Religious freedom? Ohio nearly went over the cliff

Reposted from Plunderbund


As hell was breaking loose over Indiana's "religious freedom"  law,  Ohio Atty. Gen. Mike DeWine was busily doing what has come naturally to him in his mission to keep Ohioans, eh... morally straight:  He filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that  same-sex marriage had "no fundamental right" in the Buckeye State.

As we all know by now, DeWine is passionate about warding off trending  human relationships.  It is further evidence that the AG as well as other conservative politicians in Columbus serve at the pleasure of the religious right, beginning with the guy at the top:  Gov. John Kasich.

If it hadn't been for Arizona, the Ohio legislature was on the verge of passing a bill similar to Indiana's a year ago.  But it was withdrawn despite its many co-sponsors  because of the potential havoc that led then-Arizona governor Jan Brewer to veto her state's law.

With the reminder of the proposed Ohio law's potential for havoc,  State Rep.Bill Patmon, a conservative Cleveland Democrat, and Rep.Tim Derickson, Oxford, Oh., Republican, withdrew their sponsored bill.

The co-sponsors included former Akron Rep. Zach Milkovich,who was defeated in the 2014 Democratic primary, and Cleveland Rep. John Barnes.   The political careers of this pair have been marked by unrelenting attacks on other Democratic leaders.

Milkovich has been a thorn in the side of Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic.  Barnes has been warring against Democratic leaders, once filing a defamation suit against the Ohio Democratic Party.  An African-American, he even refused to join the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus.   In a suit filed by Barnes' Republican lawyer, Donald Brey, who was a repeat complainant  against the Ohio Elections Commission, Barnes accused the party of racism.

You have to wonder how he didn't recognize the official exclusion of  same-sex couples, gays  and   others caught up in a Religious Freedom Restoration Act. .

We should all send thank you notes to Arizona for saving Ohio from itself.