{{Short description|American politician (born 1965)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Jamie Callender | image = Jamie Callender Official Headshot.jpg | state_house = Ohio | district = 57th | term_start = January 7, 2019 | term_start2 = January 3, 1997 | term_end2 = December 31, 2004 | predecessor = Ron Young | predecessor2 = Dan Troy | successor2 = Lorraine Fende | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|1|9}} | birth_place = Mayfield, Kentucky, U.S. | height = 5ft. 1in. | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | alma_mater = Cleveland State University (BA, JD) | profession = Attorney | party = Republican | chair = }}
'''Jamie Callender''' (born January 9, 1965) is an American lawyer and college professor who has served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives since 2019. He represents the 57th district which includes the Lake County communities of Concord Township, Kirtland, Kirtland Hills, LeRoy Township, Madison, Madison Township, North Perry, Perry, Perry Township, Waite Hill, Willoughby Hills, as well as most of both Mentor and Painesville Township.<ref name="MangusHerman2008">{{cite book|last1=Mangus|first1=Michael S.|last2=Herman|first2=Jennifer L.|title=Ohio Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bndxn4Qlt4EC&pg=PA189|access-date=9 January 2013|date=2008-12-01|publisher=North American Book Dist LLC|isbn=9781878592682|pages=189–}}</ref> He currently is Chairman of Public Utilities and Finance, as well as serving on Civil Justice, Joint Education Oversight Committee, Rules and Reference Ohio House Committees.
After practicing law full-time as a partner at Buckley King LPA, he founded Callender Law Group and The Callender Group,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thecallendergroup.com/|title=Charter School Education, Consulting & Lobbyists {{!}} Cleveland/Columbus Ohio|website=www.thecallendergroup.com|language=en-US|access-date=2016-05-19|archive-date=2018-04-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420120047/http://thecallendergroup.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> education law and consulting firms based in Concord and Columbus, Ohio, and Nashville, Tennessee. Callender is also an adjunct professor of political science at Kent State University for the Columbus Program in Intergovernmental Issues.thumbnail|Ohio state Representative Jamie Callender|alt=|left In 1997, Callender was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, and would be elected three more times.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=205812|title=Our Campaigns - OH State House 70 Race - Nov 03, 1998|website=www.ourcampaigns.com|access-date=2019-08-05}}</ref> As Chairman of the Ohio House Education Committee, Callender was involved in the creation of Ohio's charter school laws and later legislative reforms related to community ("charter") schools, and the introduction of the concept of "value added" as a measurement of a child's educational progress.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theohiostar.com/2019/07/30/charter-schools-see-relief-in-budget-after-playing-defense-for-decades/|title=Charter Schools See Relief in Budget After Playing Defense for Decades|last=Lear|first=Beth|date=2019-07-30|website=The Ohio Star|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-05}}</ref> Callender was also appointed as Ohio's representative on the Education Commission of the States (ECS), which worked with the Bush administration and various state governors to develop national education standards and accountability measurements, work which led to the No Child Left Behind Act.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://angelsandsuperheroes.com/2017/04/17/the-big-short-when-the-education-bubble-bursts/|title=The Big Short: When the Education Bubble Bursts {{!}}|website=Angels And Superheroes|date=17 April 2017|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-05}}</ref>
In 2004, Callendar was term limited from the state House and unsuccessfully ran for the state Senate, losing in the Republican primary to Tim Grendell.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news-herald.com/news/grendell-wins-suit/article_d8d17ef0-8e59-55ed-aca6-8ef08458b18c.html|title=Grendell wins suit|author=Staff reports|website=The News-Herald|date=30 October 2009|language=en|access-date=2019-08-05}}</ref> In 2018, he successfully returned to the Ohio House, winning an open seat similar to the seat he previously represented.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news-herald.com/news/elections/callender-wins-st-district-rogers-retains-th-district-seat/article_5383b360-de24-11e8-bcc0-b361415c6610.html|title=Callender wins 61st District, Rogers retains 60th District seat|last=Cass|first=Andrew|website=The News-Herald|language=en|access-date=2019-08-05|archive-date=2019-01-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109121230/https://www.news-herald.com/news/elections/callender-wins-st-district-rogers-retains-th-district-seat/article_5383b360-de24-11e8-bcc0-b361415c6610.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2021, Callender introduced an overhaul of the state's education funding system, the Ohio Fair School Funding Plan (HB 1).<ref>{{Cite web|title=House Bill 1 {{!}} The Ohio Legislature|url=https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA134-HB-1|access-date=2021-06-17|website=www.legislature.ohio.gov}}</ref>
==Association with Team Householder==
During the 2018 Ohio House election cycle, Jamie Callender was identified in reporting as one of the Republican candidates recruited by then-State Representative Larry Householder as part of an organized effort to regain the speakership of the Ohio House of Representatives. According to an investigation by Cleveland.com, Householder assembled a slate of candidates, commonly referred to as “Team Householder,” who were encouraged to run for office with the expectation that they would support his bid for Speaker if elected. Schmidt was listed among the candidates recruited as part of this strategy.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pelzer |first=Jeremy |title=Who is Team Householder? The candidates Larry Householder recruited to help him become Ohio House speaker |url=https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/07/who-is-team-householder-the-candidates-larry-householder-recruited-to-help-him-become-ohio-house-speaker.html |website=Cleveland.com |date=July 23, 2020 |access-date=December 28, 2025}}</ref>
