COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — The Ohio House leadership battle rages on, with the House speaker taking action.
House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) has removed six Republicans from the committees they chaired. The six all voted for Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Twp.) for speaker in January 2023 and donated to the primary campaigns of incumbent Republicans, some of whom supported Stephens as speaker. Stephens was elected with votes from 22 Republicans and all 32 Democrats. Merrin had the votes of 43 Republicans.
In a memo to members Wednesday, Stephens announced:
- Rep. Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria) was removed as chair and member of the House Agriculture Committee;
- Rep. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) was removed as chair and member of the House Constitutional Resolutions Committee;
- Rep. Darrell Kick (R-Loudonville) was removed as chair and member of the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee;
- Rep. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) was removed as chair and member of the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee;
- Rep. Scott Lipps (R-Franklin) was removed as chair and member of the House Public Health Policy Committee; and
- Rep. Marilyn John (R-Richland County) was removed as chair and member of the House State and Local Government Committee.
The memo adds: “The chair and first-named member of each committee listed above shall remain vacant until further action is taken by the Speaker. These changes are effective immediately.”
Campaign finance records show more than $1 million was spent by the Ohio House Republican Alliance (OHRA) account in the final days of the March primary. Stephens spent about half of that on the campaigns of incumbent Republicans who supported him as speaker. But four of his supporters lost their primaries: Reps. Sara Carruthers (R-Hamilton), Rep. Jon Cross (R-Findlay), Brett Hillyer (R-Urichsville), and Gail Pavliga (R-Atwater).
