It’s not something you see too often during the election process when the Ohio Secretary of State has to break a tie vote after a county Elections Board comes to a split decision on a matter.

But that’s what happened when Secretary of State Jon Husted recently decided to cast a vote in favor of hiring Democrat Deborah Reiter as Geauga County Elections Board’s new deputy director. Statewide, it was only Husted’s eighth tie-breaking vote this year.

The four-member board had voted 2-2 to hire the Chardon councilwoman after she was nominated by Democratic board members Janet Carson and Dennis Pavella.

Republican board members Edward Ryder and Dorothy Stange voted against the appointment, citing the fact that Reiter did not have previous Election Board experience.

Husted said in his letter to the Elections Board that he was breaking the tie because he saw no reason to prevent Reiter from serving the position.

The secretary of state also reminded board members that tie votes should not be viewed as the preferred method to administer public policy.

He said the board needs to make every effort to resolve matters such as employment and compensation at the local level.

Carson feels the appointment of Reiter represents the new direction the Democratic Party has been moving.

For years, Democrat Arch Kimbrew had been the Elections Board’s director, but the Democratic board members wanted to make a change.

Board members voted to bump up longtime deputy director Republican Roberta Halford to director and Husted then appointed Kimbrew to serve as a temporary deputy director until a decision on that position was made.

For a county not generally to known to make waves when it comes to the election process, this shakeup comes as a dramatic change.

It will be interesting to see how Democrats and Republicans move forward together after the battle for control of the leadership of the agency.

Keep in mind, the board’s chairman or chairwoman has to be from the opposite party of the director, so there was a change there as Carson became chairwoman, succeeding Stange.

Board members say the best way to move forward is to look at the Elections Board as something everyone involved wants to run properly.

We’ll see how that comes to pass especially with a presidential election typically serving as the one that most voters are engaged with as well as the most expensive to conduct.

Deadline

For candidates and others who would like to submit items for consideration to run in the column, the weekly deadline is each Wednesday at 5 p.m. Email or fax is preferred. Have a fundraiser? Send it in weeks ahead of time.

Fundies

n David M. Fiebig, candidate for Lake County commissioner, will host a fundraiser with guest U.S. Rep.Steven C. LaTourette, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at Fiebig’s home in Willoughby Hills. See Joyce Hribar Fiebig or Dale Fellows.

n Willoughby Hills Councilman Kevin Malecek will host his 8th Annual Cinco De Mayo Party, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Willoughby Hills Community Center. See Malecek or Nora Colburn.

n Fundraiser for Judy Moran, candidate for Lake County commissioner, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. May 10 at the Croatian Lodge in Eastlake, See Kathy Russo or Moran.

n Fundraiser for Sharon C. Gingerich, Geauga County recorder, from 6 to 9 p.m. May 10 at Patterson’s Fruit Farm, Orchard Hills Center in Chester Township. See Judy Gallowan.

n Eleventh District Court of Appeals Court Judge Mary Jane Trapp will have a fundraiser from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 16 at the home of Todd and Susan Petersen in Munson Township. See Mike Apicella.

n Lake County Engineer James R. Gills, hosts his 12th Annual Pig Roast with guest state Rep. Ron Young, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. May 16 at the Lake County FOP Hall Pavilion in Concord Township. See Bruce Landeg.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: newsheraldjah

Once again, Northeast Ohio was front and center in the news last week as the two major party presidential contenders made visits to area.

President Barack Obama visited Lorain County Community College in Elyria on Wednesday to talk about the importance of job training programs such as those offered at the college.

Mitt Romney visited the closed National Gypsum plant in Lorain on Thursday in part to say that Obama’s job creating policies are not working.

Romney and Obama both know the importance of winning a swing state such as Ohio, especially as no Republican has ever been elected without winning the state.

Now that former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum has left the GOP race, Obama and Romney will now sharpen their messages to compare and contrast each other.

Romney also has received an endorsement from Gov. John Kasich, media outlets such as the Columbus Dispatch reported.

If Ohio’s economy continues to improve and the state’s unemployment rate keeps dropping, it could potentially help not only Kasich improve his standing in the eyes of Ohioans, but it could also help Obama in his effort to win Ohio.

