Last week it appeared as if Sen. Bill Seitz and the Libertarian Party of Ohio were on the verge of a deal that would garner the party’s backing for a bill from the Cincinnati Republican revamping state law on minor political parties. But this afternoon the party issued a release saying it and the ACLU – brought on board earlier today — would be testifying against the measure Tuesday during a hearing of Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee. The Libertarians dubbed the bill “the John Kasich Re-election Protection Act.” “This is machine-style politics at its very worst,” said party Chair Kevin Knedler in the release. He noted the bill was introduced on the same day Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Charlie Earl kicked off his campaign last month. “Kasich has stabbed fiscal conservatives, tea party activists, and libertarian Republicans in the back several times, and he’s scared to death he’ll be out of a job when they exercise their democratic right to vote for a candidate they can trust to do what’s right for Ohio.”
Aaron Keith Harris, the Libertarian Party’s communications director, said he doesn’t know what happened to an agreement that appeared possible after a committee hearing last week.
“Seitz has been entirely disingenuous throughout this entire process, including in his testimony introducing his own bill. He continually refers to the possibility of minor or cosmetic amendments as him ‘indulging’ us, which is offensive to all Ohio voters,” Harris said.
“It’s abundantly clear that he’s acting on Kasich’s behalf and was chosen because he’s term-limited and won’t have to face the heat for bullying voters and parties who just want to practice the slightest bit of democracy. Has anyone asked Kasich why he’s doing this, even to get the comical denial?”
Full Article: Libertarians, ACLU team up to oppose “The John Kasich Re-election Protection Act” | Dispatch Politics.