‘Revolving door’ law thrown out by Ohio court

According to The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio lawmakers can step down from office today and start lobbying their colleagues under a federal court ruling that tossed out Ohio’s “revolving door” law.

Ohio has required former lawmakers and legislative staff members to wait one year before being allowed to lobby, which was in place to limit opportunities for quid pro quos.

Brinkman said he sued the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee to block the law after he was told that he could not do volunteer advocacy work on behalf of Ohio Right to Life or other groups.

“It’s a great feeling,” he said yesterday. “I have no intention to ever be a lobbyist, but it’s good to know I could have if I wanted to.”

On the flip side, Chief Judge Susan J. Dlott said, the law was under-inclusive because it did not restrict gifts, employment offers or other potential corruption-inducing activities of former members.

The judge also said the law “severely burdened plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights.”

Dlott even cited the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that lifted the ban on corporate contributions in federal elections, saying the high court’s reasoning “refutes the premise (that Ohio’s revolving-door law) is necessary to prevent former General Assembly members from having special access to the legislative process.”