Basically, both Democrats and Republicans will take credit for any improved economic climate in the state. Kasich will say his policies are working and so will Obama.

Geauga GOP update

The campaign for Ralph Spidalieri, a candidate for Geauga County commissioner, dropped a line to say that Spidalieri does not plan to seek an appointment by the Geauga County Republican Party to fill the seat of Commissioner Bill Young, who will retire effective June 30. 

Rather, Spidalieri will continue his campaign for the Nov. 6 election to replace Commissioner Mary Samide, who lost a Republican primary to Spidalieri in March. Spidalieri faces Democrat Christopher John Lacny in the general election.

Attention ladies

The Bolton Republican Women’s Club based in Lake County invites all interested ladies to attend the next regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. April 30 at the Lake County Republican Headquarters in Painesville. The discussion topic will be the “Faux War on Women: Ann Romney vs. Hilary Rosen.”

The organization’s purpose is to provide political education, healthy discussion and information to help advance the principles of the Republican Party.

Deadline

For candidates and others who would like to submit items for consideration to run in the column, the weekly deadline is each Wednesday at 5 p.m. Email or fax is preferred. Have a fundraiser? Send it in weeks ahead of time.

Fundies

n David M. Fiebig, candidate for Lake County commissioner, will host a fundraiser with guest U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, from 5:30 to 7:30 April 30 at Fiebig’s home in Willoughby Hills. See Joyce Hribar Fiebig or Dale Fellows.

n Willoughby Hills Councilman Kevin Malecek will host his 8th Annual Cinco De Mayo Party, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 3 at Willoughby Hills Community Center. See Malecek or Nora Colburn.

n Fundraiser for Judy Moran, candidate for Lake County commissioner, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. May 10 at the Croatian Lodge in Eastlake, See Kathy Russo or Moran.

n Fundraiser for Sharon C. Gingerich, Geauga County Recorder, from 6 to 9 p.m. May 10 at Patterson’s Fruit Farm, Orchard Hills Center in Chester Township. See Judy Gallowan.

n Eleventh District Court of Appeals Court Judge Mary Jane Trapp will have a fundraiser from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 16 at the home of Todd and Susan Petersen in Munson Township. See Mike Apicella,

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: newsheraldjah

Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney will appear today in Lorain today at the former National Gypsum Co. plant, the Lorain Morning Journal reports.

Romney, who is virtually assured of winning the GOP nomination, visits the county the day after President Barack Obama appeared Wednesday in Elyria at Lorain County Community College.

The Morning Journal reports that Romney will speak at 12:45 p.m., according to Helen Hurst, chair of the Lorain County Republican Party.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: newsheraldjah

When President Barack Obama last visited Lorain County in 2010, his visit to Lorain County Community College was dubbed a “town hall” meeting, open to the public, the Lorain Morning Journal reports. When he returns today, it will be a different affair.

The newspaper reports the event is closed to the public, and about 275 people will be attending, invitation only, according to Steve Sefchik, spokesman for LCCC. A majority of the invitees appear to be local city officials and council members, but others have received invitations as well.

Lately, the president has also urged Congress to pass the Buffett Rule, which he says asks those who make more than $1 million a year to pay at least the same percentage of their income in taxes as middle class families — as a principle of fairness.

The public can view the president’s address live at www.whitehouse.gov. Obama is scheduled to speak about 2:30 p.m. at the College Center.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: newsheraldjah

The staff of U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, will hold office hours on the fifth floor of the county administration building in Painesville from 11 a.m. to noon April 26.

During this time, constituents will have the opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns with a district representative who will provide their feedback to the senator. No appointments are needed.

“Keeping an open dialogue with constituents is a top priority for me and I encourage people to take advantage of the opportunity to talk to a member of my staff,” Portman said in a statement. “Over the past two years, I’ve traveled to every county in the state and have found it helpful to hear about the issues that are of concern to Ohioans. Listening to constituents enables me to better determine how I can fight for their interests in Washington.”

