15:47	and you can use
00:15:47	your influence.
00:15:49	It's more about your influence
00:15:49	on what you do
00:15:51	through people instead
00:15:51	of what you do to people.
00:15:53	And so I've had
00:15:53	a, a wonderful,
00:15:56	I've had a wonderful
00:15:56	experience at the state House.
00:15:58	I absolutely love what I do.
00:16:00	I love opening doors for even
00:16:00	others to be able to do,
00:16:03	at another level
00:16:03	and be leaders,
00:16:06	and engage at this level.
00:16:07	But I just think
00:16:07	every level of office
00:16:09	is just a little bit different. But bureau
00:16:16	Appreciate what the
00:16:16	Senate and a representative
00:16:18	said about relationships
00:16:19	and, growing up in Whitehall
00:16:19	coming into office,
00:16:22	I had already a lot of those
00:16:22	relationships, sports,
00:16:25	those made my experience
00:16:25	a lot easier.
00:16:27	The auditor
00:16:27	I served with,
00:16:28	his wife worked
00:16:28	in the schools,
00:16:30	and I was coming up
00:16:30	in Whitehall.
00:16:31	And so he seen me grow up.
00:16:32	Our current mayor,
00:16:32	a former city attorney,
00:16:34	has been a friend
00:16:34	and a mentor.
00:16:36	Michael Bivins has seen me
00:16:36	grow up.
00:16:38	So the people I work with
00:16:38	and the residents we serve,
00:16:40	they know secure Alexander
00:16:40	the human, the person.
00:16:43	Not just the elected official.
00:16:45	And so in Whitehall,
00:16:45	we're about 20,000 strong,
00:16:48	five square miles.
00:16:50	About 20% of
00:16:50	that's taken up by the SEC.
00:16:52	So we only really have four
00:16:52	square miles to work with.
00:16:55	Very small, tight knit
00:16:55	community.
00:16:57	A lot of people,
00:16:57	they grew up in Whitehall.
00:16:59	Their kids
00:16:59	grew up in Whitehall.
00:17:00	Some people stick around
00:17:00	and they're lifers.
00:17:02	We'll see how long
00:17:02	I stick around.
00:17:04	That working with,
00:17:04	the great staff over here.
00:17:07	We have people
00:17:07	from the auditor's
00:17:08	office, people
00:17:08	from the mayor's office.
00:17:10	They've made my experience,
00:17:10	just that much better.
00:17:13	And Whitehall,
00:17:13	we can move
00:17:14	at the speed of business
00:17:14	because we're so small,
00:17:16	we can see impact
00:17:16	in real time.
00:17:18	I come from the private
00:17:18	sector, CPA by trade.
00:17:21	So coming over to government,
00:17:22	things were familiar
00:17:22	but very different.
00:17:24	So I had a lot to learn, a lot
00:17:24	to get up to speed on.
00:17:27	And, we deal
00:17:28	with a certain level
00:17:28	of bureaucracy, especially
00:17:31	with a lot of change going on.
00:17:32	Some people aren't
00:17:32	fans of change,
00:17:34	and some people fear change.
00:17:35	You fear what you don't know.
00:17:36	But, starting to see
00:17:36	a little bit more of that
00:17:38	in Whitehall in a way
00:17:38	I haven't seen before.
00:17:40	So I think, the road ahead
00:17:41	may be a little bit
00:17:41	more challenging from
00:17:43	the bureaucratic and, just,
00:17:46	put some
00:17:46	policy through that generally.
00:17:48	But we can move
00:17:48	at the speed of business.
00:17:50	And it's made,
00:17:51	things very exciting,
00:17:52	the way we're able
00:17:52	to get things done
00:17:54	and really impact
00:17:54	and change lives.
00:17:57	Yeah, for me, it was
00:17:57	I had pretty low expectations,
00:18:00	coming in to the state House
00:18:00	and a lot of ways
00:18:03	it was a lot worse
00:18:03	than I expected.
00:18:04	And in some ways it was a lot
00:18:04	better than I expected.
00:18:07	Same way that, my colleague,
00:18:07	Leader Isaacson mentioned
00:18:11	the relationship building
00:18:12	was so shocking
00:18:12	to me, the amount of
00:18:15	conversations that people
00:18:15	were willing to have with you.
