B-J: Dangerous ducks--Republicans at the Statehouse aren't simply making mischief. ...

[Kolesar]

Akron Beacon Journal editorial

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/editorial/16245996.htm

Dangerous ducks
Republicans at the Statehouse aren't simply making mischief. Their legislative antics risk harm to Ohio

Anyone recall Speaker Jon Husted or Bill Harris, the Senate president, or other members of the Republican majorities at the Statehouse promising on the campaign trail that their party would engage in a legislative stampede after the election? Did they say anything about racing bills to passage with scant consideration of the detail? Performing the bidding of friendly lobbyists? Doing what they could to throw obstacles in the way of Ted Strickland should he win the governor's office?

Of course not.

They cooed reassuringly about the capital spending bill and the core curriculum pushed by Gov. Taft. If they had discussed aloud the outrageous show now performing at the legislature, they would have lost even more seats in the House and Senate. Strickland would have easily exceeded 60 percent of the vote.

As it is, voters sent a powerful message on Election Day. To the question, ``Had enough of 12 years of absolute Republican rule?'', they answered with an emphatic ``yes.'' Nothing has changed since. According to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted last week, Ohioans gave the Republican legislature an approval rating of 25 percent.

Might that inspire humility? Not a chance with this crowd. The deed that most exceeded the bounds of legislative decency involved changing the Consumer Sales Practices Act. Reversing a careful 5-1 ruling of the Ohio Supreme Court, Republican lawmakers called for severely limiting damage awards to injured consumers. An editorial below more fully describes the recklessness. State Rep. Lou Blessing, a Cincinnati Republican, admitted his own uneasiness and then explained the motive, telling reporters: ``I think if we let this slide until the new administration takes over, I would be very surprised if the new governor would sign a bill that limited damages in any way. That's really why we're doing it.''
...snip...

Part 2, more about the consumer sales practices act
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/editorial/16245995.htm

Part 3, now the state wants to tell cities how to control speeding
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/editorial/16245997.htm