Tea Party activists are disputing the secret vote that made Cliff Rosenberger the next Speaker of the Ohio House. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports.
Rep. Cliff Rosenberger gained the support of most of the Republican caucus this summer. But Rep. Jim Butler of the Dayton area had the backing of several hard-right and Tea Party conservative lawmakers. Butlers supporters havent commented on the choice of Rosenberger as the new Speaker. But Portage County Tea Party head Tom Zawistowski says he suspects the vote was engineered in a way that violates the principle of checks and balances.
Lets be frank about it Gov. Kasich picked Rosenberger. Gov. Kasich is picking the leader of the House. Its flat out wrong. Its our House. They should be an independent body.
Zawistowski disputes the vote as just a straw poll, because he says the actual vote on the incoming Speaker has to happen when the new General Assembly starts in January.