Whoop-sie! The GOP members of Ohio’s House of Representatives just pulled a blooper so big that it’s probably time to promote all of them to the United States House of Representatives. Fortunately for them–or at least for Ohio–they’re probably going to be saved by the other half of their legislature, the Senate.

The issue is student voting. In April, the state House Republicans decided it would be a great idea to limit the right of university students to vote and, at the same time, punish the schools that facilitated their voting. In spite of a 34-year-old U.S. Supreme Court decision that said students have a constitutional right to vote in person at the place where they are attending school, the House added an amendment to the state budget to prevent that. It would require any school that gave evidence of residency–a utility bill or a letter–to an out-of-state student for the purpose of voting in Ohio must then charge the student’s in-state tuition.

The legislators no doubt thought they were brilliant. The state universities were appalled at the possible loss of $370 million per year in tuition funds. So, obviously, they would refuse to provide students with such proof. At least, that was the reasoning of the GOP–which is not a group noted for grasping the big picture: [GOP Election Boards Mail Ohio Voters Wrong Polling Info, Cut Early Voting In Dem-Heavy Areas]

Then came the feedback. University officials were, of course, outraged. So were House Democrats. Rep. Kathleen Clyde, D-Kent, said:

“This is another attack on Ohio voters. This provision will make it very difficult for Ohio’s universities to help students vote. I think it’s outrageous. The problem, if we have one, is that not enough students are voting.”

But the real earful came from Republicans in the other legislative chamber. According to Sen. Randy Gardner (R-Bowling Green), Senate opposition to the provision was “overwhelming.” It seems that someone with a more level head pointed out that out-of-state students would be more likely to register to vote if the result would be paying in-state tuition — an amount that’s about half as much as out-of-state. And because of the direction that the student vote leans, the measure would ultimately mean more votes for the Democrats. Brilliant indeed, GOP!

As Sen. Bill Coley (R-Liberty Township), said about the amendment:

“There is some concern that it might have an unintended consequence. They would get some financial incentive to vote in Ohio. That’s not what the House intended, nor what the Senate wants. So we’re trying to rework that piece.”

Some Republicans, with their halos shining, are trying to claim that the move to add the amendment is really about lowering tuition. Because they are so concerned about the pocketbooks of out-of-state students. Uh-huh.

Rep. Clyde got it right in her comments from the House floor. Calling the proposal a strategy out of the “right-wing playbook”, she said:

“If you truly cared about giving students a tuition break, you’d actually fund one rather than forcing universities to do your voter-suppression dirty work for you.”

Apparently, the Republican legislators knew neither how transparent their tactic would be, nor even that the most obvious consequence would follow. Which raises another question: just why is it that being a Republican representative, either state or national, seems to require a special kind of dumb?

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