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AG Says House Needs Law To Remove Speaker, Not Just Majority Vote

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — With a vote set to remove House Speaker Larry Householder tomorrow morning, there’s apparently a disagreement among Republicans on how that can happen.

Rep. Larry Householder (R-Glenford) is congratulated after his election as Speaker of the Ohio House in January 2019.
Rep. Larry Householder (R-Glenford) is congratulated after his election as Speaker of the Ohio House in January 2019. [Andy Chow | Statehouse News Bureau]
House Republicans say their rules indicate a simple majority of 50 votes can remove Householder as speaker, though the motion to remove Householder will be one that all members can speak to and vote on.

But in a memo obtained by the Statehouse News Bureau, Attorney General Dave Yost said while the federal allegations against Householder have him – using his word – ‘aghast’, he says the constitution requires a speaker’s removal with a law the House and Senate must pass and the governor must sign.

And Yost said it’s unclear whether the House can be called into session unless the speaker does it, which he tweeted about a few days ago.  Yost said Gov. Mike DeWine has the authority to do that, which he has said he will do if necessary.

Yost and DeWine both called on Householder to resign soon after his arrest.