Portman staff will travel to each county in Ohio to meet with constituents during office hours, connect with local elected officials and attend community events.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: newsheraldjah

President Barack Obama will visit Lorain Community College in Elyria on Wednesday and will deliver remarks on the economy at 2:30 p.m. at the College Center, the Lorain Morning Journal reports.

Obama also visited the college in 2010 as part of his White House to Main Street Tour.

It looks like the president again targets Ohio as a place to make news.

It’s probably not a coincidence that Lorain also is the home county for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who is up for re-election this year. Brown battles Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, who won the Republican Party primary last month.

Obama’s campaign also opened up a campaign office last week in Mentor, so the president’s re-election campaign is in full swing in Northeast Ohio.

Lately, the president has also urged Congress to pass the Buffett Rule, which he says asks those who make more than $1 million a year to pay at least the same percentage of their income in taxes as middle class families — as a principle of fairness.

In a statement, the Republican National Committee blasted the president’s proposal.

“After nearly a full term in office, Barack Obama’s only economic message seems to be the Buffett Tax Hike which is nothing more than a shiny object that would fail to raise enough money to even fund the government for a day,” the statement said. “Instead of pushing a purely political gimmick that does nothing to put people back to work, Barack Obama should get serious addressing unacceptably high unemployment, rising costs at the pump, and increasing health care premiums that continue to weigh on Ohio family budgets.”

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: newsheraldjah

Congratulations to Geauga County Commissioner Bill Young, who announced Tuesday that he would leave office effective June 30 after serving since 2003.

Young, a Republican, previously worked in the insurance industry for 37 years and had spent time as a South Russell Village mayor and councilman.

After Young’s resignation is effective, the Geauga County Republican Party Central Committee will have five to 45 days to appoint a new commissioner, according to state law.

What if the Geauga GOP asked Commissioner Mary Samide to switch seats and appointed her to Young’s term, which expires Dec. 31, 2014?

Samide was up for re-election this year as her term is set to expire Jan. 2, but she lost a Geauga County Republican Party primary on March 6 to challenger Ralph Spidalieri.

Samide could resign and then be appointed by Republicans to fill the remainder of Young’s term.

That would also create a new vacancy as Samide’s term would need filled. Who could be appointed to fill the last eight-plus months this year? How about Spidalieri?

Geauga Republicans could also appoint Spidalieri to Young’s term. Then if he was to win election to the term commencing Jan. 3, there would be another vacancy to fill the remainder of Young’s term that expires Dec. 31, 2014. Even if he lost the Nov. 6 race, Spidalieri would still be a commissioner until Young’s term expired.

Why would Republicans want to do this? Well, it would give the first-time candidate’s campaign for commissioner on Nov. 6 a boost against Democrat Christopher John Lacny.

If Geauga Republicans want to pick someone completely different there are a few names already floating around.

Among them are Newbury Trustee Jan Blair, Jim McConnell of Chester Township, and South Russell Village Councilman Jim Flaiz.

How about state Rep. Mary Brigid “Bridey” Matheney, R-Bainbridge Township? She’ll step down shortly from her position in Columbus as the Ohio House GOP will soon appoint Matt Lynch to the position.

Matheney had been appointed as state representative in February to fill the vacancy left by former state Rep. Richard Hollington who was elected as Hunting Valley mayor. Hollington wouldn’t be interested in a commissioner seat, or would he?

Party reorganization

The Lake County Democratic Party conducted its reorganization meeting April 2 with no changes in leadership.

Re-elected were Tom Tagliamonte as chairman, Bob Schiebli, executive 1st vice president; Randy Klammer, second vice president; Keith Hocevar, labor vice president; William Baker, treasurer; and Kevin Malecek, secretary.

The Geauga county Republican Party conducted its reorganization meeting Tuesday with no changes in leadership, although there was a two-man race for party chairman, as incumbent chairman Ed Ryder defeated Greg Soltis.

Others re-elected were Blake Rear, vice-chairman of the central committee, Ken Blair, vice chairman of the executive committee; Frank Gliha, treasurer of central and executive committeea; and Roberta Halford, secretary of the central and executive committees.

The Ohio Democratic Party also re-elected Chris Redfern as state party chairman, as he held off a challenge by Tony Giardini of Lorain County.

