Former Speaker Larry Householder remains in the Ohio House as he awaits trial on federal bribery charges related to the 2019 passage of the nuclear power plant bailout law. Bob Cupp, who replaced Householder as speaker, had said last fall Householder might be expelled, but has said his caucus hasn’t moved on that. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler spoke with a member of leadership on what’s happening with Householder.
Veteran lawmaker Bill Seitz is the House Majority Floor Leader. He says there are mixed feelings among House Republicans on whether Householder should be removed, but he notes no member of the House has ever been expelled for being indicted on a felony charge.
“There have been at least four members of the Ohio House in my time here who have been indicted on felony charges - two Democrats, two Republicans. They were never expelled. So I think we have to be very mindful of the precedent that we set.”
The only Ohio state rep to be expelled was John Slough, a Democrat of Hamilton County, who punched Republican Darius Cadwell of Ashtabula County in January 1857.
