The only Democrat on the Ohio Supreme Court is speaking out after the Republican-dominated Ohio Senate voted yesterday to take the first step to remove him from the bench. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler talked with Justice Bill O’Neill about the action Senators took.
O’Neill says there’s nothing in state law that prevents him from running for governor as a sitting Supreme Court justice, which denators brought up in debate on the resolution. But he says he hasn’t filed his official paperwork yet anyway. O’Neill confirms he’ll leave office next Friday when his resignation takes effect. And O’Neill says the vote on the resolution was completely political.
“They don’t want me to be the governor, so this is their parting shot, and I welcome it. My platform got great exposure yesterday.”
All Senate Republicans voted for the resolution, and were joined by Joe Schiavoni, who will face O’Neill in the Democratic primary for governor. But for the action to proceed the House would have to pass it, too, and Speaker Cliff Rosenberger says he doesn’t intend to consider it.
