WATCH: Interview with Rep. Jennifer Gross (R-45) on Closing Ohio’s Primaries

Closing Ohio’s Primaries, Part 2

For background on Ohio’s primaries, See Closing Ohio’s Primaries, Part 1 here

Ohio Representative Jennifer Gross sat down with us for an interview about closing Ohio’s primaries. Representative Gross clarified the parameters of her legislation (House Bill 210) and addressed the overlap between HB210 and a newer bill, House Bill 437.

While the bills are nearly identical, HB 437 contains a provision regarding candidates declaring party affiliation in advance of primaries. It’s unclear why that provision was not simply introduced as an amendment to HB 210. The most likely explanation seems to be a procedural error in introducing the second bill. Regardless of the behind-the scenes arrangements that may follow, Representative Gross reiterated that citizens should contact their lawmakers and express support for passing HB 210.

Representative gross also addressed some of the arguments for and against closing our primaries, other important legislation in the works, and her understanding of “the heart of Ohioans” and how our collective good nature can be exploited by our open primary system.

There’s a heart of Ohio that says, “I want so desperately to believe you.”… Ohioans tend to think the best of a person and we keep wanting to trust that this time the person’s going to tell us the truth, and it just isn’t happening…. The heart of Ohioans is we’re just good family people who want to believe in good family people representing us in a good family-focused government and it’s just not happening and it’s really a slap in the face.

Please see a list of questions asked an topics discussed (below) so you can easily forward to the portion of the interview that interests you.

Links to legislation mentioned in this interview:
House Bill 73
House Bill 208
House Bill 210
House Bill 437
House Bill 472

Timestamps:
00:46 Could you give us a little bit of background on how our primaries are run right now and why you think that should be changed?
4:33 Can you tell us about … House Bill 210, exactly what it proposes to do?
6:19 We also see the case of people who … change their party affiliation right before they run…How would this bill affect that process?
7:38 Discussion of House Bill 437, nearly identical to House Bill 210
9:37 Is there an argument against closing the primaries?
12:36 Why specifically 90 days (requirement in HB 210 for switching parties before a primary), not 60 or 30 or something else?
13:08 Impact of HB 210 on Independent or Non-Affiliated voters
14:56 Discussion of a runoff provision for closed primary bills
17:56 What can citizens do to support House Bill 210 and closing our primaries?
18:42 Representative Gross discusses the necessity of closing primaries, Republicans expanding government, and protecting our votes as Republicans
21:08 Other bills of note: Ohio Votes Count (HB 472), Dave and Angie Patient & Provider Protection Act (HB 73), Truth in Taxation (pending)