The Biden campaign reached out to schedule debates first and set some conditions for the debate, including that they be conducted by news organizations, not the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, and should have no in-person audience to limit disruptions. The first debate scheduled for June 27th is the earliest ever in a presidential race and comes before the Democratic and Republican conventions later this summer — when both Biden and Trump will officially accept their party’s nominations.

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ODP Chair Liz Walters statement: Despite Governor Mike DeWine (R) calling a special session of the state legislature, we have no confidence that a clean bill will be produced to get the President on the ballot. Ensuring ballot access for President Biden is just too important to leave it in the dysfunctional hands of the Ohio GOP. Today the DNC announced plans to certify President Biden and Vice President Harris through an internal party process. DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison has our full support in this effort, and we will continue to work closely with our colleagues at the DNC and on the Biden Campaign in the weeks ahead.

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Embarrassing. Infuriating. Oppressing. Take your pick. They all describe the performative do-nothings in Columbus and Washington. Dodgy politicians who aspire not to serve the greater good but to grandstand in the extreme for notoriety. It’s not for nothing that Ohio’s General Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives (both under the loosely defined management of MAGA Republicans) were historically unproductive last year in terms of lawmaking.

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Plaintiffs in a civil suit related to the HB6 First Energy massive $61 million bribery and money-laundering scandal have subpoenaed documents from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. In addition, they’re scheduling a sworn deposition with Lt. Gov. Jon Husted.

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) told a GOP group that he allowed several anti-abortion groups to assist in the rewrite of the ballot language of Issue 1. Thus, Ohio’s top elections official invited opponents to write ballot language that mischaracterized the abortion-rights amendment that supporters gathered a half-million registered voters’ signatures to put to on the November General Election ballot.

In addition, HB341 — which would change how Issue 2 revenue funds would be allocated and allow municipalities to ban marijuana dispensaries and home grow. The bill wipes out an entire section of the new law that prohibits municipalities from banning home grow, marijuana use and levying special taxes or fees on marijuana businesses.

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