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The State of Ohio

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Marijuana sellers and buyers are counting the days till sales begin in Ohio. Lawmakers decide how they want to spend $700 million in extra money. And there's another bill that would make big changes in voting laws. Studio guest is Bernie Willis.

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00:00:38	Marijuana sellers
00:00:38	and buyers are counting
00:00:41	the days till sales begin.
00:00:42	In Ohio, lawmakers
00:00:44	decide how they want to spend
00:00:44	$700 million in extra money.
00:00:48	And there's another bill
00:00:49	that would make big changes
00:00:49	in voting laws.
00:00:51	That's this
00:00:51	week in the state of Ohio.
00:01:11	Welcome to the state of Ohio.
00:01:13	I'm Karen Kasler.
00:01:15	Some of Ohio's medical
00:01:15	marijuana dispensaries
00:01:17	are likely days away
00:01:17	from the government
00:01:19	green light
00:01:19	to sell recreationally.
00:01:21	But state
00:01:21	lawmakers have not ruled out
00:01:23	tweaking the voter approved
00:01:23	law that allowed for legal
00:01:26	recreational marijuana
00:01:26	in Ohio.
00:01:29	As discussed on this show
00:01:29	last week.
00:01:31	Medical dispensaries
00:01:31	and new marijuana
00:01:33	businesses have submitted
00:01:33	their applications.
00:01:36	But a new Republican backed
00:01:36	Senate
00:01:37	bill would require home
00:01:37	growers
00:01:39	to register
00:01:40	with the Division
00:01:40	of Cannabis Control
00:01:42	and would limit them
00:01:42	to six plants per household,
00:01:45	down from a dozen that voters
00:01:47	approved
00:01:47	an issue to last fall.
00:01:49	The bill would also move
00:01:50	certain hemp products,
00:01:50	like Delta eight THC,
00:01:53	under the umbrella of licensed
00:01:53	retailers,
00:01:55	and limit sale of them
00:01:55	to adults 21 and older.
00:01:59	Republican Representative
00:02:00	Jamie Callender has been
00:02:01	a chief negotiator on possible
00:02:01	changes to the law,
00:02:04	which the House has yet
00:02:04	to consider.
00:02:06	I'm proud to be a member
00:02:06	of the House, which has
00:02:09	slow rolled any legislation
00:02:09	and reaction,
00:02:13	and really listen
00:02:13	to the will of the voters.
00:02:15	I think we're going to see
00:02:15	some legislation in the next
00:02:19	couple of weeks that will,
00:02:22	take care of
00:02:23	some of the loose ends, maybe
00:02:23	the Delta, Delta nine thing,
00:02:26	maybe transportation,
00:02:26	that type of thing.
00:02:30	but we are going to
00:02:30	we have fought for
00:02:34	and have maintained
00:02:34	and will maintain
00:02:36	the right for home grow
00:02:36	without being registered,
00:02:40	without being licensed.
00:02:42	What you grow in your house
00:02:42	was voted on by the people and
00:02:47	I'm proud
00:02:47	that the house has stood
00:02:48	with us
00:02:48	and protected that right.
00:02:50	House and Senate are both set
00:02:50	for sessions on June 26th.
00:02:54	Senate President
00:02:54	Matt Huffman said this week
00:02:56	that he expects action
00:02:58	on marijuana legislation,
00:02:58	which he calls complex.
00:03:01	He also said he's hopeful
00:03:02	that Senate Bill 83
00:03:02	will pass the House.
00:03:05	That's
00:03:05	the controversial legislation
00:03:07	that seeks to address concerns
00:03:07	that conservatives
00:03:09	have about higher education
00:03:09	by banning most D-I training
00:03:13	and requiring
00:03:14	what's called
00:03:14	intellectual diversity
00:03:16	on topics spelled out
00:03:16	in the legislation.
00:03:18	The list is climate
00:03:18	policies, electoral politics,
00:03:21	foreign policy, diversity,
00:03:21	equity and inclusion programs,
00:03:25	immigration policy, marriage
00:03:25	or abortion
00:03:28	a ban on faculty strikes.
00:03:29	It was in an earlier version
00:03:29	of the bill was removed.
00:03:33	The Ohio Senate unveiled $350
00:03:33	million worth of allocations
00:03:36	for regional
00:03:36	and local projects this week,
00:03:39	the second part of a $700
00:03:39	million package
00:03:41	of one time funds
00:03:43	that come from excess money
00:03:43	during the latest fiscal year.
00:03:46	The biggest item by far
00:03:46	for the House
00:03:48	and Senate is $46 million
00:03:48	for the Duke Energy Convention
00:03:52	Center in downtown Cincinnati,
00:03:52	which will cover nearly
00:03:55	a quarter of the facility's
00:03:55	estimated $200 million cost.
