Gov. Kasich's April Fools

Kasich Vetoes Portions Of Residency Provision From Transportation Budget.

Today, the Governor took pen in hand and line-item votoed an important residency requirement in the 2015 Transportation Bill over objections of members of the Ohio Legislature who had carefully crafted the language in the bill to clarify a vague area in the existing law. Members of the Ohio Senate had voted on new residency requirements for out of state students who register and vote in Ohio. Many of these students receive in-state tuition benefits. The legislature took the reasonable course of action to require a higher level of residency, that if one is going to be an Ohio resident, they need to register their vehicle within 30 days, obtain an Ohio drivers license, file their taxes in Ohio, as well as registering to vote in Ohio. The Governor line-item vetoed all but the 30-day time period. 

State Senator Keith Faber and members of the Ohio Senate were perplexed by the Governor's action.  

OCA President Chris Long made the following statement, "This was a reasonable measure that the Ohio Legislature had constructed in the Transportation Bill that would alleviate confusion for out of state students who are being pushed to the polls by political campaigns during election cycles. A number of these students are already registered to vote back home in their home states and apply for absentee ballots to vote back home. Some political campaigns urge these students to vote in the battleground state of Ohio. Some students have voted both in Ohio and back home. This is voter fraud and is a fourth degree felony.

This provision in the Transportation Budget would have gone a long way to clear up any confusion about who is and is not a resident of Ohio. We are dismayed by the Governor's action today. We hope that he will listen to fellow Ohioans with future election reform legislation and residency requirements.

The Ohio Christian Alliance supports voter photo ID requirement for Ohio. Legislation is being introduced by State Rep. Andy Brenner of Ohio's 67th District for the 131st General Assembly to adopt voter photo ID requirement for Ohio . Urge your representative to co-sponsor this important legislation. Ohioans are not fooled; they know that there are those who are trying to game the system of our election laws, and we want sound public policy to put an end to it."