For 165 years, a statute lay fallow in the voluminous Ohio Revised Code.
Never used.
Never needed.
Until last week.
Ohio House members had to dust off a statute that pre-dates the Civil War to elect their new speaker, Rep. Ryan Smith of Gallia County.
For the first time, House members cast 10 ballots for speaker without a representative collecting a majority of votes. Under the previously never-used statute, the representative collecting a plurality of votes on the 11th ballot, in this case Smith, would become speaker.
So unusual were the circumstances, several lawmakers were unaware of the process needed to complete the election.
"We had people saying, 'Just make a motion to suspend the rules' and get on with naming a new speaker," Rep. Kirk Schuring said. "Well, we couldn't do that. There wasn't a rule to suspend. It was part of a statute."
The law dates to Feb. 9, 1853, and the exact reason it was passed is unclear and something Schuring and House historians have a renewed interest in determining. Until Smith's election, Schuring had been serving as interim speaker following the resignation of former Speaker Cliff Rosenberger — only the third time a sitting speaker has resigned during his term and the first instance since 1906.
With Smith in place — and his wise decision to keep Schuring in his pro tempore role (second-ranking House position) and other House leadership in place — the chamber blitzed through 27 bills Thursday, including payday lending reforms and funding for updating voting machines.
Schuring said the House will meet twice more this month, on June 20 and June 27, before its summer recess to address additional bills.
"We'll catch up and get more legislation passed," he said. In the intervening days, Schuring expects to spend a lot of time in Columbus fine-tuning pending bills.
"When we're not in session, that's the time to spend on the task of making bills ready to get through committees and then floor votes," he said.
Legislation addressing such major topics as economic development, health care, education and school safety remain on the agenda.
"Any time we're getting ready to recess, there always are things to rush through," he said. "Speaker Smith has been communicating with the Senate to maximize the efforts to pass our House bills."
Saddle sore
Forgive Stark County Commissioner Richard Regula is he's walking a little gingerly the next few days.
Regula completed the two-day, 101-mile Huntington Towpath Century Ride on Sunday, participating as a tribute to his late parents and to raise funds for the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, perhaps the crowning achievements of former Rep. Ralph Regula's legislative career.
"Dad considered (preserving the parks areas in and around Stark County) his greatest accomplishment," Regula said Friday. "He loved the Towpath. He and my mom (Mary) loved to walk on the trail."
As of midday Sunday, Regula had received about $2,500 in pledges for his rides — a 66-mile leg from Cleveland to Massillon Saturday and 35 miles from New Philadelphia to Massillon Sunday.
Overall, he estimated, more than $150,000 will be raised this year that will go toward signage, cleanup projects and other trail enhancements. What started as an event that attracted about a dozen riders grew to about 125 this year, he said.
And that's not counting those there in spirit.
"Mom and dad will be on the back of the bike with me," Regula said.
Pledges still can be made at http://towpathcentury.dojiggy.com/richardregula.
Reach Rich at 330-580-8310 or rich.desrosiers@cantonrep.com.
On Twitter: @richdesrosiers