00:03:59	The chambers also teamed up
00:03:59	to allocate $27.5 million
00:04:02	for the Cincinnati Open
00:04:02	professional tennis
00:04:04	tournament, more than $16
00:04:04	million to the Pro Football
00:04:08	Hall of Fame and Village
00:04:08	in Canton, $7 million
00:04:11	for the Rock and Roll
00:04:11	Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
00:04:13	$18.5 million for the Columbus
00:04:13	Symphony Orchestra.
00:04:16	$11 million for a park
00:04:16	and pier at Buckeye Lake.
00:04:20	$24 million
00:04:20	for the Transportation
00:04:22	Research Center,
00:04:23	a partnership
00:04:23	between Honda and Ohio
00:04:25	State University,
00:04:25	and $20 million
00:04:27	for the Columbus State
00:04:27	Community
00:04:29	College backed Ohio Center
00:04:29	for Advanced Technologies.
00:04:33	Other big money items
00:04:33	the Senate funded include $7.5
00:04:37	million for John
00:04:38	Glenn International Airport
00:04:38	in Columbus, $10 million
00:04:41	for the Lima
00:04:42	Veterans Memorial Hall, $1.5
00:04:42	million for the Little Brown
00:04:45	Jug grandstand renovations
00:04:45	in Delaware,
00:04:48	$2 million for the Mount
00:04:48	Vernon
00:04:50	Police Station
00:04:50	and Knox County.
00:04:52	$3 million for the Toledo
00:04:52	Innovation Center, $3.8
00:04:56	million for the new Franklin
00:04:56	sewer project in Scott County,
00:04:59	and $2.1 million
00:05:01	for a safety service
00:05:01	and training complex
00:05:03	in Cortland in Trumbull
00:05:03	County.
00:05:05	A rainy day fund is maxed out
00:05:08	in terms of what the law
00:05:08	allows us to put inside,
00:05:11	and it's at its highest level
00:05:11	ever right now.
00:05:14	I think that's one thing,
00:05:16	which doesn't mean
00:05:16	you can't always plan
00:05:18	for rainy
00:05:18	or days in the future.
00:05:22	and, when,
00:05:26	you know,
00:05:26	when when we considered this,
00:05:28	last year during the budget,
00:05:30	there was a lot
00:05:30	of extra money.
00:05:32	And we've all talked
00:05:32	about the effect
00:05:34	of the federal stimulus,
00:05:34	how income tax,
00:05:37	sales tax, all the taxes
00:05:37	record revenue to in Ohio
00:05:41	and all 49 other states,
00:05:41	I might add, by the way.
00:05:44	So we created this budget plan
00:05:44	in the June 30th
00:05:48	operating budget.
00:05:49	And there were a number of,
00:05:49	things
00:05:52	at each of the chambers.
00:05:53	And the governor wanted,
00:05:55	and what what the
00:05:58	there was actually towards
00:05:58	capital projects.
00:06:01	And we did
00:06:02	we did want to call these
00:06:02	one time
00:06:04	strategic community investment
00:06:04	funds, things
00:06:06	that would really allow,
00:06:06	long time problems,
00:06:11	other things like that,
00:06:12	to get solved, things
00:06:12	that, were extraordinary.
00:06:15	Some notable House
00:06:15	appropriations include
00:06:17	$20 million for the North
00:06:17	Coast Connector, and $3.5
00:06:21	million
00:06:21	for development in the flats,
00:06:23	both of those in Cleveland,
00:06:25	$10 million for the downtown
00:06:25	Columbus Capital Line,
00:06:28	$3 million for future plan
00:06:28	sanctuary in Brown County,
00:06:32	$2.9 million
00:06:32	for a drug task force
00:06:35	building in Columbiana County.
00:06:37	$5 million
00:06:37	for a welcome center
00:06:39	in Wayne National Forest,
00:06:40	and $5 million
00:06:40	for a visitor center
00:06:43	at the Hopewell Culture
00:06:43	National Historic Park
00:06:46	in Ross County.
00:06:46	I mean, I think the Senate,
00:06:49	you know,
00:06:49	I trust their their ability
00:06:51	to figure out
00:06:51	what their communities want.
00:06:52	And, you know, with the house,
00:06:54	we I know
00:06:54	we put a lot of effort into,
00:06:57	figuring out
00:06:57	how to, manage the process,
00:07:00	but also manage the,
00:07:02	the communities
00:07:02	throughout the state of Ohio.
00:07:04	And I think, you know,
00:07:04	when you when you have that
00:07:06	that's, that's the,
00:07:06	the the interesting thing
00:07:09	about having a body camera
00:07:09	legislation is you have
00:07:11	two different approaches
00:07:11	and two different views.
00:07:13	And the, the people,
00:07:13	I think in the end will.
00:07:16	Benefit from it.