00:18:17	I didn't expect that.
00:18:18	I didn't think people would
00:18:18	want to talk to me at all.
00:18:19	And, and coming in.
00:18:23	But however,
00:18:23	coming in as an activist,
00:18:25	it was a lot harder
00:18:25	to manage my expectations
00:18:29	and to realize
00:18:29	I can't yell
00:18:29	at people anymore,
00:18:31	I can't
00:18:31	I've got to be respectful.
00:18:33	I've got a manages
00:18:33	relationships
00:18:35	because that's
00:18:35	how things get done.
00:18:36	And the bureaucracy of it
00:18:36	all as well has been
00:18:39	very difficult to adjust to
00:18:39	because you want things done,
00:18:41	you want the things done
00:18:41	now you want things done fast.
00:18:44	You're like my constituents
00:18:44	need this ASAP.
00:18:46	But that's just not
00:18:46	how bureaucracy works.
00:18:48	And that's just not
00:18:48	how working in a state house
00:18:50	where you're
00:18:50	in the super minority works.
00:18:52	And that part, I would say, is
00:18:53	probably the part
00:18:53	that sucks the most.
00:18:55	Just having that things
00:18:55	getting done quickly.
00:18:58	And sometimes
00:18:58	you have to expect
00:18:59	to get done at all
00:18:59	they're not going
00:19:01	because of the severe
00:19:01	imbalance of power.
00:19:03	So coming
00:19:03	from a different perspective,
00:19:05	it is it still sucks,
00:19:05	but I am optimistic
00:19:10	and I'm still there
00:19:10	to make change.
00:19:11	And so it's just going to be
00:19:11	a lot
00:19:13	in a lot slower pace
00:19:13	than I expected.
00:19:15	The lawmakers were asked
00:19:15	by a forum attendee
00:19:18	who they consider their people
00:19:20	when they make
00:19:20	their decisions.
00:19:22	What I think about, though,
00:19:22	in terms of representation,
00:19:24	are first
00:19:24	and foremost my taxpayers.
00:19:26	That's in my background.
00:19:27	My focus, who I hear from the
00:19:27	most are the taxpayer side.
00:19:38	Love, Gary.
00:19:39	Okay.
00:19:39	When I think of, my people
00:19:39	or who I represent, I think of
00:19:43	first and foremost voters,
00:19:43	all the voters in my district.
00:19:45	But then after that, it's
00:19:45	literally everyone
00:19:48	who's impacted by the policies
00:19:48	that we passed in Ohio.
00:19:51	So all Ohioans, especially
00:19:51	working class Ohioans as well,
00:19:55	I think of the most,
00:19:56	because they are most
00:19:56	impacted
00:19:58	by the policies that we passed
00:19:58	in a negative way.
00:20:00	I mean,
00:20:00	and so
00:20:00	when I think of my people,
00:20:02	I think of working class
00:20:02	Ohio's working class families
00:20:05	who are impacted directly
00:20:05	by the policies that we pass
00:20:09	and have been impacted
00:20:10	negatively in the past,
00:20:10	you know, however many years,
00:20:15	that's who I think of.
00:20:16	If that's
00:20:18	when I think of my people,
00:20:21	I think of, again,
00:20:21	that five square miles
00:20:23	on the east side of Columbus
00:20:23	called Whitehall.
00:20:25	That's where I grew up.
00:20:26	That's how
00:20:27	I went about our yearly high
00:20:27	school,
00:20:28	moved up north
00:20:28	for a little bit of time
00:20:30	after college, I
00:20:30	Otterbein University go karts
00:20:33	and,
00:20:33	I've been back in Whitehall
00:20:35	about four
00:20:35	and a half years now.
00:20:37	But, even more specifically,
00:20:37	the young people
00:20:41	that look like me in Whitehall
00:20:42	who are coming up
00:20:42	and I can show them
00:20:43	that you do have options, that
00:20:43	you can,
00:20:45	do something different.
00:20:46	I think that's very important
00:20:46	that I continue to show up
00:20:48	and be present and,
00:20:48	whether I'm speaking,
00:20:51	whether I'm
00:20:52	part of whatever's going on
00:20:53	or just simply in the room,
00:20:53	I think all of that
00:20:55	is equally as powerful
00:20:55	for them to see me around.
