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Opponents question harsher sentences for illegal gun possession in Ohio
An Ohio House measure aimed at increasing penalties for those who have a gun illegally is advancing in committee. But its opponents argue it won’t change the problems it sets out to fix. Ohio state Rep. Kyle Koehler’s HB 383 raises the penalty for illegally possessing a weapon from a third-degree to a second-degree felony […]
Voting advocates raise alarm about Ohio GOP measures to limit absentee voting and drop boxes
Voting rights groups are raising concerns with two voting bills Ohio Republican lawmakers appear poised to advance during the lame duck session: One for photo voter ID, and the other to limit drop boxes and absentee voting. In the Ohio House, lawmakers are working on a proposal that places limits on drop boxes, absentee voting, […]
Ohio senators weigh new penalties for disrupting religious services
State lawmakers are proposing stiffer penalties in cases where a person interrupts a religious service. The measure passed the Ohio House in April and it’s working its way through the Senate now. In a Judiciary committee hearing last week, Michael Rodgers from the Attorney General’s office laid out the idea behind the “Sacred Spaces Act.” […]
Ohio Republicans launch effort to make citizen-led amendments harder to pass for voters
Lawmakers raised two ideas Thursday with massive implications for Ohio voters. One is an initiative requiring citizen-led constitutional amendments gain a 60% supermajority at the ballot for passage, the other is a House bill aimed at rewriting the underlying infrastructure of how the state conducts elections. State Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, joined Ohio Secretary of […]
Ohio state senator’s new gun bill drops red flag provisions, adds new restraints
In a last-minute change, Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, has stepped back from his plan to establish a so-called red flag law in Ohio. In its place, Dolan proposed a restriction on future gun purchases after a person is deemed a threat to themselves or others. Dolan described the changes as a way […]
Texting and driving measure heads for Ohio House floor
A little more than a year and a half after its introduction, an Ohio House measure allowing police to pull over drivers using their phones has moved out of committee. Under current law texting and driving is a secondary offense, meaning police can cite a driver for it, but it can’t be the reason they […]
Last minute donations: Who gave to Ohio’s federal candidates in the final weeks of the election?
Donors spent a lot of money in Ohio during this year’s election. Campaign advertising tracker AdImpact estimated $344 million went into ads on TV, online or over the radio. OpenSecrets, which tracks federal campaigns, showed candidates raising about $100 million — and that didn’t take into account the final week of fundraising. During the final […]
Sen. Portman signs on to amendment to help pass Respect for Marriage Act
As lawmakers in Columbus prepare for a busy lame duck legislative session, U.S. Senator Rob Portman announced a significant development for same-sex marriage protections. The outgoing Republican senator has struck a deal with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to potentially advance the Respect for Marriage Act. In addition to Portman, U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-WI, […]
Republican J.D. Vance wins Ohio’s open U.S. Senate seat
Republican J.D. Vance has won the race to succeed Republican Rob Portman representing Ohio in the U.S. Senate. The open seat and the stakes of Senate control fueled a race that gained national attention. Early in the evening in Columbus, Portman took the stage to pump up the crowd about the U.S. Senate race. “There’s […]
Gov. Mike DeWine wins second term in contest with Democrat Nan Whaley
Ohio voters reelected Gov. Mike DeWine Tuesday, giving the Greene County Republican four more years at the helm of Ohio’s highest executive office. DeWine focused much of his campaign on successful economic development such as the Intel microchip plant being built in New Albany, but in his second term DeWine will face several issues still […]
At Election Eve rally with Ohio Republicans, Trump sets Nov. 15 for ‘very big announcement’
VANDALIA — More than a thousand people flooded the Dayton Airport tarmac on Election Eve to see Donald Trump speak. In between the flight hangars organizers set up bleachers and jumbotrons that would later show power point presentations. Flags or bunting covered every flat surface that wasn’t moving. At about 8:30 p.m., Trump’s plane landed […]
Campaigns brimming with optimism ahead of Tuesday election
In the final weekend of the midterms, every campaign believes the race is coming their way. Whether honest assessment or false bravado, they’ll readily explain how this poll or those returns are good for their prospects. From the outside looking in, it’s as though the biggest threat now is not a gaffe or a new […]