00:07:17	The House and Senate
00:07:18	are likely to vote
00:07:18	on that money on June 26th.
00:07:21	More than a dozen of the most
00:07:21	conservative Republicans
00:07:23	in the Ohio House
00:07:23	have signed onto a bill
00:07:25	that would make changes in
00:07:26	state laws
00:07:26	regarding required voter ID,
00:07:29	early voting,
00:07:29	and voting by mail
00:07:32	all to increase
00:07:32	security in the system.
00:07:34	It sponsors say while
00:07:34	Ohio is the gold standard
00:07:37	when it comes to election
00:07:37	systems,
00:07:38	there are improvements
00:07:38	to be made
00:07:40	in cybersecurity
00:07:40	and other protections.
00:07:42	But the 256 page bill includes
00:07:42	other provisions
00:07:45	that have raised concerns.
00:07:47	This week,
00:07:47	I sat down with one of its
00:07:48	sponsors, Representative
00:07:48	Bernie Willis.
00:07:51	Let's talk about House
00:07:51	Bill 472.
00:07:54	You and your joint sponsor,
00:07:54	representative
00:07:55	Bob Peterson, have said it's
00:07:55	about cybersecurity concerns.
00:07:58	Now, we've heard for years
00:07:58	that voting machines
00:08:00	are not connected
00:08:00	to the internet.
00:08:02	So what are the
00:08:03	cybersecurity concerns
00:08:03	that you're trying to address?
00:08:06	Cybersecurity is such a deep
00:08:09	topic that we have not
00:08:09	addressed appropriately.
00:08:12	I think even
00:08:12	from the first institution
00:08:12	of these machines,
00:08:15	you know, close
00:08:15	to 20 years ago.
00:08:17	And one of the things
00:08:18	we have to start understanding
00:08:18	is just how deeply the cyber
00:08:22	actors, the threat actors
00:08:22	that we have in the world
00:08:25	have moved toward everything.
00:08:27	That includes
00:08:28	going all the way back to
00:08:28	the original chip set build.
00:08:32	So when the
00:08:33	individual components of
00:08:33	something are being built,
00:08:36	there's a possibility there.
00:08:37	If you are not in control
00:08:37	of your supply chain,
00:08:40	that someone could put
00:08:41	malicious code
00:08:41	in an individual chip set
00:08:44	that goes into the build
00:08:44	of other larger components.
00:08:47	And what you end up with
00:08:47	eventually is a back door
00:08:50	that's open to that threat
00:08:51	actor to be able to come in
00:08:51	and do those things.
00:08:54	And we have not instituted the
00:08:54	proper checks and balances,
00:08:58	the risk management framework
00:08:58	and the method
00:09:01	that you would do things
00:09:01	that we consider
00:09:03	to be critical infrastructure
00:09:04	and protect them properly
00:09:04	at this level.
00:09:07	And it's one of those things
00:09:07	that we are just realizing.
00:09:10	And that's a shame, right?
00:09:11	It for us to be this far along
00:09:11	and then realize while
00:09:14	we are really,
00:09:14	you know, far in arrears,
00:09:16	not just with thinking
00:09:18	about the ways
00:09:18	that they could be attacked,
00:09:20	but the ways
00:09:21	that we should be
00:09:21	protecting them
00:09:23	if we are going to accept
00:09:23	the fact that our national,
00:09:26	you know, institutions have
00:09:26	called our election systems
00:09:30	critical infrastructure for me
00:09:30	and my background.
00:09:32	You're
00:09:32	coming from the military side.
00:09:34	I understand the ways
00:09:35	that we have to protect
00:09:35	that, having,
00:09:37	you know, built out high level
00:09:37	security places and,
00:09:39	and understand
00:09:39	the very simplest rules like,
00:09:42	and these are things
00:09:42	that I just learned
00:09:43	within the last five years
00:09:43	that you can't by any
00:09:46	normal component,
00:09:46	like a monitor on your wall.
00:09:49	for something
00:09:49	that's critical infrastructure
00:09:52	or for classified processing,
00:09:52	because any chipset that's in
00:09:56	there can be accessed
00:09:56	if it's available.
00:09:58	And the only way
00:09:58	that you get around
00:10:00	that is by removing things
00:10:00	that aren't needed.
00:10:02	And so when someone asks,
00:10:02	how do you,
00:10:05	you know, ensure
00:10:05	that you're not connected
00:10:07	or don't have the ability
00:10:07	for someone to connect to?
00:10:09	It doesn't matter
00:10:09	whether you're connected
00:10:09	to the internet, it's
00:10:11	about whether someone
00:10:11	can connect to it.
00:10:13	Even a disabled chipset
00:10:14	in the software
00:10:14	that tells you a slider,
00:10:18	maybe that tells you that
00:10:18	it is off.
