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In a short time, the Ohio Capital Journal has accomplished a lot. We appreciate all the support.
About a year ago I first met with the directors of States Newsroom about bringing a new state government nonprofit news outlet to Ohio. What a year it’s been. Since that first meeting, I was offered and accepted a job I consider a dream come true, named the outlet the Ohio Capital Journal (a h/t […]
Bipartisan House reps introduce Ohio campaign finance reform bill
A pair of bipartisan Ohio House representatives introduced legislation this week they say would bring Ohio campaign finance regulations in line with federal law. State Reps. Jessica E. Miranda, D-Forest Park, on Monday introduced House Bill 737, with Rep. Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville. The bipartisan campaign finance reform legislation, they say, is the first step […]
Unaccountable dark money has corrupted Ohio politics. It’s time to require disclosure.
The ugly saga of alleged corruption, bribery, money laundering and racketeering on the part of Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four political operatives in Ohio lays bare a nasty truth in the Buckeye State: Unaccountable dark money has corrupted our politics, so now we must demand the legislature act to require disclosure. The mechanism […]
Gov. DeWine announces statewide public mask order starting Thursday evening
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has announced a statewide public mask order set to go into effect Thursday evening at 6 p.m. Beginning tomorrow at 6:00pm, citizens in all Ohio counties will be under a mandatory mask order while out in public. pic.twitter.com/UqLEzT3Mly — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 22, 2020 DeWine said Wednesday that […]
Facebook comments are where my faith in humanity goes to die
Toxic environments crush the spirit, and few environments thrive on toxicity like Facebook comments sections. Less an American agora for public debate, Facebook comments sections exist mainly as a forum for misinformation, spam, childish name-calling, petty trolling, and the occasional thoughtful point or useful fact-check. As the editor of the Ohio Capital Journal, my least […]
The Confederate flag is an insult to Ohio’s heritage
One of the most tired, loathsome bromides made in favor of flying the battle flag of slavers and traitors is the exaltation of heritage, as though passing down symbols of racism and sedition in behalf of states’ “rights” to slavery is a tradition worthy of honor. In Ohio, the heritage argument, as it were, is […]
Ohio lost another 42,000 jobs last week; total now more than 1.2 million
Ohio saw another 42,082 in jobless claims last week, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services in a news release Thursday. This brings the total number of jobless claims filed in Ohio over the last 10 weeks to 1,257,838, more than the combined total of unemployment claims filed during the last three […]
Four of top five cities with budgets most vulnerable to pandemic located in Ohio
An analysis from the national think tank Brookings shows four out of five cities in the U.S. with the most immediate fiscal impacts from COVID-19 are located in Ohio, including Columbus and Cincinnati and Nos. 1 and 2, and Toledo and Cleveland at Nos. 4 and 5. “To understand when cities can anticipate the brunt […]
Memorial Day, ICU beds, billionaires, and coronavirus in Africa: Catching Our Eye
Each day in our newsletter, we are highlighting stories and commentary from other media big and small throughout Ohio and the nation. If you’d like to get this feature directly to your inbox, please sign up for our newsletter here. Catching Our Eye: Memorial Day This Memorial Day, as we pay tribute to those who gave […]
Ex-OSU prez Gordon Gee wants to ‘dance with the pandemic’ in college athletics
Former Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee, who is now president of West Virginia University, wants to “dance with the pandemic rather than be fearful of it,” when it comes to college athletics, CBS News is reporting. The comments came as the NCAA Council was slated to vote Wednesday whether to allow on-campus, voluntary […]
Some simple personal habits for practical safety in a world of COVID-19
Ohio is reopening more or less fully over the coming weeks, but the coronavirus pandemic is far from gone, leaving Ohioans to navigate their own personal safety in a state reopened with a far higher incidence of COVID-19 than it had when it shut down in March. What can we all do personally to remain as safe […]
Ohio House Dem wants to eliminate cannabis prohibitions
State Representative Juanita Brent, D-Cleveland, announced legislation Friday that would repeal criminal prohibitions for possession and trafficking of cannabis, and vacate cannabis possession criminal sentences, expunging such offenses from the record. “It is about time we stop criminalizing a plant (Cannabis),” Brent said. “Our police should be focusing their time and resources on more serious […]