Senate Democrats React to Republican Lawsuit to Disenfranchise Voters

Columbus – Senate Democratic Leader Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati), Senator Joe Schiavoni (D-Boardman), Senator Edna Brown (D-Toledo), Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland), Senator Shirley Smith (D-Cleveland) and Senator Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) today condemned continued efforts by Republicans in the General Assembly to disenfranchise voters.

Yesterday, Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) and House Speaker Pro Tempore Lou Blessing (R-Cincinnati) filed a lawsuit (State of Ohio ex. rel. Neihaus v. Husted) asking the Ohio Supreme Court to overturn a federal consent degree which, if successful, would result in fewer provisional ballots being counted.

“The lawsuit makes it clear that Republicans in the General Assembly will stop at nothing to disenfranchise more Ohioans,” said Senator Kearney. “They are circumventing constitutionally guaranteed rights and defying the federal courts in a cynical effort to throw the next election in their favor.”

“Wasting taxpayer dollars to eliminate voting rights is a lose-lose situation,” added Senator Tavares.

“As legislators we should be working on ways to encourage more people to vote, not filing lawsuits that will reduce a citizen’s ability to be heard,” said Senator Schiavoni.

“I completely agree with former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner that this lawsuit is an embarrassing action by Ohio elected officials,” said Senator Brown. “Once again it appears that they are willing to use any and all means to deny voter access to the citizens of Ohio.”

“This is just another sad attempt by Republicans to suppress the vote,” said Senator Turner. “With all of the pressing issues facing the State of Ohio, I cannot understand why the majority party is so obsessed with making it harder to vote.”

The lawsuit follows a vote in the Ohio Senate last month (SB 295) to prevent the citizens of Ohio from voting on a referendum to overturn House Bill 194—partisan legislation passed last year that shortens the early voting period and prohibits counties from mailing unsolicited applications for absentee ballots. The voting changes would disproportionately affect minorities, senior citizens and college students.

“Republicans don’t seem to care that voting is the most fundamental right in our democracy,” said Senator Smith. “Too many people have fought and died for the right to vote for us not to speak up and defend it.”