00:10:19	If it's in there, it's
00:10:19	accessible.
00:10:21	Now, the state does have
00:10:21	a voting machine, examiners
00:10:25	board and county
00:10:25	board of elections
00:10:27	can purchase
00:10:27	their own machines.
00:10:29	They make those local
00:10:29	decisions
00:10:31	on which voting
00:10:31	machines to purchase.
00:10:32	Would this bill require
00:10:32	all counties to buy brand
00:10:36	new voting machines?
00:10:37	No. Not necessarily.
00:10:38	So the way the law is stated
00:10:38	now, it says that we will have
00:10:41	those systems certified
00:10:41	to the most recent standards.
00:10:44	And one of our issues right
00:10:44	now is the fact that we
00:10:47	just certified new standards
00:10:47	from the standards
00:10:51	that currently were in place
00:10:51	from 2005.
00:10:54	And so cybersecurity,
00:10:55	anyone who understands
00:10:55	how things have changed
00:10:57	knows that cybersecurity
00:10:57	changes on a moment's notice.
00:10:59	And anything that we did
00:11:01	yesterday
00:11:01	could be hacked today.
00:11:03	And they will have to be
00:11:03	changed and fixed.
00:11:05	And so it's an active process.
00:11:07	And so as these,
00:11:07	the standards have changed,
00:11:11	we have now
00:11:11	gotten to the point where
00:11:13	especially, you know,
00:11:13	even in this election year,
00:11:13	we've now certified
00:11:16	voting systems
00:11:16	that are going to be available
00:11:18	and still purchasable
00:11:18	on a 2005 standard
00:11:20	when a brand new standard
00:11:20	that's, you know, effective
00:11:23	2023, is the actual level
00:11:23	that would need to be at.
00:11:27	The County Commissioners
00:11:27	Association of Ohio
00:11:29	has voted to oppose this bill
00:11:29	because of cost.
00:11:32	And the president
00:11:32	of the Ohio Association
00:11:33	of Elections Officials
00:11:33	has said it's going to squeeze
00:11:35	taxpayers burden voters,
00:11:37	and is an unfunded mandate
00:11:37	in search of a problem.
00:11:39	What do you say to that?
00:11:41	So I would say
00:11:41	the funding issue is real.
00:11:44	What we haven't quantified
00:11:44	is how much
00:11:47	out of how much
00:11:47	we've spent already,
00:11:49	if and if assuming
00:11:49	that we are able to
00:11:51	look at some point
00:11:51	at all of those systems
00:11:53	and say, yes,
00:11:54	they are indeed as secure
00:11:54	as we need them to be,
00:11:57	whether we will need to
00:11:57	replace them is another issue
00:11:59	that the frankly,
00:11:59	our legislature
00:12:01	has to figure out
00:12:01	and figure out.
00:12:03	How do we then fund it
00:12:03	as critical infrastructure.
00:12:07	And so I think their
00:12:08	their concerns
00:12:08	are absolutely valid.
00:12:10	And we certainly do
00:12:10	not want to put any unlevel,
00:12:12	you know,
00:12:13	some levy, some unfunded
00:12:13	requirement upon them
00:12:16	without them
00:12:16	telling them, hey,
00:12:17	when we know
00:12:18	how much of that cost,
00:12:19	we're going to make sure
00:12:20	that the funds
00:12:20	are there to do it,
00:12:21	because our state again,
00:12:21	should accept this
00:12:23	as critical infrastructure,
00:12:24	should protect it
00:12:24	at that level and not just ask
00:12:26	them to do it.
00:12:27	I think that's our job
00:12:27	to actually do that for them.
00:12:30	You've talked about, outside
00:12:31	actors getting involved in
00:12:31	and controlling chips,
00:12:34	and certainly
00:12:34	we've had some concerns
00:12:36	about other countries
00:12:36	accessing our voting system
00:12:39	and things like that.
00:12:40	There was a group of election
00:12:42	security experts
00:12:42	that sent a letter to U.S.
00:12:44	Attorney
00:12:44	General Merrick Garland
00:12:45	last year
00:12:45	saying there's a real concern
00:12:47	about an effort
00:12:47	to access voting system
00:12:49	software by allies of former
00:12:49	President Trump.
00:12:51	Does this bill address
00:12:54	any questions about citizens
00:12:54	looking into voting machines
00:12:57	and trying to access
00:12:58	that voting software,
00:12:58	and maybe messing it up?
00:13:02	I think it literally covers
00:13:02	the gamut of,
00:13:06	protecting the databases
00:13:06	that are created
00:13:08	from all of this information,
00:13:08	the inputs, outputs
00:13:10	going all the way back from,
00:13:12	you know, voter registration
00:13:12	and being in the registries
00:13:14	all the way up to the final
00:13:16	tallied votes
00:13:16	that come out of that.
