John Kasich

Ohio Governor To Sign Anti-Union Bill Thursday Night

Melissa Jeltsen | March 31, 2011, 5:05PM

Gov. John Kasich (R-OH)

Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) will sign SB 5 -- the contentious anti-union bill restricting collective bargaining rights for unionized public workers -- into law Thursday night, according to his spokesperson.

SB 5, which makes it illegal for state workers to strike and gives local governments new powers over contract negotiations with union workers, was passed out of the state legislature Wednesday.

According to spokesperson Connie Wehrkamp, Kasich will sign the bill at 7 p.m. at the ceremonial office in the statehouse. Wehrkamp said the Governor wanted to sign the bill into law "as soon as he possibly could."

Far from ceding the fight, union supporters and Democrats are now gearing for their next plan of attack: putting the legislation to the voters of Ohio as a ballot initiative.

Ohio protests

As Anti-Union Bill Heads To Ohio Gov, Dems Ready For Fight

Melissa Jeltsen | March 31, 2011, 10:24AM

Gov. John Kasich (R-OH)

Ohio's controversial bill to restrict collective bargaining rights for unionized public workers is now on its way to Governor John Kasich (R ) to be signed into law. SB 5, which makes it illegal for state workers to strike and gives local governments new powers over contract negotiations with union workers, was passed out of the state legislature Wednesday night.

Kasich is all but certain to sign the bill, which is a key part of his conservative legislative agenda. But opponents say the fight is far from over. Union supporters and Democrats are now readying for their next battle: putting the legislation to the voters of Ohio.  

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John Kasich

Poll: Percent Of Ohio Voters Who Disapprove Of New Gov. Doubles

Jon Terbush | March 23, 2011, 12:52PM

Gov. John Kasich (R-OH)

Ohio Gov. John Kasich's first term in office is off to a rocky start. A new Quinnipiac poll shows that less than one third of registered voters approve of his job performance.

In the poll, just 30% of Ohio voters said they approved of Kasich's job performance, compared to 46% who said they disapproved. When Quinnipiac polled the state back in January, Kasich also posted a 30% approval rating. But at that time, just 22% of voters disapproved of his job performance, a number that has now more than doubled.

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Rick Snyder

Buyer's Remorse: Polls Show 3 New GOP Gov's Losing In Do Overs

Jon Terbush | March 23, 2011, 8:33AM

Last year's midterms elections swept incumbents from office nationwide, as voters turned to newcomers -- often Republican newcomers -- for change.

But just months after election day, three new Midwestern governors -- Wisconsin's Scott Walker (R), Ohio's John Kasich (R), and Michigan's Rick Snyder (R) -- have seen their approval ratings fall to the point that polls show them losing hypothetical do-over elections with the candidates they beat last year.

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Pres '12

As Ohio GOP Goes After Unions, Obama's Support Rises

Jon Terbush | March 17, 2011, 4:15PM

President Barack Obama

Only once since 1944 has Ohio voted for a losing presidential candidate, and if the 2012 election were held today, President Obama would be breathing easy, as a new PPP poll of registered voters shows him building on his lead over a slate of potential Republican challengers.

On Wednesday, PPP released poll results showing that as voters rapidly soured on Republican Gov. John Kasich -- who has pushed to strip unions of their collective bargaining rights -- they were simultaneously sounding much more positive about reelecting Sen. Sherrod Brown. Now, it appears that same Democratic bump has buoyed Obama's reelection odds as well.

In December, Obama led four Republican challengers by between one and seven points; he now leads them all by at least six.

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OH-SEN

As Kasich Sinks, Dem. Senator's Reelection Odds Get A Big Boost

Jon Terbush | March 16, 2011, 12:26PM

Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

Just two months ago, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) looked vulnerable to defeat heading into 2012. But now, amid a state-level showdown over union rights that has energized voters and sent Republican Gov. John Kasich's approval rating into a tailspin, a new PPP poll of registered voters finds Brown suddenly dominating a slate of potential Republican challengers.

In December, polls showed Brown in a precarious position, barely leading relatively unknown Republicans in hypothetical 2012 contests. But in the latest survey, Brown has suddenly shot ahead of his GOP rivals, such that he now leads each of them by double-digit margins; his lead over one challenger exploded from a miniscule 2 points in December to 19 in the latest poll.

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John Kasich

Ohioans Having Incredible Buyers Remorse Over Gov. Kasich

Jon Terbush | March 15, 2011, 11:39AM

Former Rep. and current candidate for Governor John Kasich (R-OH)

Just a few months into his first term, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) appears to be immensely unpopular with his constituents, a clear majority of whom disapprove of his job performance, according to a PPP poll of registered voters. What's more, if a do-over election were held today Kasich would lose -- by a resounding 15-point margin.

Kasich barely defeated incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D) last November, winning by a slim 49% to 47%. But if they could do it all over again, 55% of voters now say they would vote for Strickland, while only 40% say they'd go with Kasich.