00:20:59	I would
00:20:59	say that at first it's
00:20:59	my constituents,
00:21:03	because that's who
00:21:03	the people have voted.
00:21:05	You know that voting bloc,
00:21:06	350,000 people
00:21:08	that I represent,
00:21:08	that all of their interest,
00:21:10	whether they voted for me
00:21:10	or not.
00:21:12	However, as a leader,
00:21:13	I represent a lot of different
00:21:13	communities.
00:21:15	I'm a pastor's wife,
00:21:15	so I have the faith based.
00:21:18	I have,
00:21:19	new American communities
00:21:19	because I'm first generation,
00:21:22	I'm Jamaican.
00:21:23	I have, you know, I'm a mom.
00:21:25	I'm a grandmother.
00:21:26	I people that look like me,
00:21:26	the Republican party,
00:21:31	there's a lot of different
00:21:32	people that, I, I answer to
00:21:32	and that I'm accountable to.
00:21:36	So when I think of my people,
00:21:36	I'm thinking,
00:21:38	I mean, I'm also Greek,
00:21:38	in terms of a sorority.
00:21:41	So there's a lot of people
00:21:41	that I'm a leader and, I'm
00:21:45	accountable to.
00:21:48	You had me
00:21:48	there for a second, Senator.
00:21:50	I it's a great question.
00:21:57	And I sort of echo
00:21:57	a lot of the sentiments.
00:21:59	I think
00:22:00	the the one, you know,
00:22:00	I'll give my colleague here,
00:22:04	I'll, you know, give him an
00:22:04	elbow a little bit,
00:22:06	you know, kids don't pay
00:22:06	taxes and so, you know,
00:22:10	I think,
00:22:11	you know, as we think
00:22:11	about who we represent
00:22:13	and who we're fighting for
00:22:13	and who our people are,
00:22:16	we should include kids.
00:22:18	And and then I think,
00:22:18	you know, as a as leader,
00:22:21	I have to. I'm.
00:22:21	And I'm new in the role.
00:22:22	I have to think about it
00:22:22	a little differently
00:22:24	because I work on behalf
00:22:24	of the members in the caucus.
00:22:27	And also, you know, have
00:22:27	one of the last few remaining,
00:22:32	statewide purview
00:22:32	as an elected Democrat.
00:22:36	And so think a lot about that
00:22:38	marginal voter,
00:22:38	think a lot about in districts
00:22:40	we don't represent but could
00:22:40	represent who is persuadable,
00:22:43	what are the issues
00:22:43	they care about?
00:22:45	You know,
00:22:46	and then what is sort of
00:22:46	the baseline of the districts
00:22:48	that we do represent
00:22:48	in the 4 million people
00:22:50	who are represented by our
00:22:50	caucus in the state, you know,
00:22:53	how are we fighting for them
00:22:53	and centering them
00:22:56	in what we're doing?
00:22:57	So it's sort of
00:22:58	you have to
00:22:59	there's levels to it
00:22:59	in terms of,
00:23:01	the different hats
00:23:01	that all of us have to wear.
00:23:03	Democrats in Texas fled
00:23:05	so they didn't have to vote on
00:23:05	redistricting.
00:23:09	Republicans in the U.S.
00:23:11	Congress fled,
00:23:11	so they didn't have to vote
00:23:14	on releasing
00:23:14	Epstein information.
00:23:17	How do you feel about that?
00:23:22	Lee? Gary.
00:23:23	Yeah, I,
00:23:29	I love this question.
00:23:30	I'm excited for it.
00:23:31	I just I want to know
00:23:31	how much to go in on it.
00:23:33	I guess here are my
00:23:33	here are my thoughts.
00:23:37	We should have
00:23:38	fair maps because it's basic,
00:23:38	elemental to democracy.
00:23:42	And we should release
00:23:42	the Epstein report.
00:23:48	Because we want to know
00:23:48	what it says.
00:23:52	And so, obviously,
00:23:52	I'm quoted as saying,
00:23:55	you all may know that
00:23:55	the House just reconvened,
00:23:57	for example, a few weeks ago
00:23:57	to try to override
00:24:00	a couple of the governor's
00:24:00	vetoes.
