House leadership is saying a vote is scheduled for Thursday. But the current dean of the GOP caucus says there won't be a vote until he calls it.
When the Ohio House comes back Thursday to possibly vote on , Republicans may also take their long-awaited informal vote for speaker.
The second-in-command in the House, Speaker Pro Tem Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), . Schuring supports current Speaker Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell), as does Rep. Jim Hoops (R-Napoleon), a longtime Republican lawmaker who was recently re-appointed to a vacant seat in the House.
Hoops sent out a letter last week, saying he's asked twice for a vote for speaker but caucus dean Rep. Jim Butler (R-Oakwood) wouldn't call for it. So Hoops said the caucus should vote for both a new dean and speaker next week. Butler supports former speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford), who wants to unseat Smith.
, and because the current dean "has no intention of following precedent" and scheduling a speaker vote soon after the election, so it makes sense for the caucus to come together for this important conversation.
But , saying Schuring and others are free to, in his words, "hold whatever campaign event they wish to support Ryan Smith". But Butler says only he can call for a meeting of the caucus, and that any claim that a meeting called by Schuring or anyone else is a legitimate caucus is fake.
There is a tentative House session scheduled for Thursday, and lawmakers have been told for weeks to prepare to be there. But it is two days after Christmas, so there's a chance some legislators might not be able to make it.
Speaker Pro Tem Schuring said in a text message that calls are being made, but there's no official count yet on how many lawmakers will be at the 爆料吃瓜 Thursday. But even if all members aren't there, a vote would indicate which candidate for speaker has more support in the caucus.