00:13:18	What we have now are databases
00:13:20	that we really do
00:13:20	not have any insight to,
00:13:23	and we don't have any control
00:13:24	over and may best parallel
00:13:24	I would say to that is,
00:13:28	you know, the databases
00:13:28	that hold
00:13:29	your financial information
00:13:29	every day are secured
00:13:32	by the highest level
00:13:32	of blockchain technology.
00:13:35	And that allows you
00:13:37	to not only be flagged
00:13:38	to any issues going in,
00:13:38	but you have a
00:13:40	continual record
00:13:40	of not only how it was done,
00:13:42	but who did it,
00:13:43	and the ability
00:13:43	to rebuild that database
00:13:46	by taking out the bad,
00:13:48	you know, inputs that
00:13:48	may have happened to be there.
00:13:50	we have nothing even close
00:13:50	to that at this point.
00:13:53	And so it's very difficult
00:13:54	for us to even know who
00:13:54	and where there might be bad
00:13:58	entries or,
00:13:59	you know,
00:13:59	exits, things that are taken
00:14:01	out of the database,
00:14:01	put in the database.
00:14:03	And that's really
00:14:03	what we're asking
00:14:04	for, is to elevate it
00:14:05	to a standard
00:14:06	where
00:14:06	we have control over that,
00:14:08	and we know exactly what's
00:14:08	going and what's coming up.
00:14:10	To me, it's a completely
00:14:10	nonpartisan issue, right?
00:14:13	We're talking about
00:14:13	election integrity,
00:14:15	whether that you know, what
00:14:15	I think that is to the benefit
00:14:19	of the Ohio people,
00:14:19	to know that what's going in
00:14:22	is exactly what they intended,
00:14:22	and what comes out of
00:14:25	the result is is true.
00:14:27	The bill would also allow
00:14:27	for boards of elections,
00:14:29	county commissioners,
00:14:29	or voters to require
00:14:31	hand-counting of ballots.
00:14:33	Doesn't that open the system
00:14:33	up to more human error when
00:14:36	ballots are counted by hand,
00:14:36	as opposed to by a machine?
00:14:40	No, I think
00:14:40	it's a bit of a misnomer that,
00:14:42	folks are very worried
00:14:42	about a county
00:14:44	or board of elections
00:14:44	saying, hey,
00:14:46	our system
00:14:46	is potentially corrupt
00:14:48	and we have to do something
00:14:48	different.
00:14:50	one of the big misinformation
00:14:50	campaigns
00:14:52	I think, going on right now
00:14:52	is that we're just trying
00:14:54	to get back to hand counting,
00:14:54	and that's just not true.
00:14:57	I think what it is, is,
00:14:57	self-determination by those,
00:15:00	either boards of elections
00:15:02	or the county commissioners
00:15:02	or the electorate
00:15:04	in that county to say
00:15:04	that we're not sure. Right.
00:15:07	We may have had some strange
00:15:07	activity that happens around,
00:15:10	you know, one of the vendors
00:15:12	that leaves them wondering
00:15:12	whether their system is secure
00:15:15	and it should be their option
00:15:15	to say, hey, you know what?
00:15:19	Until we figure this out,
00:15:20	we're going to hand
00:15:20	count our ballots.
00:15:21	So that's something that
00:15:21	we did for a really long time.
00:15:24	does it other does it
00:15:24	give us other issues
00:15:26	to have to deal with
00:15:26	now with getting more people
00:15:29	and the possibility of,
00:15:29	you know, having human error?
00:15:31	And I just tell people
00:15:33	what we to have
00:15:33	two human beings
00:15:35	sitting next to me
00:15:35	and watch what they're doing
00:15:37	versus looking at a machine
00:15:37	that I have no insight
00:15:41	into what's
00:15:41	going on inside of that.
00:15:43	I actually trust the humans
00:15:43	a little better.
00:15:45	So this is not about 2020
00:15:45	election deniers
00:15:48	trying to push for hand count.
00:15:48	Not at all.
00:15:50	Not at all. No.
00:15:50	This is really about ensuring
00:15:52	that those systems are secure.
00:15:54	And to give again, in a case
00:15:54	where we find out
00:15:57	one is potentially not secure.
00:15:59	If that county says
00:16:00	we want to back out
00:16:01	and we want to hand-count
00:16:01	our ballots,
00:16:02	we've already talked to
00:16:03	boards of elections
00:16:03	that said, yeah,
00:16:04	we could do that,
00:16:05	and it's actually cheaper
00:16:05	to do it that way
00:16:07	than to continue to upgrade
00:16:08	and build
00:16:08	more into these systems.
00:16:10	So it gives them the option.
00:16:11	I think that
00:16:11	self-determination
00:16:13	and that home
00:16:13	rule makes sense.
