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“No shooting death is just a number,” Ohioans call for common gun sense
Ohioans across the political spectrum want common sense guns laws. A recent Suffolk University/USA Today poll shows 92% of Ohioans want mandatory background checks for firearm purchases — including 99% Democrats and 88% Republicans. But instead, the Republican-controlled Statehouse has loosened gun laws. “Let’s call a spade a spade,” said Ohio House Minority Leader Allison […]
Period products will be available for free in Ohio schools
Girls will soon be able to access period products for free in Ohio school bathrooms. The state’s new operating budget includes a $5 million appropriation for the current fiscal year to install dispensers that will provide free period products in schools that enroll girls in grades 6-12. The bill also allows schools to offer free […]
Supporters of recreational marijuana in Ohio have 10 days to collect about 700 valid signatures for ballot
Not enough valid signatures were collected to put recreational marijuana on Ohio’s November ballot. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol submitted 123,367 valid signatures, but 124,046 signatures were needed. Supporters will now have 10 days to collect the needed 679 valid signatures. “It looks like we came up a little short in this first […]
Ohio universities review admission policies after Supreme Court ends affirmative action
Ohio colleges and universities are reviewing their admissions policies after the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling to end affirmative action based on race. In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled the race-conscious admissions policies used by the University of North Carolina and Harvard were unlawful. Affirmative action, which is not just limited to college […]
Affordable housing tax credit, single-family housing tax credit programs signed into Ohio budget
Two new housing tax credit programs are launching as Ohio grapples with affordable housing. The state housing tax credit program and the single-family housing tax credit program are part of Ohio’s two-year, $191 billion budget that Gov. Mike DeWine signed earlier this month. “Governor DeWine recognizes the need to have a holistic statewide housing strategy […]
Ohio budget changes policy holding back struggling third grader readers
Mandatory retention will no longer be required under Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee. A parent will now be able to request a student be promoted to fourth grade — even if they are not reading at grade level, according to the state budget that Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed. Now a student’s parents must consult […]
“$20,000 is a lot of money.” Ohioans financially plan on student loan debt after SCOTUS ruling
Josh Dodge expects it will take him the rest of his life to pay off his student loans. The 45-year-old graduated with more than $80,000 of student loans after earning his bachelor’s and master’s in middle childhood education from Wright State University nearly a decade ago. “It’s a number that I always compare to ginormous […]
Science of reading enacted in Ohio’s new budget
Ohio students will learn how to read using the science of reading. The state’s two-year, $191 billion budget that Gov. Mike DeWine signed earlier this month includes a chunk of money that goes toward implementing the science of reading, which is based on decades of research that shows how the human brain learns to read and […]
Families of transgender youth consider potentially leaving Ohio because of proposed legislation
Ember Zelch would rather give up a $10,000 college scholarship than stay in Ohio. The 18-year-old was one of 150 students who won a scholarship in 2021 as part of Ohio Vax-2-School, a statewide contest aimed at boosting COVID-19 vaccination rates among younger Ohioans. Zelch, however, is leaving that money on the table because she […]
State budget creates $24 million ‘intellectual diversity’ centers at five Ohio universities
New “intellectual diversity” centers will be created at Ohio State University, the University of Toledo, Miami University, Cleveland State University and the University of Cincinnati. These five centers were included in the state’s two-year, $191 billion budget that Gov. Mike DeWine signed earlier this month. But some faculty at those universities don’t like the looks […]
Irritable bowel syndrome added to list of qualifying condition for medical marijuana
Irritable bowel syndrome patients can now use medical marijuana for treatment. The State Medical Board made IBS the 26th qualifying condition for medical marijuana under Ohio law, and rejected obsessive-compulsive syndrome and autism spectrum disorder as qualifying conditions during Wednesday’s meeting. “While this addition will help expand patient access to medical marijuana and help many […]
Ohio’s poverty rate increased to 13.4% in 2021, according to new report
Ohio’s poverty rate increased from 12.7% to 13.4% in 2021 — the first time in more than a decade it has increased year-to-year, according to the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies latest State of Poverty report. Scioto County in Southern Ohio had the highest overall poverty rate in 2021 with 23.9% and the highest […]