Free Republic

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For the second time this week, the Ohio Supreme Court has thrown out a Republican-drawn political map as an illegal gerrymander. In a 4-3 decision on Friday, the Ohio Supreme Court ordered state lawmakers to draw a new congressional map, saying the one signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in November violates the state’s new anti-gerrymandering rules, approved by voters in 2018. Justices sided with voting-rights groups and a group led by former U.S. attorney general Eric Holder who had sued, saying the map disproportionately favored Republicans while “unduly” splitting three Democratic counties -- Hamilton, Summit and Cuyahoga...

The Ohio Supreme Court struck down the state's congressional district map, saying Republicans violated the Ohio Constitution by drawing districts that favored GOP candidates. Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor was, once again, a key vote in the 4-3 decision to reject the map, which would have given Republicans a 12-3 advantage in a state that leans Republican.

Ohio Senate candidate J. D. Vance announced on Wednesday that he raised more than $1 million in the second quarter of his campaign, a smaller amount than he raised in his first three months. According to Vance’s campaign, small donors — those who gave contributions of $250 or less — made up 90 percent of the latest quarter’s donors. The campaign also saw a rise of 4,610 new donors from the prior quarter. "It is humbling to know that Ohioans truly believe in my campaign and that so many are willing to contribute to our shared vision for Ohio,” Vance,...

As the nation marked a year since the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, Sen. Rob Portman said this to cleveland.com reporter Sabrina Eaton: “We need to seek places where we can find that common ground to begin to rebuild the sense of American consensus.” Yes, we need to find that common American ground again. Ohio, in particular, needs to recapture its patriotic consensus. That is why, Sen. Portman, if you are serious about wanting to rebuild our “American consensus,” we ask that you reconsider your retirement and seek a third term in the U.S. Senate. Otherwise, the ugliness...

Authorities have released body camera footage from a deadly shooting involving a Canton police officer that took place early Saturday morning. The footage begins with an officer outside of a home in the 2300 block of 10th Street Southwest shortly after midnight. He can be heard relaying information about his location when rapid gunshots ring out from a fenced-in area nearby. “The officer, who was outside of his vehicle, confronted a subject that began shooting a firearm,” Canton police said in a press release that was issued Saturday. “The officer, in fear for his safety, fired his duty weapon at...

The Obama administration targeted sole proprietors and small businesses in the real estate industry after the crash of 2008, while letting the big banks off the hook with bailouts. One of most horrific cases involved Republican real estate broker Tony Viola, who served nine and a half years in prison as a juicy target of Ohio Democratic prosecutor Dan Kasaris. He was convicted of supposedly tricking banks into offering mortgages with no money down. But in reality, the banks were knowingly offering those loans — evidence the prosecution withheld from him. Viola only got out of prison due to an...

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) formally replied on Sunday to the January 6 select committee’s request to meet with him as part of its investigation, denouncing the request as “outside the bounds of any legitimate inquiry.” Jordan gave his reply in a letter obtained by Breitbart News and addressed to committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) after weeks of reviewing the committee’s request, which was made December 22. “This request is far outside the bounds of any legitimate inquiry, violates core Constitutional principles, and would serve to further erode legislative norms,” Jordan wrote. Read a copy of the letter below: The...

Diversity, equity, and inclusion staff often act as “political activists” and contribute to hostile conditions for Jewish students at universities, according to a study recently published by the Heritage Foundation. Jay Greene, senior research fellow at the foundation’s Center for Education Policy, and James Paul, director of research at the Educational Freedom Institute, co-authored the December report, titled “Inclusion Delusion: The Antisemitism of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff at Universities.” The study should help people understand that the “nice-sounding words” of diversity, equity and inclusion are “masking university programs that actually spew hate and division, particularly with respect to Jews,”...

An Ohio high school football player who says coaches forced him to eat a pizza covered with pepperoni grease in violation of his religious beliefs is suing his former district and the ousted coaches. The former Canton McKinley High School athlete and his parents filed a federal civil rights suit this week seeking millions of dollars in damages and alleging violations of his religious freedom and constitutional rights. The athlete says in the lawsuit that coaches were notified he doesn’t eat pork or pork residue as a member of the Hebrew Israelite religious faith, but that they ordered him to...

A Cleveland police officer was shot dead early Friday evening in a carjacking incident while he was off duty, according to reports. Responding officers soon located the stolen vehicle and took a suspect into custody, FOX 8 of Cleveland reported. Neither the slain officer – who was shot twice -- nor the suspect were immediately identified....

Conley stated, “The general concept is to eliminate some, or all, of the district’s property taxes used for operations of the district, and at the same time institute a new SDIT that would replace the revenue currently generated by the property taxes.” Conley’s presentation to the school board comes after board members and Superintendent Renee Willis earlier this month objected to City Council approving tax abatement for the Belle Oaks Marketplace project at the Richmond Town Square mall property. Included in the $260-million mixed-use Belle Oaks project will be residential and retail uses. Only the northern portion of the mall...

Video of Dr. Terry Johnson on the floor of the Ohio Senate speaking about Second Amendment rights. Dr. Terry Johnson, Ohio State Senator representing District 14, has long been a proponent of restoring Second Amendment rights in Ohio. He served over 20 years in the Ohio National Guard, attaining the rank of Colonel. Dr. Johnson first served in the Ohio House, and now serves in the Senate.I was able to speak with Dr. Johnson about the effort to pass Constitutional Carry in Ohio.Dr. Johnson has had several achievements in Ohio politics. He says he is more concerned with obtaining results...

Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA) said Thursday on MSNBC’s “The ReidOut” that Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) was “not a serious American” who is “running very, very scared” from the congressional probe of the January 6 Capitol riot. Dean said, “He is not a serious legislator. He is a serious performer, but he’s not a serious legislator, and he’s not a serious American. He doesn’t care about democracy. He doesn’t care what happened on January 6 and the lies that led up to it that he participated in. And he’s running quite scared. That is what we are actually seeing with Jim...

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is asking Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), an ardent supporter of former President Trump, to voluntarily sit down with its investigators. In a Wednesday letter to Jordan, the committee contends that he was in regular communication with Trump leading up to the election and thereafter. "We understand that you had at least one and possibly multiple communications with President Trump on Jan. 6. We would like to discuss each such communication with you in detail. And we also wish to inquire about any communications you had on January 5th or...

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A state representative from Northeast Ohio is warning of increased attacks on healthcare workers by people related to patients who have not been vaccinated against the COVID-19 coronavirus, calling the situation “insane.” In a tweet sent out Tuesday, Rep. Casey Weinstein, a Democrat from Summit County, says he was told by an unspecified hospital CEO that hospital workers are facing an increasing number of attacks during the COVID crisis. ‘Was just briefed by a major hospital network CEO,” Weinstein writes. “It’s not just that they’re beyond capacity. The families of their unvaccinated patients are ATTACKING caregivers for...

CLEVELAND (WJW) — Ohio National Guard Major General John C. Harris, Jr on Monday offered new details on the effort to help Northeast Ohio hospitals deal with the surge in COVID cases and the testing site that opened in University Circle. Due to high demand, the line was cut off, after three hours, at the community COVID-19 testing site in Cleveland, staffed by the Ohio National Guard and the Ohio Department of Health. The two are holding the event with support from the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. As of 12:05 p.m., Cleveland Clinic officials said anyone not currently in...

CLEVELAND, Ohio – As a record-breaking coronavirus surge rages in Ohio, local restaurants have been forced to reckon with the virus just days before Christmas. Some eateries have closed their dining rooms and continue to offer takeout, while others have temporarily closed altogether, pausing their business until after the holidays are over or until the new year. The Flying Fig in Ohio City is one of the restaurants that will remain open for takeout but has closed its dining room to customers. Owner Karen Small cited staffing shortages and coronavirus cases behind the decision. “We had a few positive cases...

House Democrats passed a massive legislative budget this week that allows for members of Congress to hire illegal immigrants to work for them on Capitol Hill. The legislative funding bill "includes language to permit DACA recipients, Dreamers, to be able to work for Congress and other legislative branch agencies," Democratic Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan noted on the House floor Wednesday. In the U.S., there are an estimated 800,000 "Dreamers" – children brought to the U.S. illegally who were protected from deportation under an Obama-era program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). A federal judge earlier this month ruled that DACA...

There are now 23 Democrats who won't seek reelection in the 2022 midterms as Representative Albio Sires from New Jersey plans to retire and party leadership desperately grips their slim majority in the House.... ...With a series of upcoming retirements, Democrats' majority in the House looks increasingly vulnerable, and Pelosi can only afford to lose three seats in order to keep her party in power.... [list of the 23 at link]

Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) has announced he will not cooperate with the “illegitimate” House January 6 committee after he was asked to answer questions about the “Stop the Steal” rally that took place at the Capitol. Perry is the first member of Congress to be pursued by the Jan. 6 committee, but the committee has sent out dozens of subpoenas to President Donald Trump’s former White House staff. Over the course of its months-long investigation, the committee has yet to turn up any significant evidence to back up allegations that the Jan. 6 rally was the result of a premeditated...