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Ohio senators working to resurrect recently eliminated August elections to fight abortion amendment
Only about three months ago, Ohio lawmakers passed a wide-ranging elections bill that will require voters present a photo ID when they cast a ballot. But it didn’t start out that way. Lawmakers bolted on the photo ID requirements only at the last minute. The bill began as a proposal to eliminate August special elections. […]
Revived measure to require 60% for Ohio constitutional amendments gets first hearing
More than a dozen people milled around in crypt-like hallways of the Statehouse basement Wednesday morning. They’d shown up almost an hour early for the first hearing of Ohio House Joint Resolution 1, a proposal which would require 60% of the vote to pass constitutional amendments. Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, brought forward a similar proposal […]
Ohioans in the U.S. House and Senate have introduced rail safety bills, how do they differ?
Ohio’s congressional delegation was quick to promise legislative action in the wake of the East Palestine train derailment. Now, lawmakers have introduced bipartisan measures in both chambers of Congress. In a moment of divided government and fever-pitch partisanship, it’s notable lawmakers from both parties came together to propose substantive policy changes. However, proponents could still […]
The FTC wants to ban non-compete contracts, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan wants to block that effort
Non-compete contracts place limits on the kind of work a person can do once they leave a job. Sometimes that takes the form of a geographic limit — like a 15-mile radius or a series of counties. Other times it might involve specific competitors or lines of business. The intent is to ensure an employee […]
‘DATA Act’ would create consistency in Ohio voting records, supporters say
Officials from the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office put their weight behind Senate Bill 71 this week. The DATA Act would create uniform definitions for various voter data and codify specific record-keeping standards. Democrats worry about the influence of a Donald Trump-aligned think tank. Mandi Grandjean spoke on behalf of Secretary Frank LaRose; she serves […]
“This bill is a stinker.” Opponents bash Ohio Second Amendment ‘sanctuary’ legislation
Opponents lined up Tuesday against a measure to cut federal firearm provisions out of Ohio’s state law. The measure’s proponents argue it will keep federal agencies from commandeering local officers. Committee speakers forcefully rejected that argument. More than 80 people submitted testimony in opposition of the proposal ahead of the committee hearing. More than a […]
How the bid to make it harder to amend Ohio’s constitution fell apart
Just before lawmakers took off for Thanksgiving last year, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, held a press conference. Details ahead of time were scant, but the advisory promised “reforms which will better protect Ohio’s constitution.” What they unveiled would dominate the chaotic final weeks of the lame duck legislative […]
Ohio state senators hold rail safety hearing as pressure builds for federal action
This week Ohio’s U.S. Senators criticized Norfolk Southern for “putting profits over people,” and insisted their legislation presents a “time for choosing,” in a closely watched committee hearing. In Ohio, meanwhile, lawmakers held their own hearing on rail safety. Separately, the rail industry announced plans to install about 1,000 additional wayside detectors in response to […]
Ohio state Sen. Gavarone introduces bills to investigate voter fraud and clean up election data
A pair of priority voting measures for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose got their first committee hearing Tuesday. Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, is sponsoring both proposals on the heels of passing new voter ID restrictions late last year. Gavarone’s first bill, SB 51, creates a new Election Integrity Division answering to the Secretary […]
Backers voice support for bill keeping Ohio cops from enforcing federal gun laws
A new bill in the Ohio House would strike out all references to federal firearm policy from state law in an attempt to render state and local law enforcement in Ohio no longer responsible for enforcing federal gun laws. This furthers a trend in recent years where, for instance, lack of movement on federal immigration […]
Marijuana business owners line up against Ohio Senate’s proposed medical cannabis overhaul
As Ohio lawmakers push to reform the state’s medical marijuana system, business leaders within that system are gearing up to block the effort. They contend that easing the entry of new producers could overwhelm the market and threaten the industry’s viability overall. Senate Bill 9 would consolidate oversight for Ohio’s medical marijuana program with a […]
Ohio Republicans at CPAC: Jim Jordan, JD Vance, Vivek Ramaswamy, Dave Yost and Frank LaRose
Conservatives from around the country descended on Washington, D.C. last week for the Conservative Political Action Conference. Organizers bill the event as the “largest and most influential gathering of conservatives in the world.” Across four days of panels like “Parents with Pitchforks,” “The Red Menace Comes to the Americas,” and “Sacking the Woke Playbook” attendees […]