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House Speaker Suddenly Resigns, And Economists Have Questions For Candidates For Governor

Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville) resigned this week, days after he hired a lawyer and admitted he’d learned the FBI was asking questions about him. Reps. Andy Thompson (R-Marietta), Marlene Anielski (R-Walton Hills), Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati), House Finance Committee chair Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell) and Democratic Minority Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton) react. And Speaker Pro Tem Kirk Schuring (R-Canton) says the vote on a payday lending bill that was stopped in committee this week will happen soon. The FBI is said to be interested in Rosenberger's international travel along with lobbyists connected to that industry. 

The Speaker situation did make its way into the final debate among the four major Democratic candidates for governor – which was happening Tuesday at the same time Rosenberger was announcing his resignation to his Republican colleagues. Richard Cordray, Dennis Kucinich, Bill O’Neill and Joe Schiavoni met for a final time on stage, this time at Miami University’s Middletown campus. 

It’s not uncommon to see a tent on the Statehouse grounds – but the beginnings of a full-sized house right outside the west stairs of the building was unusual.  Lawmakers were invited to swing hammers to help create some framing that would be moved to a home site in Marysville by Habitat for Humanity.

Early voting is underway, and almost every candidate will say that this election is about the economy and jobs – as they always do. Two economic experts from Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs took on that issue and came up with a series of three reports on the state’s economy over the last 60 years. Bill Shkurti and Fran Stewart have also issued a list of questions that they hope the candidates will be asked about on how – or if – a governor and state government can jump start an economy that’s been stuck in neutral.