00:24:01	There are a few House members
00:24:01	that, fled, in a sense,
00:24:05	to not be there,
00:24:05	to take a vote
00:24:06	on my record as saying,
00:24:06	that's truly our duty.
00:24:08	We should be working
00:24:08	for the people,
00:24:11	and we should be there
00:24:11	when our duty calls,
00:24:14	whether that's in Congress,
00:24:14	whether that's,
00:24:16	you know, in Texas.
00:24:17	And at some point
00:24:17	you have to go back
00:24:18	and you have to
00:24:18	face the voters
00:24:20	and you have to face
00:24:20	your colleagues when you fled.
00:24:21	So you should never flee.
00:24:25	So, as
00:24:28	far as that,
00:24:28	I don't necessarily know what
00:24:32	whatever the issue is,
00:24:34	we need to show up
00:24:34	to do our jobs,
00:24:36	whether it's redistricting,
00:24:36	whether it's
00:24:38	some of the tough issues,
00:24:38	if it's death penalty,
00:24:40	I don't care
00:24:40	what the issue is.
00:24:42	If we are elected to
00:24:45	to represent the people
00:24:45	and we do that through
00:24:48	our vote, we need to show up
00:24:48	regardless of the situation.
00:24:52	And then as far
00:24:52	as the obscene files, I mean,
00:24:55	if this is public information,
00:24:55	then the public needs
00:24:57	to have it.
00:24:58	I mean, some of these
00:24:58	things are common sense.
00:24:59	It's not rocket scientists.
00:25:01	It's not for a rocket
00:25:01	scientist or whatever.
00:25:03	It's just common sense
00:25:03	we need to be.
00:25:05	We've were elected
00:25:05	by the people
00:25:06	to show up and do our jobs,
00:25:06	and we need to do that
00:25:08	no matter what
00:25:08	the subject or matter at hand.
00:25:11	It it is period.
00:25:13	by the way,
00:25:13	that analysis of Ohio's
00:25:15	legislature done by Rutgers
00:25:15	in 2023 showed
00:25:18	71% of lawmakers were men,
00:25:18	compared to 29% women.
00:25:23	Republicans
00:25:23	dominated in the baby boomer
00:25:26	and Gen X generations
00:25:26	in the legislature,
00:25:28	while millennial lawmakers
00:25:30	were evenly split
00:25:30	between the two major parties.
00:25:33	And that is it for this week
00:25:33	for my colleagues
00:25:35	at the Statehouse News
00:25:35	Bureau of Ohio Public Media.
00:25:37	Thanks for watching.
00:25:38	Please check out our website
00:25:38	at State news.org
00:25:41	or find us online
00:25:41	by searching.
00:25:42	State of Ohio show.
00:25:44	You can stay in the know
00:25:44	by registering for Ohio State
00:25:47	House alerts through this
00:25:48	QR code, or by texting state
00:25:48	news to this number.
00:25:52	You can also hear more from us
00:25:53	on our podcast,
00:25:53	The Ohio State House scoop
00:25:56	every Monday morning.
00:25:57	And please join us again next
00:25:57	time for the State of Ohio.
00:26:06	Support
00:26:06	for the Statehouse News
00:26:08	Bureau
00:26:08	comes from Medical Mutual,
00:26:09	dedicated to the health
00:26:09	and well-being of Ohioans,
00:26:12	offering health insurance
00:26:12	plans, as well as dental,
00:26:15	vision and wellness programs
00:26:15	to help people
00:26:17	achieve their goals
00:26:17	and remain healthy.
00:26:19	More at Med mutual.com.
00:26:21	The law offices of Porter,
00:26:21	right, Morris and Arthur LLP.
00:26:24	Porter, right, is dedicated
00:26:24	to bringing inspired legal
00:26:27	outcomes to the Ohio business
00:26:27	community.
00:26:30	More at Porter. Right.
00:26:31	Com Porter Wright
00:26:31	inspired every day.
00:26:34	You know, Ohio
00:26:34	Education Association
00:26:36	representing 120,000 educators
00:26:36	who are united
00:26:39	in their mission to create
00:26:39	the excellent public schools.
00:26:41	Every child
00:26:41	deserves more at o h e talk.

Note : Transcripts are compiled from uncorrected captions