Dann
COLUMBUS - Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann filed Wednesday a motion asking a judge not to block a proposed law that Dann voted for while a member of the state Senate.
The bill puts limits on campaign contributions from business, unions and individuals who are or are seeking to become parties to state contracts.
"I voted for this bill as a member of the Senate because I believed it could play an important role in the effort to erase the pay-to-play culture that cast a pall on our state for more than a decade and I am defending the statute for the same reason," Dann said.
His motion asks Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge John Bender not to grant a preliminary injunction that would block the implementation of Amended Substitute House Bill 694, which was passed last year by the General Assembly.
The lawsuit challenging the law was filed against Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who told Dann she had reservations about the constitutionality of the law and would remain silent.
"We firmly believe the law is constitutional and that it was properly enacted by the General Assembly and signed by then-Gov. Taft, and we look forward to making those arguments in Court," Dann said.
Dann said the bill is essential in preventing future corruption after the state was rocked recently by such problems.
He argues, against the allegations of the plaintiff, that the bill:
-Was validly enacted and became law;
-Does not violate the Doctrine of Separation of Powers;
-Does not violate fundamental association or speech rights;
-Does not violate the Ohio Constitution's guarantee of equal protection;
-Is not unconstitutionally vague;
-Does not violate the One-Subject Rule;
-Does not conflict with another existing law; and
-Does not impair the obligations of existing contracts.