00:16:15	Another thing the bill does,
00:16:16	it would
00:16:16	require nearly all voters
00:16:16	to have a valid
00:16:18	Ohio driver's license
00:16:18	with a photo, of course,
00:16:20	or a state ID with a photo
00:16:20	to register to vote by mail,
00:16:23	as well as to vote to register
00:16:23	and to vote by mail.
00:16:27	Right now,
00:16:28	you can vote by mail
00:16:28	with just the last four
00:16:29	digits,
00:16:29	the Social Security number.
00:16:31	That's a change for people
00:16:32	who have been voting by mail
00:16:32	for many years.
00:16:35	Is that going to be a problem?
00:16:36	We don't think
00:16:36	it'll be a problem.
00:16:38	But again, it may put
00:16:38	an additional burden.
00:16:41	That's the thing that we're
00:16:41	really trying to figure out.
00:16:42	If there is
00:16:42	an additional burden,
00:16:43	we want to ensure
00:16:43	that we resource to that
00:16:45	to figure out, you know,
00:16:46	how do we help to ensure
00:16:46	that anyone who says, well,
00:16:49	you know, the other ability
00:16:49	that I might have to get a, a
00:16:52	and then ID
00:16:52	done, let's say remotely
00:16:55	or to have someone come out
00:16:57	to my location
00:16:57	because I'm homebound.
00:16:59	Are those things great?
00:17:00	as a former military member,
00:17:00	I got to vote absentee.
00:17:04	And so that's
00:17:05	something that we don't want
00:17:05	to, you know, interrupt.
00:17:07	But we are at a point
00:17:09	now where we know that
00:17:09	there are the potential
00:17:11	for people
00:17:11	to go and look and say, hey,
00:17:13	well, we could,
00:17:13	you know, and enter ballots
00:17:13	as absentee ballots
00:17:16	with someone's name on them
00:17:16	and not have any ability
00:17:18	to determine whether that
00:17:18	person actually did that vote.
00:17:22	Do you have any evidence
00:17:22	that this is happening?
00:17:24	Is this a solution
00:17:24	in search of a problem? No.
00:17:27	But what it does
00:17:27	is give confidence
00:17:28	to the fact
00:17:28	that we actually are giving
00:17:30	vote to each person
00:17:30	who wants to vote
00:17:32	and has voted before
00:17:32	or is registered to vote.
00:17:36	Now, and the person
00:17:36	who shows up to the polls,
00:17:39	who has to produce
00:17:40	identification
00:17:40	and is put through
00:17:42	that is not now
00:17:42	unduly burdened.
00:17:44	And it's the same protection
00:17:44	for them
00:17:47	as it is for the person
00:17:47	who's voting absentee.
00:17:49	The person who shows up
00:17:49	to vote.
00:17:50	There's
00:17:50	another provision in here
00:17:51	that would allow, actually,
00:17:53	what would require
00:17:54	poll workers
00:17:54	to look at the photo ID
00:17:56	and compare it to the person
00:17:56	in front of them to make sure
00:17:58	that this is actually
00:17:58	the person who's voting.
00:18:00	driver's licenses
00:18:00	can last for eight years.
00:18:03	You can change a lot
00:18:03	in eight years through aging
00:18:06	and illness and whatever else
00:18:06	life throws at you.
00:18:09	Is this going to be a
00:18:11	a potential problem
00:18:11	here for the poll worker
00:18:13	to have to say this isn't you,
00:18:14	or for the voter to say,
00:18:14	no, that is me.
00:18:18	I think there's enough
00:18:19	provision in the law
00:18:19	currently that allows
00:18:22	someone that has a question
00:18:22	about the voter to then,
00:18:26	you know,
00:18:26	put a provisional flag
00:18:27	and just say, hey, we're
00:18:27	on that vote
00:18:29	because we have a disagreement
00:18:29	here, right?
00:18:31	And there's there's always
00:18:31	there
00:18:32	should always be room
00:18:32	for us to disagree
00:18:34	and then go, okay, well,
00:18:34	we have a method, though,
00:18:36	by which we can
00:18:36	then substantiate
00:18:38	the claim that you are
00:18:38	who you say you are,
00:18:40	understanding that
00:18:41	this really doesn't
00:18:41	look like you, right?
00:18:43	I think I think that would
00:18:43	make sense to a person.
00:18:46	but then to say, hey,
00:18:47	we're just going to put it
00:18:48	in a provisional status
00:18:48	so that we can get
00:18:48	some additional information
00:18:50	to ensure
00:18:50	that this is available.
00:18:52	Governor Mike DeWine,
00:18:53	when he signed House Bill 458,
00:18:54	which was the one
00:18:54	that required photo ID,
00:18:57	at for voters
00:18:58	and limited counties
00:18:58	to one ballot, Dropbox
00:19:01	and all the other things
00:19:01	that it did.
