ADVOCACY UPDATE

Updates From The Statehouse

New ODA Director Named

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Tony is the governmental affairs liaison for OhioPLANT, of which OGIA is a member. OhioPLANT is a coalition of pesticide, landscape, agriculture, nursery and turf professionals. For more information, visit OhioPLANT.com

Rep. Brian Baldridge has been named the new Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture by Governor DeWine. Director Baldridge served two terms in the Ohio House of Representatives, where he represented the 90th House District, which includes all of Adams and Scioto counties, as well as the eastern part of Brown County. During his tenure, Director Baldridge served on the House Agriculture Committee and advocated for programs supporting the agricultural industry. Director Baldrige is also a farmer, operating his family’s seventh generation livestock and crop farm, called Baldridge Farms.

Before serving in the House, he served as an Adams County Commissioner for four terms and a Wayne Township Trustee for two terms. He started serving his community in high school as both a firefighter and paramedic volunteering for the Wayne Township Fire Department. Director Baldridge later became a career member for the Anderson Township Fire Department retiring from Anderson Township after 25 years of service in 2020. He is still a volunteer of the Wayne Township Fire Department in Adams County.

“Brian knows the industry and is passionate about promoting Ohio agriculture,” Gov. DeWine said in a statement. “He also shares my vision for making needed improvements to the Ohio State Fairgrounds.”

He replaces Dorothy Pelanda who resigned at the end of last year.

Contentious Battle for House Speaker

The beginning of a new General Assembly brought with it a vacancy in the House Speaker’s chair to be filled as Speaker Robert Cupp left office at the end of last year because of term limits. With Republicans owning a supermajority in the House, the only question was who would be chosen by the caucus to be the chamber’s new leader.

The candidates in the House for Speaker whittled down to three, Rep. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton), Rep. Jason Stephens

(R-Kitts Hill), and Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Twp.). The members of the Republican caucus met in December to informally vote for who would control the Speaker’s gavel and after a lengthy meeting, Rep. Merrin was elected. The formal vote would take place on January 3 after the members of the 135th General Assembly were sworn in. However, between those two dates, Rep. Stephens and his supporters made a push to be elected Speaker when the official vote was held.

On January 3, after the House members were sworn in, Rep. Stephens and Rep. Merrin were nominated to be Speaker. Rep. Stephens was elected with 54 votes, 22 Republicans from his caucus and the 32 Democrat Representatives. The remaining 43 Republicans voted with Rep. Merrin. This has split the Republican caucus into two factions, one siding with Speaker Stephens and the other supporting Rep. Merrin. There have been efforts to overcome differences between the two and move forward but time will tell how they will work together.