The net effect of the Ohio plan is that large states like California will never be among the first states voting.  Under the plan, at least 23 states will always have voted before California’s regional primary window.

Here is Congressional Quarterly’s description  of the Ohio Plan:

• Ohio Plan: Promoted by Ohio Republican leader Bennett… the Ohio Plan would create a pod of small-population states that would be permitted to vote first in every presidential election year. It differs from the Delaware Plan in that the Ohio Plan’s three other pods would be based on region and not scaled according to state size. These groupings — one of states in the Eastern and Midwestern United States, one encompassing the South and other covering the West — would have roughly similar allocations of electoral votes, and would rotate their order in the nominating process every four years. (emphasis added)

The RNC Rules Committee plan is only a recommendation.  The Republican National Convention’s rules committee will next determine what is referred to the floor of the national convention for adoption.  The national convention has the final word, and may choose a different route.  Small states have a disproportionate vote on the RNC and convention rules committees, where each state is represented equally, compared to the full convention which is more proportional by population.

As the California state chairman, I cannot support a primary system that does not give California a fair opportunity to be among the first states voting in future presidential elections, at least on a rotating basis.    Unless amended, under the Ohio plan California will never vote before at least 23 other states have cast ballots.  Given that any change in California’s primary date must be approved by the state legislature, I can’t see why our state would embrace a plan where we are permanently in the bottom half of the batting order.