00:19:02	He said when he signed
00:19:02	that bill or afterwards
00:19:05	that he didn't want to sign
00:19:05	another election bill.
00:19:07	So how do you convince him
00:19:09	that this is needed
00:19:09	when we keep hearing that
00:19:11	Ohio is the gold
00:19:11	standard for elections,
00:19:13	that Ohio's
00:19:13	elections are very secure,
00:19:15	how do you convince them
00:19:15	that this is needed?
00:19:17	Well, I would say that,
00:19:18	you know,
00:19:18	as a freshman representative,
00:19:21	I learned early on that
00:19:21	we are working
00:19:23	on the revised code
00:19:23	all the time.
00:19:25	And so
00:19:26	there's going to be constant
00:19:26	revisions to everything.
00:19:28	I mean, it would be very nice
00:19:30	if we could come up with a
00:19:31	bill every year
00:19:31	that just satisfies
00:19:33	each portion of our law.
00:19:34	But it's just not feasible.
00:19:36	And so, especially in the case
00:19:36	where we've, you know,
00:19:39	now found that
00:19:39	the systems are,
00:19:41	you know, potentially open
00:19:41	to some kind of cyber actor,
00:19:46	you know, inside those systems
00:19:46	doing something to that
00:19:48	we don't want at this point to
00:19:50	then say, well,
00:19:50	we couldn't do anything.
00:19:52	And then the Ohio voters
00:19:52	are looking at us going,
00:19:55	but now
00:19:55	something has happened.
00:19:57	And you you did nothing
00:19:57	to, you know, defend
00:19:59	against those things
00:19:59	or prevent the upfront.
00:20:03	And this would make some
00:20:04	changes during a big election
00:20:04	year.
00:20:06	We've got presidential
00:20:06	and U.S.
00:20:08	Senate, the entire House,
00:20:08	third of the Senate, the
00:20:11	members of Congress.
00:20:13	there are
00:20:13	a lot of potential, votes
00:20:13	coming up here.
00:20:16	Is this the time
00:20:17	to make big changes
00:20:17	to Ohio's voting system,
00:20:20	when you're going to have
00:20:20	a lot of voters this fall?
00:20:23	I think both myself
00:20:23	and Representative Peterson.
00:20:25	And, you know,
00:20:25	on the other side,
00:20:27	there's the companion
00:20:27	bill in the Senate now,
00:20:29	I think Senator Brunner,
00:20:29	Senator, Gavron,
00:20:32	both understand
00:20:32	that this is a very big
00:20:34	ask ahead of a larger election
00:20:34	and that there are
00:20:36	a lot of things that we are
00:20:36	that we have in this bill
00:20:39	that would not be
00:20:39	implementable
00:20:40	in the time that we have
00:20:40	between now and then.
00:20:43	And so what we're looking at
00:20:43	now is
00:20:45	what are the pieces
00:20:45	that we can move,
00:20:47	not only just in policy
00:20:47	to help ensure
00:20:50	that the system works
00:20:50	a little better,
00:20:52	but we want to make sure
00:20:52	that the message is
00:20:54	that we're not going to
00:20:54	then just wait. Right.
00:20:57	This could be something that,
00:20:57	even if it's
00:20:59	settled and satisfied
00:20:59	before the end of this
00:21:01	GA in law,
00:21:02	it wouldn't
00:21:02	even come into effect
00:21:03	until after
00:21:03	the election is done.
00:21:05	But it gets us postured
00:21:07	to then move
00:21:07	from being a gold standard.
00:21:09	And I ask people, well,
00:21:09	if it's if it's gold
00:21:12	and what carat are we talking
00:21:12	right.
00:21:14	What we're looking for
00:21:14	is the platinum standard.
00:21:16	We're looking to be
00:21:16	the national leader
00:21:18	in election systems
00:21:19	and lay that out for
00:21:20	the most secure possibilities
00:21:20	for everyone else to follow.
00:21:24	So changes could be coming in
00:21:24	terms of when these things
00:21:27	might take effect or things
00:21:27	that might be dropped out. Or.
00:21:30	By the way, 12 Ohio counties
00:21:30	use equipment from Dominion
00:21:33	Voting Systems,
00:21:33	which secured a $787 million
00:21:37	settlement with Fox News
00:21:38	and a lawsuit
00:21:38	that claimed the network
00:21:40	defamed the company with lies
00:21:42	and conspiracy theories
00:21:42	about their voting machines.
00:21:45	The County Commissioners
00:21:45	Association of Ohio
00:21:47	is opposed to the bill,
00:21:47	as is the group
00:21:49	that represents
00:21:49	elections workers.
00:21:51	The Ohio Association
00:21:51	of Elections Officials.