The successful election of multiple Team Householder candidates enabled Householder to secure enough internal support to be elected Speaker at the start of the 133rd Ohio General Assembly.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pelzer |first=Jeremy |title=Who is Team Householder? The candidates Larry Householder recruited to help him become Ohio House speaker |url=https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/07/who-is-team-householder-the-candidates-larry-householder-recruited-to-help-him-become-ohio-house-speaker.html |website=Cleveland.com |date=July 23, 2020 |access-date=December 28, 2025}}</ref>
===Vote on the Expulsion of Larry Householder===
During the 134th Ohio General Assembly, Jamie Callender voted against the expulsion of former House Speaker Larry Householder, who had been federally indicted and later convicted in connection with the Ohio nuclear bribery scandal tied to House Bill 6. The Ohio House voted 75–21 to expel Householder, with Jamie Callender among the 21 Republican members who opposed the resolution. <ref>{{cite news |title=Householder expelled: How local lawmakers voted |url=https://www.daytondailynews.com/ohio/householder-expelled-how-local-lawmakers-voted/UDWIJIAVL5BAVLWQOJ4OID5Z3I/ |work=Dayton Daily News |date=June 16, 2021 |access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=House Resolution 69 (134th General Assembly) – Votes |url=https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA134-HR-69&tab=votes |website=The Ohio Legislature |access-date=December 31, 2025 }}</ref>
== First Energy scandal ==
In 2019, Callender was one of two primary sponsors of House Bill 6 (HB 6), legislation that provided subsidies to Ohio's two nuclear power plants and made other changes to the state's energy policy.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bischoff |first=Laura |title=What is House Bill 6, the nuclear bailout law at center of Ohio's bribery scandal? |url=https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/what-is-house-bill-6-the-nuclear-bailout-law-at-center-of-ohios-bribery-scandal/CTWQX7V5Q5DULMHEG2A6Y7EWTY/ |work=Dayton Daily News |date=July 22, 2020 |access-date=October 1, 2025}}</ref> Alongside Representative Shane Wilkin, he introduced the bill in April 2019, and it was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine in July 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ohio House passes nuclear plant bailout bill |url=https://apnews.com/article/4c82c75d6d0f4c59a38d9f7dc454e8de |work=Associated Press |date=July 23, 2019 |access-date=October 1, 2025}}</ref>
In July 2020, federal prosecutors charged then–House Speaker Larry Householder and others with racketeering in what they described as a $60 million bribery scheme funded by FirstEnergy Corporation to secure passage of HB 6.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ohio House Speaker, others arrested in $60 million bribery case |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/21/us/ohio-house-speaker-arrested.html |work=The New York Times |date=July 21, 2020 |access-date=October 1, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hancock |first=Laura A. |title=FirstEnergy money flowed to Ohio politicians who supported Householder-backed HB6 |url=https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2020/07/21/firstenergy-money-flowed-to-ohio-politicians-who-supported-householder-backed-hb6/ |work=Ohio Capital Journal |date=July 21, 2020 |access-date=October 1, 2025}}</ref>
Callender was not charged in the case, but his campaign was among those that reportedly benefited from outside spending connected to the scheme.<ref>{{cite news |last=Todd |first=Mark |title=Meet 'Representative 3,' who benefited from Larry Householder's cover campaign |url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/politics/state/2020/07/30/meet-lsquorepresentative-3rsquo-who-benefited-from-larry-householderrsquos-cover-campaign/42337411/ |work=Akron Beacon Journal |date=July 30, 2020 |access-date=October 1, 2025}}</ref> He later said he had no knowledge of any corrupt plan and described himself as feeling "betrayed" if the allegations were true.<ref>{{cite news |title='I feel betrayed': Northeast Ohio lawmaker, sponsor of HB6 claims he knew nothing of corrupt plan |url=https://www.cleveland19.com/2020/07/23/i-feel-betrayed-northeast-ohio-lawmaker-sponsor-hb-claims-he-knew-nothing-corrupt-plan/ |work=Cleveland 19 News |date=July 23, 2020 |access-date=October 1, 2025}}</ref>
The scandal led to Householder's removal as Speaker, his 2023 conviction on racketeering conspiracy charges, and a 20-year federal prison sentence.<ref>{{cite news |last=Staver |first=Anna |title=Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder sentenced to 20 years in prison in bribery scandal |url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2023/06/29/larry-householder-sentenced-to-20-years-in-prison-in-bribery-scandal/70370260007/ |work=The Columbus Dispatch |date=June 29, 2023 |access-date=October 1, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder sentenced to 20 years for role in bribery scandal |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/06/29/1185153221/larry-householder-ohio-sentencing-firstenergy-bribery |work=NPR |date=June 29, 2023 |access-date=October 1, 2025}}</ref> FirstEnergy later admitted to paying bribes and agreed to pay a $230 million criminal penalty as part of a deferred prosecution agreement.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smyth |first=Julie Carr |title=FirstEnergy to pay $230M fine for role in Ohio bribery scandal |url=https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-business-ohio-columbus-bribery-1a5c46a9d4c5f8c7c1bff3d2ef23c2cd |work=Associated Press |date=July 22, 2021 |access-date=October 1, 2025}}</ref>
Although Callender remained a legislator after the scandal, HB 6 and its aftermath continued to draw criticism over the influence of utility companies and "dark money" in Ohio politics.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schladen |first=Marty |title=Ohioans continue paying for House Bill 6 scandal as Householder's corruption trial presses on |url=https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/01/30/ohioans-continue-paying-for-house-bill-6-scandal-as-householders-corruption-trial-presses-on/ |work=Ohio Capital Journal |date=January 30, 2023 |access-date=October 1, 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== Links ==
* [http://www.ohiohouse.gov/jamie-callender Representative Jamie Callendar (official site)] {{Members of the Ohio House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Callender, Jamie}} Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives Category:People from Mayfield, Kentucky Category:Cleveland State University alumni Category:Cleveland State University College of Law alumni Category:21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly