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House Republicans In Speaker Battle Urged To Vote Out Caucus Dean
By: Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau
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As state lawmakers come back to work after Christmas to consider overriding at least one veto – if not more – from Gov. John Kasich, Republicans are being pushed to hold a long-awaited vote for Speaker to lead the House next year. And one member is suggesting a sudden move to break the impasse.
Rep. Jim Hoops (R-Napoleon) writes in a memo to the House Republican caucus that he’s asked twice for a speakership vote from the member who would convene it, caucus dean Jim Butler.
Hoops supports Speaker Ryan Smith, and Butler backs former Speaker Larry Householder, who’s hoping to unseat Smith.
Hoops says he’s formally requesting the caucus vote for a new dean and then hold the speakership vote next week.
Neither Smith nor Householder appears to have the 50 votes needed to win outright, though Smith appears to have the support of the majority of the Republican caucus, but Democrats have been getting calls from unions to support Householder.
Hoops concludes by writing: “It is time for us to restore order to what should be an honorable and dignified process.”