The Ohio Republican Party was slated to hold its party reorganization on Friday, past the deadline for this column. But all signals pointed to former Chairman Bob Bennett taking over his old position.

Fundies

n Fundraiser for Susan McGuinness, candidate for Ohio House of Representatives District 61, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at Match Works Tavern in Mentor. See Walt McNamara or Ray McGuinness.

n Annual Buffet Dinner fundraiser for Lake County Prosecutor Charles E. Coulson, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at LaMalfa in Mentor. See Stephen Byron.

n Malecek will host his 8th Annual Cinco De Mayo Party, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 3 at Willoughby Hills Community Center. See Malecek or Nora Colburn.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: @newsheraldjah

I'm a little surprised that Rick Santorum has bowed out of the GOP presidential race. But yet, not really.

The writing was on the wall that Mitt Romney will become the nominee, so Santorum's exit should help the Republican Party unify in its effort to defeat President Barack Obama.

I think the next question will be, who will Romney name as his vice presidential nominee? The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that it might be U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio.

Ohio will be critical for Romney, so perhaps he would benefit by his selection of Portman. We'll see what happens.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: newsheraldjah

The re-election campaign for President Barack Obama announced that it will open a field office in Mentor Tuesday at 6 p.m.

According to the Obama campaign, the event will be held at the new office, 7537 Mentor Avenue, Suite 20, and the public is invited to attend.

Lake County Democratic Party Chair Tom Tagliamonte will join the event to help kick off the effort.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: newsheraldjah

Now that the March 6 primary results are finalized, political parties are in the process of reorganizing and preparing for the Nov. 6 election.

This process is important as the selection of leadership will shape how fundraising is conducted, which candidates get support, both financially and through grassroots efforts.

The Lake County Republican Party conducted its reorganization Monday night in Painesville. Selected as officers were Dale Fellows, chairman; Amy Sabath, first vice chairwoman; Greg Schmidt, second vice chairman; Susan Betteley, secretary; Dave Vitaz, treasurer; Janet Clair, chairwoman.

Meanwhile, the Geauga County Democratic Party has its reorganization meeting Monday night in Newbury Township. Selected as officers were Janet Carson, chairwoman; Dennis Pavella, vice chairman; Glen Quigley, treasurer; and Terri McIntee, secretary.

The Geauga County Republican Party will meet at 7 p.m. April 10 at Munson Township Hall.

The Lake County Democratic Party was slated to have met at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Bricklayers Hall in Mentor, which is after the deadline for this column’s publication. Check back next week for results.

Statewide, the Ohio Democratic Party will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday to reorganize at the state party headquarters in Columbus. Word is party Chairman Chris Redfern might have a challenge from Lorain County Democratic Party official Anthony B. Giardini.

The Ohio Republican Party will meet Friday for its reorganizational meeting in Dublin. Chairman Kevin DeWine plans to step down from his position. Perhaps former Chairman Bob Bennett could be the interim chairman as the party gears up for the Nov. 6 election?

Potential commissioner?

What if Lake County Commissioner Daniel P. Troy is elected as state representative for Ohio House District 60 in November? Of course, he must first defeat Republican Painesville Councilwoman Lori DiNallo.

But if Troy wins, the Lake County Democratic Party would need to make an appointment to fill out the remaining two years of Troy’s term.

I’m told former Willoughby Municipal Court Judge Larry Allen has an interest in the potential appointment. Others mentioned so far within party circles are Willoughby Hills Councilman Kevin Malecek and former state Rep. Mark Schneider.

Paper ballots

Lake County Elections Board reports that 28 people used a paper ballot during the March 6 primary. The state required each county that uses electronic voting equipment to have paper ballots on hand equivalent to 10 percent of the number of people who cast ballots in the March 2008 primary. The idea is for them to be available to people who want a paper ballot or in case of emergency.

That means 7,778 paper ballots were ordered at a cost of $2,022.28 in Lake County. That equates to $72.23 per vote cast by paper.

LGYR Hall of Fame

The 12th Annual Lake-Geauga Young Republicans Hall of Fame Dinner will be April 20 at Cappelli’s Party Center in Mentor. It is the organization’s sole fundraiser of the year.

