Lawmaker Sues Strickland For Schools Plan

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Republican lawmakers went to court Monday to force Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland to reveal more details of his school-funding plan. Strickland said the process has been completely open.

NBC 4’s Candice Lee reported with the FAST FACTS.

Rep. Seth Morgan, a Republican from Huber Heights in suburban Dayton, sued in the Ohio Supreme Court to require the governor to comply with the state’s open records law.

Morgan, a member of a committee reviewing the schools plan, said he first asked Strickland for information about the plan with an informal letter to the office on Feb. 25.

Morgan said he never got a response and filed an official open records request March 12, according to the lawsuit. Failing to receive a response, he filed a second request March 25, the lawsuit said.

“The Governor has no legally valid excuse for refusing to produce the requested records or for failing to respond to Rep. Morgan’s public records requests,“ the lawsuit said.

Morgan’s lawsuit seeks e-mails and other documents concerning Strickland’s proposed “evidence-based” education system. Strickland’s plan would require schools to use programs based on research findings and would set standards for students, teachers and districts.

Morgan, a ranking member of the House Finance and Appropriations Primary and Secondary Subcommittee, said lawmakers have a right to see the 4,100 items the administration said supports the “evidence-based” education plan.

During Monday’s press conference at the Statehouse, Morgan commented that he and other lawmakers on both sides of the aisle do not believe such evidence exists. He is calling on the governor to either surrender the documents or come clean about their existence.

Despite the allegations in the lawsuit, Morgan said last month that his first request was met with an almost 400-source bibliography of studies and reports upon which the funding formula is based. At the time, Morgan said that wasn’t good enough.

Morgan said he will fight Governor Strickland should he claim executive privilege.

Strickland has said he’s being completely open and disagrees with critics who say he isn’t providing enough information about the proposal. A message was left with his office Monday seeking comment.

The Associated Press contributed information to this story.

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