Ohio House expels speaker Householder: How local lawmakers voted

Voted for expulsion:

Voted against expulsion:

State Rep. Jenna Powell, R-Arcanum, was one of the 21 Ohio House members who voted to keep Householder. When the Dayton Daily News reached her by phone Wednesday, Powell declined comment and directed a reporter to contact her office, which did not immediately return a phone call or email.

State Rep. Sara Carruthers, R-Hamilton, also voted to keep Householder in office.

“Today, the Ohio House of Representatives voted to expel a member of the legislature who has been elected by their constituents to serve them in Columbus — an individual accused but not convicted of a crime. This was done following one committee hearing and a suspension of the House rules,” she said in a statement. “I have concerns about the process and the precedent that has been set, and therefore voted “no.” I believe all Americans are innocent until proven guilty.”

State Rep. Kyle Koehler, R-Springfield, vote to expel Householder, saying the vote wasn’t a determination of guilt in the criminal case.

“Mr. Householder will still get his day in court. Today’s vote comes as a direct result of the misconduct displayed by Mr. Householder during his time in office,” Koehler said. “The people of Ohio elect us to the esteemed position of state representative with the confidence that we will show this office the honor, integrity, and respect it deserves. There is no place for misconduct or corruption within the Ohio House.”

State Rep. Jennifer Gross, R-West Chester Twp., said Householder should have stayed in office.

“Today, I voted ‘no’ for the expulsion of Rep. Householder. I do not believe HR 69 met the statutory definition of disorderly conduct, nor are allegations sufficient to overcome the rule of law that you are innocent until proven guilty,” she said. “The proper remedy is impeachment, which would require an impeachment trial with witnesses and evidence.”

State Rep. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Twp., said he and many of his Statehouse colleagues “have repeatedly asked Mr. Householder to resign from office and he refused.”

“The vote to expel a member from the Ohio House was something surely none of us wanted to do, but Householder’s misconduct and allegations of serious corruption have no place in the Ohio House,” he said. “We as elected members are held to a higher standard and our actions are measured each and every day. While the judicial process will determine if Householder is innocent or guilty, I voted to remove Householder in order to preserve the integrity of the People’s House. Now that the vote is done, I hope we can move forward together and continue on the work that we have started this General Assembly.”