The club will induct into its Hall of Fame former founding member Stephen Patt, who was instrumental to help restart the organization in 1999.

Past inductees include Steven LaTourette, Fellows, Jamie Callender, Raymond Sines, Timothy Grendell, B.J. Kresnye, Louis Mucci, Clair, Schmidt, Vincent Culotta and Eugene Lucci.

The LGYRs meet on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at Cork’s Wine Bar in Willoughby.

Fundies

n Fundraiser for Susan McGuinness, candidate for Ohio House of Representatives District 61, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. April 16 at Match Works Tavern in Mentor. See Walt McNamara or Ray McGuinness.

n Annual Buffet Dinner fundraiser for Lake County Prosecutor Charles E. Coulson, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. April 18 at LaMalfa in Mentor. See Stephen Byron.

John Arthur Hutchison

JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Twitter: newsheraldjah

This is from the Buckeye Firearms Association's latest e-version newsletter: Representative Terry Johnson introduces HB495 (Reciprocity & Concealed Carry Modernization) by Jim Irvine Representative Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) has introduced HB495, a bill designed to reform Ohio concealed carry law to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners and continue a trend toward making Ohio law similar to other states. Currently, the gun laws in the Ohio Revised Code contain a number of ambiguities, and a number of "poison pill" provisions that have created confusion for law-abiding Ohioans, law enforcement agencies and the courts. Nine years ago, Governor Robert Taft refused to sign Ohio's concealed carry legislation unless it contained language to address so-called "safety concerns" of anti-gun activists. None of these provisions have proven helpful in protecting public safety, nor is there any evidence they have reduced gun-related crime. Once adopted, HB495 would eliminate hundreds of words from the Ohio Revised Code without making any material changes. This will make the law easier to read, understand, comply with and enforce – a win for everyone. "This important legislation addresses real problems with Ohio law," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, a grassroots gun advocacy organization. "It continues the trend to remove problems and align Ohio law with commonly understood concepts." In addition to that technical fix, the bill would make three changes to Ohio law. First, Ohio would join many other states in automatically honoring other state's concealed carry licenses, and allowing the Attorney General to sign more agreements with other states. Second, HB495 would also remove a vague and unenforceable "demonstrated competency" requirement, and third, the law would clarify the definition of a "loaded gun." The changes to the definition of a loaded gun are critical to all gun owners. Any gun owner—and most lay people—know that a gun is "loaded" when it has ammunition inserted into it. A detached magazine doesn't become a loaded gun when there is ammunition in it any more than the cardboard box it's sold in does. But Ohio law mistakenly defines a loaded magazine in a car as a loaded gun, even though the magazine, on its own, has no firing pin and no ability to fire a bullet. A gun magazine is simply a detachable device that stores and feeds ammunition into a semi-automatic firearm. With national shooting matches taking place every year in Ohio it is critical to fix this error in Ohio law. Like a driver's license, most states consider a current or expired license to serve as proof that you have (where required) completed required training. Ohio does not require any recurrent training. But after the first renewal, license holders must "demonstrate competency" before they can apply for their third license. Early in 2013, this will start affecting license holders and must be amended this year to avert major confusion. License holders, instructors and sheriffs have begun to ask questions about exactly what is required for this competency demonstration. Currently, there is no definition in Ohio law. There is no related class by either the Ohio Police Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) or the National Rifle Association (NRA) that is designed to fulfill this requirement. In short, no one knows what is required, but many attorneys say that all the law requires is simply to demonstrate to an instructor that you are competent. Draw a gun, fire some shots, and you are done. But professional firearms instructors are understandably concerned about "certifying" a person as competent with such ambiguity in the law. "I am deeply honored to sponsor this particular bill, as it is much needed," said Rep. Johnson. "It is highly substantive and goes far to simplify something that has been needlessly complicated. I will miss no opportunity to unburden Ohioans as they strive to exercise their basic constitutional right to keep and bear arms." Jim Irvine is the Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman. - Jeffrey L. Frischkorn JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com Twiter: @Fieldkorn