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Ohio

Poll: Would-Be Union Buster Kasich Upside Down In Approval Rating

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 14, 2011, 2:04PM

Gov. John Kasich (R-OH)

As they've watched him take on the collective bargaining rights of union workers in Ohio, voters in the state have given Gov. John Kasich's (R) first months in office the lowest rating of any Buckeye State governor in a long time.

A bit of background: Kasich won a squeaker of a race over incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D) back in November. The final result was 49% to 47%. Kasich pulled off the win thanks to the support of independents, which Strickland had won with 69% support in 2006. Last November, independents broke for Kaisich 52%-39%.

Now, it seems many of these supporters are less than thrilled. A new poll of Ohio adults from the University of Cincinnati finds just 40% of respondents approving of the job Kasich has done since January when he was sworn in. Forty-seven percent say they disapprove.

Among independents the split is even worse for Kasich.

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Ohio protests

Union Protester Gives John Kasich His 'You Lie!' Moment (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 8, 2011, 8:48AM

Gov. John Kasich (R-OH)

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) gave his first State Of The State address Tuesday afternoon before a joint session of the Ohio legislature. And thanks to one union activist protesting Kasich's plan to strip state workers of their collective bargaining rights, it was a speech to remember.

Teresa Law, a unionized home health care provider who lost her collective bargaining rights thanks to a Kasich executive order, was in the crowd during the speech and found herself giving the governor her best Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) impression.

As Kasich began to speak about his controversial budget plan -- which is virtually guaranteed to pass in the Republican-controlled legislature -- he addressed the thousands of protesters who've been gathering inside and out the state Capitol in Columbus. When he mentioned collective bargaining the boos started.

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Ohio protests

The Next Union Battlefield In Ohio: The Ballot Box

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 4, 2011, 8:36AM

As the Ohio state House prepares to take up the controversial collective bargaining and union rights provisions contained in the just-passed state Senate Bill 5, union supporters and Democrats are looking ahead to a battle that will put the legislation in the hands of people they say are on their side: the voters of Ohio.

Though they plan to fight SB 5 tooth-and-nail as it works its way through the Republican-controlled House, leaders of the SB 5 opposition tell TPM that they don't expect to win there. There are 59 Republicans in the House and just 40 Democrats, meaning there's little chance for a repeat of the drama seen in the Senate, where SB 5 passed by just one vote.

But, thanks to the eccentricities of Ohio law, passage in the House doesn't mean SB 5 is guaranteed to go into effect. Though they more than likely can't stop it in the legislature, the opposition can potentially block its implementation by promising to take it on at the ballot box. That means the fight over SB 5 could extend for months -- maybe even all the way to November, 2012.

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Ohio protests

The 'Ohio 6' Speak: Meet The GOPers Who Voted Against Kasich's Anti-Union Bill

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 3, 2011, 10:10AM

Gov. John Kasich (R-OH)

By the slimmest of margins on Wednesday, the state Senate in Ohio passed the budget bill endorsed by Gov. John Kasich (R) and deplored by the unions and Democrats. The bill now moves to the state House where the sizable Republican majority is expected to pass it easily.

But before it does, it's worth taking a look at the six Republicans who voted against the bill in the Senate, and the fears they raised about the bill. Ohio will be an important state nationally in 2012, and is often pointed to in the press as a bellwhether for the national political picture. And to hear the Republicans who turned on Kasich in the Senate yesterday tell it, the bill that would gut collective bargaining rights for thousands of state workers in Ohio is a step too far to the right.

"This bill is not balanced," Sen. Scott Oelslager, one of two Republicans booted from their committee seats so the bill could pass, told the AP. "There has to be a balance between labor and management in negotiations. It tips the scales in favor of management."

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Ohio protests

Ohio GOP Advances Anti-Union Bill After Last Minute Committee Shuffle

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 2, 2011, 4:19PM

State Sen. Bill Seitz (R-OH) and Sen. Scott Oelslager (R-OH)

It took the removal of two -- count 'em -- union-sympathetic Republicans from Ohio state Senate committees, but supporters of Gov. John Kasich's (R) plan to limit collective bargaining rights for state workers were able to move their plan one step closer to Kasich's desk today.

By a vote of 7-5, a State Senate Committee charged with reviewing the collective bargaining proposal -- known as Senate Bill 5 -- moved the bill toward a floor reading and its expected passage. Shortly after that, a similarly close vote moved the bill out of the Senate Rules Committee.

The bill is now on the Senate floor and passage is expected imminently. But opponents of the law say the pathway to today's vote shows how hard a sell Kasich's plan is to the broad swath of voters in the Buckeye state.

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Ohio

Union Fight Heating Up In Ohio

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 1, 2011, 3:40PM

The battle over collective bargaining being fought in Wisconsin is far from over, but even as it rages a new fight is gathering steam in Ohio. For more than a week now, union supporters have gathered around the State Capitol in Columbus to protest Gov. John Kasich's (R) plan to limit collective bargaining rights for more than 300,000 state workers.

On Tuesday, protests reached their largest and loudest yet, according to reports from the ground.

As in Wisconsin, Ohio's new Republican governor isn't backing down. And just as protestors remain in the streets of Madison, so too are they in Ohio.

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