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Bail reformers call on familiar evidence to advocate against reliance on cash bail
The day after Ohio House leaders put the brakes on cash bail-centric legislation, a different, long-simmering bail reform measure got it’s third hearing in committee. The measures offer alternative approaches to protecting public safety, and their supporters are invoking some of the same cases to make their point. When the proponents of the cash bail […]
House leaders press pause on cash bail provisions
A proposal directing judges to consider public safety when setting cash bail is in limbo after House leaders backtracked on holding a floor vote. The provisions — one statutory and one meant for the ballot — faltered because some Republican members want to see a broader bail reform measure pass alongside them. “There was discussion […]
House lawmaker files resolution to block remote civil trials
The COVID-19 pandemic spurred the adoption of remote conferencing, and whether you appreciate working in sweatpants and slippers, or the thought of back-to-back Zoom meetings makes you break out in a cold sweat, those technologies aren’t soon going away. Still, state lawmakers want to draw some bright lines around when video conferencing is and isn’t […]
Sec. Marcia Fudge dangles $10 billion to relax restrictive zoning as part of housing plan
A delegation from Washington, D.C. braved a muddy construction site on Columbus’ South side Monday. Organizers built an improvised entryway to Touchstone Field Place out of large sheets of plywood with topped with astroturf. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge made the visit to tout the Biden administration’s efforts to expand affordable housing. The […]
House committee approves ‘public safety’ measures that could expand cash bail in Ohio
The House criminal justice committee passed two measures Wednesday that could lead to a greater reliance on cash bail. Meanwhile, lawmakers amended a different bail reform measure to set explicit limits on the calculation of cash bail. Although the proposals appear to be at cross-purposes, advocates are hoping the two could work together. The proposals […]
Measure expanding reliance on cash bail gets first hearing in the Senate
The Attorney General-backed bid to change limits on cash bail got its first hearing in the Ohio Senate Tuesday. The effort comes as a direct response to a state supreme court ruling and would require a constitutional amendment to take effect. The purpose of bail is to ensure defendants return to court for their trial […]
Incumbent DeWine holds off challengers in Ohio GOP governor primary race
Incumbent Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine cruised to a primary win Tuesday, and now sets his sights on former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, his Democratic opponent in the 2022 race for governor this November. DeWine’s victory was never really in doubt thanks in large part to a crowded primary field that split the conservative wing of […]
Dueling endorsements in U.S. Senate primary underscore the fight for Ohio’s conservatives
Culture wars dominated Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel’s parting message to voters. He cut a swath through the state last weekend, visiting churches in Dayton, Toledo, Columbus and Cincinnati alongside his highest profile supporter, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX. On the campaign trail, on debate stages and on tv ads, Mandel has returned to a […]
Less than a week from Election Day, why are so many Republicans undecided?
Amid the maniacal bids to out-conservative one another, and the near fisticuffs, perhaps the most abiding feature of this year’s Republican U.S. Senate primary has been voters’ uncertainty. In a crowded field it might seem that voters would have an easy time finding a candidate whose message resonates. Instead, the limited polling available keeps showing […]
A judge ordered Dewitt McDonald released last month, so why is he still in prison?
Right now, Dewitt McDonald is sitting in prison at Richland Correctional Institution even though late last month a judge ordered his release. McDonald’s case goes back to a 1994 drive-by shooting in Sandusky that left one woman dead. Prosecutors claimed McDonald was in the car, and they charged him with aiding and abetting the crime. […]
Former President Trump rallies in Delaware ahead of next week’s primary election
Saturday saw Ohio’s first taste of summer, and thousands poured into the Delaware County fairgrounds, still spongy from spring rain. The throng crowded against metal barriers hours before former president Donald Trump arrived, their faces steadily reddening under the beating sun. The jumbotron screens played campaign ads, a promo for Donald Trump’s coffee table book […]
How much a map costs: one law firm accounts for 1/3 of redistricting expenses
As lawmakers consider their next move on redistricting, the overall cost has ballooned to nearly $1.8 million, according to an accounting through April 19 provided by the Legislative Services Commission. The bulk of that expense has been charged to the Legislative Task Force on Redistricting, which has accounted for $983,283 going back to August of […]