An occasional fistfight is fun

COLUMBUS

State lawmakers’ partisan differences are more evident as the weeks wind down before their summer recess.

There’s still the usual grandstanding, sometimes-vomit-inducing rhetoric and 20-minute floor speeches that last about 19 minutes longer than necessary. But the tone of legislative debates in the Ohio House seems more punchy — at one point last week, for example, allegations of the influence of corporate campaign contributions were tossed back and forth across the aisle.

Republicans are in control. Democrats don’t like it. Sometimes, their differences lead to less-than-friendly interactions.

There are people who say they don’t want this kind of bickering among their elected officials. But I think some straightforward stone throwing once in a while helps illuminate what’s really going on behind the scenes.

In other words, one can take only so much syrup before the sweetness overwhelms and becomes unpalatable.

Political reality

For a dose of political reality, there are two lawmakers who don’t mince their words and who have prompted points of order in recent weeks because of things they said during their floor speeches — Youngstown Democrat Bob Hagan and Napoleon Republican Lynn Wachtmann, two Statehouse veterans from safe districts who have the freedom to speak their minds

“Apparently, somebody over there is on drugs,” Hagan said during a contentious floor debate last week on Republican-backed legislation to allow oil and gas drilling in state parks. “I cannot believe what you’re doing again. ... If we could capture the gas of bluster and bravado from the Republican side, we could heat the whole state.”

He added, “Try to concentrate long enough so we can actually have an honest discussion.”

During an earlier debate on a GOP election reform bill, Hagan offered: “This is a weapon of mass deception. ... Why don’t you be honest with yourself and be honest with the people of the state of Ohio. Why don’t you just try to be honest and talk about the fact you’re worried about the next election and you’re worried about making sure that fewer and fewer Democrats go to the polls.”

Concealed carry

Or take Wachtmann during the floor debate on a bill to allow concealed carry permit holders to take guns into bars.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I hear one more time from your side of the aisle about jobs and getting stuff done, I’m going to remind you every time about how many times I hear you talking about the bills you started or you meant to do or you wanted to do and they didn’t get done last session,” he said. “It was the most do-nothing session last session maybe in the state’s history.”

During the floor debate on the budget bill, Wachtmann offered: “It’s a bit hard to hear what the other side has talked about thus far because it’s full of just a lot of things that at least those members on the other side of the aisle who were here last session knew firsthand, because they built that house of cards built on onetime Obama money, $8 billion worth, that [they] knew would collapse. ... It was the most blatant attempt by liberal Democrats, by the former governor, to buy votes with money that wasn’t there.”

There you have it, a Democrat and a Republican who stand up and speak their mind.

Yes, you need to have civility. Yes, most of the debates that take place at the Statehouse should maintain the proper decorum.

But it’s refreshing, once in a while, to hear from a couple of lawmakers who aren’t afraid to step on toes when they believe strong words are needed.

Marc Kovac is The Vindicator’s Statehouse correspondent. Email him at mkovac@dixcom.com or on Twitter at OhioCapitalBlog.