00:21:54	We agree with the sponsors
00:21:54	that we want to have safe
00:21:57	and secure elections in Ohio,
00:21:57	but unfortunately,
00:22:00	we also recognize that
00:22:02	many of the provisions
00:22:02	that are contained in the bill
00:22:05	actually move us
00:22:05	in the wrong direction.
00:22:07	So while we are certainly
00:22:08	committed to working
00:22:08	with the legislature
00:22:10	to improve our election system
00:22:12	and make it more safe
00:22:12	and more secure,
00:22:13	I think we have to start
00:22:15	by acknowledging
00:22:15	that Ohio already
00:22:17	has the gold standard
00:22:17	for secure elections,
00:22:19	for safe elections,
00:22:19	for accurate elections,
00:22:21	and we need to start with that
00:22:21	premise
00:22:23	and find real solutions
00:22:23	to real problems,
00:22:26	not create
00:22:26	more by passing a bill
00:22:28	that just is not
00:22:30	well conceived
00:22:30	or well vetted at this point.
00:22:32	And obviously,
00:22:32	if where ever sees everything.
00:22:37	And this week,
00:22:38	mark the first ever Mojo
00:22:38	Nixon Day in Ohio
00:22:41	with the House voting to honor
00:22:41	the Cincinnati DJ,
00:22:44	satellite radio show host,
00:22:45	satirical singer, songwriter
00:22:45	and occasional actor,
00:22:49	the self-described court
00:22:49	jester of the cow
00:22:52	punk and psycho
00:22:52	Billy movements.
00:22:55	You probably wouldn't
00:22:56	think that those words
00:22:56	would be spoken here, right?
00:23:00	that fuzed country and roots
00:23:00	music with punk rock.
00:23:04	Mojo Nixon burst on the scene
00:23:04	in the 1980s with hits
00:23:07	like Elvis Is Everywhere,
00:23:07	Don Henley Must Die,
00:23:12	and Debbie Gibson is Pregnant
00:23:12	with my two headed love child
00:23:16	Mojo Nixon said
00:23:18	his goal was to go too far,
00:23:18	too fast.
00:23:21	He pushed every boundary,
00:23:21	stood up to censorship,
00:23:25	and fought for free speech.
00:23:27	He used his platform
00:23:27	to challenge the status quo
00:23:30	and to give a voice to those
00:23:30	who felt marginalized
00:23:33	by mainstream culture.
00:23:34	Ohio was a big part
00:23:34	of what he was, and he.
00:23:39	Would. Probably.
00:23:40	Be more entertained
00:23:40	than this mojo in Wonderland,
00:23:43	down the rabbit hole stuff
00:23:43	that's going on here today.
00:23:45	Than than, than anybody.
00:23:48	he was an uncompromising
00:23:48	individual,
00:23:51	and nobody asked
00:23:51	for any sort of compromise
00:23:53	to make this day
00:23:53	come together,
00:23:55	and that people embraced him
00:23:55	for the total
00:23:59	boundary
00:23:59	pushing nutjob that he is.
00:24:01	We all know that rock and roll
00:24:01	isn't one sound.
00:24:04	Rock n roll is streetcorner
00:24:04	harmony.
00:24:07	Rock n roll is doing rock
00:24:07	n roll is garage rock.
00:24:10	It's punk rock.
00:24:11	It's electronic music,
00:24:11	it's dance music,
00:24:13	it's cal punk, it's
00:24:13	heavy metal,
00:24:15	it's death metal,
00:24:15	it's hip hop, it's rap.
00:24:18	It's all of that.
00:24:19	And Mojo had all those sounds
00:24:19	and energy rolled together,
00:24:22	and the hallmark of it
00:24:22	all is that it has attitude
00:24:25	and spirit.
00:24:26	And he had a hell of
00:24:26	a lot of attitude and spirit.
00:24:30	Neil Kirby McMillan,
00:24:30	who became Mojo Nixon, died
00:24:33	in February
00:24:34	on the annual cruise
00:24:34	he hosted in conjunction
00:24:37	with his Sirius
00:24:37	XM satellite radio show.
00:24:40	And that is it for this week
00:24:40	for my colleagues
00:24:42	at the Statehouse News
00:24:43	Bureau of Ohio Public
00:24:43	Radio and Television.
00:24:44	Thanks for watching.
00:24:45	Please check out our website
00:24:45	at State news.org
00:24:48	or find us online by searching
00:24:48	State of Ohio Show.
00:24:51	You can also hear more
00:24:51	from the Bureau
00:24:53	on our podcast,
00:24:53	The Ohio State House scoop.
00:24:55	Look for it
00:24:55	every Monday morning
00:24:57	wherever
00:24:57	you get your podcasts,
00:24:59	and please join us again
00:24:59	next time here for
00:25:01	the State of Ohio.
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Note : Transcripts are compiled from uncorrected captions