Paul Zeltwanger
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Undue weight|date=May 2022}}{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Paul Zeltwanger
| image =
| order1 = Member of the
Ohio House of Representatives
from the 54th district
| term_start1 = January 5, 2015
| term_end1 = December 31, 2022
| predecessor1 = Peter Beck
| successor1 = Adam Mathews (redistricting)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|03|28}}
| birth_place =
| party = Republican
| spouse =
| children =
| education = Grace College & Seminary (BS)
Indiana University (MBA)
| residence = Mason, Ohio, U.S.
}}
Paul Zeltwanger (born March 28, 1966) is an American accountant and politician who was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 54th district. Zeltwanger succeeded Peter Beck, who was facing dozens of felony charges.{{cite news |url=http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/gop-leading-local-ohio-house-races/nhzWG/ |title=GOP sweeps Butler County's statehouse races |work=Journal News |location=Butler County |date=2014-11-04 |access-date=2014-12-01 }} He won the primary with 51% of the vote, and won the general election with 72% of the vote. Zeltwanger works as a real-estate developer.{{cite news |url=http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/elections/2014/05/07/statehouse-shakeup-southwest-ohio-primaries/8791335/ |title=Beck won't resign despite GOP rejection |work=Cincinnati Enquirer |location=Cincinnati |date=2014-05-08 |access-date=2014-12-01 }} He is also a certified public accountant.
He retired due to term limits in 2022.{{Cite web |title=Paul Zeltwanger |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Paul_Zeltwanger |access-date=2024-07-13 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}
Career
= Abortion rights =
In 2019, Zeltwanger co-sponsored legislation that would ban abortion in Ohio and criminalize what they{{Who|date=May 2022}} called "abortion murder". Doctors who performed abortions in cases of ectopic pregnancy and other life-threatening conditions would be exempt from prosecution only if they "[took] all possible steps to preserve the life of the unborn child, while preserving the life of the woman. Such steps include, if applicable, attempting to reimplant an ectopic pregnancy into the woman's uterus".{{cite web |last=Glenza |first=Jessica |date=November 29, 2019 |title=Ohio bill orders doctors to 'reimplant ectopic pregnancy' or face 'abortion murder' charges |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/29/ohio-extreme-abortion-bill-reimplant-ectopic-pregnancy |access-date=November 29, 2019 |work=The Guardian}}[https://nationalpost.com/news/world/ohio-abortion-bill-would-make-doctors-reimplant-ectopic-pregnancies-which-is-impossible-or-face-abortion-murder-charges Ohio bill would make doctors 'reimplant' ectopic pregnancies (which is impossible) or face 'abortion murder' charges], National Post, November 29, 2019{{cite web |title=House Bill 413 {{!}} The Ohio Legislature |url=https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA133-HB-413 |website=www.legislature.ohio.gov}} Reimplantation of an ectopic pregnancy is not a recognized or medically feasible procedure.{{cite news |last1=Rezac |first1=Mary |title=Pro-life doctors: Despite Ohio bill, there is no procedure to save ectopic pregnancies |language=en |agency=Catholic News Agency |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/41307/pro-life-doctors-despite-ohio-bill-there-is-no-procedure-to-save-ectopic-pregnancies}}
= COVID-19 and impeachment =
In August 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, he joined John Becker, Candice Keller, and Nino Vitale in sponsoring a move to impeach against Mike DeWine, Ohio's Republican governor.{{Cite web|last1=Pelzer|first1=Jeremy|last2=clevel|last3=.com|date=2020-08-24|title=Articles of impeachment drawn up against Gov. Mike DeWine over coronavirus orders|url=https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/08/articles-of-impeachment-drawn-up-against-gov-mike-dewine-over-coronavirus-orders.html|access-date=2020-08-25|website=cleveland|language=en}} The move was widely and immediately panned on both sides of the aisle and by legal scholars and commentators.{{cite web|title=Articles of impeachment drawn up against Gov. Mike DeWine over coronavirus orders|url=https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/08/articles-of-impeachment-drawn-up-against-gov-mike-dewine-over-coronavirus-orders.html|access-date=24 August 2020|website=Cleveland|date=24 August 2020 |publisher=Cleveland}}{{Cite web|last1=Pelzer|first1=Jeremy|last2=clevel|last3=.com|date=2020-08-24|title=The move to impeach Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine: A necessary step, or a blow to democracy?|url=https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/08/the-move-to-impeach-ohio-gov-mike-dewine-a-necessary-step-or-a-blow-to-democracy.html|access-date=2020-08-25|website=cleveland|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Cillizza|first=Chris|date=26 August 2020|title=Some Ohio Republicans are trying to impeach the state's GOP governor over coronavirus|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/politics/ohio-mike-dewine-covid-19-coronavirus/index.html|access-date=2020-09-01|website=CNN}} Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken "issued a scathing condemnation of the trio of conservatives",{{Cite web|last=Gstalter|first=Morgan|date=2020-08-25|title=Ohio Republicans draft articles of impeachment against GOP governor over coronavirus orders|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/513570-ohio-republicans-draft-articles-of-impeachment-against-gop-governor-over|access-date=2020-08-26|website=TheHill|language=en}} calling the move “a baseless, feeble attempt at creating attention for themselves.” Ohio House Speaker, Republican Bob Cupp, called it an "imprudent attempt" to cause "a state constitutional crisis".{{Cite web|last=Balmert|first=Jessie|title=Ohio House Speaker Bob Cupp opposes GOP-led effort to impeach Gov. Mike DeWine|url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2020/08/24/conservative-lawmakers-want-impeach-gov-mike-dewine-over-covid-19-response/3428359001/|access-date=2020-08-25|website=The Enquirer|language=en-US}} Legal scholar Jonathan Entin said the proposal "means that we’ve distorted our understanding both of what impeachment is supposed to do and how people – especially, elected officials – are supposed to disagree with each other. Do we really want to say that the government can’t act in an emergency because the officials are afraid that if they do anything, they’ll be removed from office? Of course, if they don’t do anything, maybe the response is going to be ‘Well you should be impeached for not acting.'{{-"}} CNN's Chris Cillizza analyzed it as one of several examples of how Donald Trump had politicized public health matters to the point Republican lawmakers felt they needed to make extreme and pointless moves in order to satisfy the base. DeWine responded by recommending his foes visit a hospital and talk to nurses.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-05|title=Editorial: Governor needs ability to act quickly|url=https://www.limaohio.com/top-stories/439016/editorial-governor-needs-ability-to-act-quickly|access-date=2020-12-11|website=The Lima News|language=en-US}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.ohiohouse.gov/paul-zeltwanger Representative Paul Zeltwanger (official site)]
- [http://paulzeltwanger.com/ Official campaign site]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zeltwanger, Paul}}
Category:Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives
Category:21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly