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Ohio Republican state Sen. Matt Dolan announces 2024 U.S. Senate bid
Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan will try again to become Ohio’s U.S. Senator in 2024. In a campaign announcement Tuesday, the Chagrin Falls Republican said he is “unapologetically committed to putting the needs of Ohio first.” Dolan’s entry, first reported by NBC News, marks the first Republican challenge to Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown. Ohio’s […]
VoteRiders gearing up to offer voter ID assistance in Ohio
The reaction was swift after Ohio instituted what critics call the “most restrictive” voter ID restrictions in the country. Already, a handful of organizations are suing to block to the new law. Others are gearing up to help Ohioans navigate the new reality by helping them get the IDs they need to vote. VoteRiders is […]
Ohio House Republican faction brings back proposal making it harder for voters to pass amendments
After more than an hour behind closed doors, a bloc of Ohio Republicans led by state Rep. Derek Merrin, Monclova Twp., trooped through the Ohio Statehouse. The faction — thirty-odd lawmakers who wound up on the losing side of the House Speaker’s race last week— climbed three floors and squeezed into the clerk’s office. After […]
Ohio’s photo voter ID law already facing legal challenge
The same day Gov. Mike DeWine signed the bill into law, Ohio’s new photo voter ID law saw its first court challenge. The Elias Law group filed suit Friday on a behalf of a handful of Ohio interest groups. The firm, headed up by Democratic elections attorney Marc Elias, rose to national prominence in part […]
DeWine touts achievements, commits to mental health in inaugural speech
In the Ohio Statehouse rotunda Monday, Gov. Mike DeWine struck an optimistic tone to begin his second term as governor. The 76-year-old has spent more than half his life in public office, and the next four years may well be his last in an elected post. He begins the term after securing big corporate investments […]
DeWine signs bills for voter photo ID and “green energy” natural gas drilling on state lands
Late Friday night, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine cleared his desk — signing into law two controversial bills. One makes changes in the way Ohioans will vote going forward. Most notably, it requires voters casting a ballot in-person to present a photo ID. The other law orders state agencies to award drilling licenses for state-owned lands […]
Gov. DeWine signs multibillion-dollar funding bill
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a measure passed late in the previous session which appropriates nearly $6 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The governor declined to issue any line-item vetoes despite calls to do so, particularly from affordable housing advocates. Friday morning DeWine acknowledged “no legislation is perfect,” but […]
Ohio Gov. DeWine vetoes tobacco measure that would prohibit local bans
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed legislation Thursday that would’ve preempted local bans on flavored tobacco. He’s been telegraphing the move for weeks and spoke about the decision flanked by health officials at the Statehouse. “This measure is not — is not in the public interest,” DeWine said of HB 513. “And therefore, just a few […]
DeWine signs 23 bills into law, vetoes one
While Ohio House and Senate lawmakers organize committees and prepare for the coming session, Gov. Mike DeWine is putting the finishing touches on the last one. So far this week, the governor has signed 23 bills into law and vetoed one. DeWine rejected HB 286, sponsored by Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati. The bill would have […]
PUCO report criticizes AEP communication, tree trimming after summer outages
The Public Utility Commission of Ohio has issued a report on a series of power outages last summer. Those outages stemmed from a massive windstorm known as a derecho followed by a heat wave with 90+ degree temperatures. Outages occurred throughout the state, but fell heaviest on communities in Columbus, many of them poor. The […]
Who is likely incoming Ohio House speaker Derek Merrin?
This week, the Ohio House will reconvene to begin the 135th general assembly session. When they do, they’ll hold a formal vote to elect the next House speaker. Because Republicans hold a 67-32 majority, the winner of the caucus race, Rep. Derek Merrin, R-Monclova Township, is expected to take the gavel unless further challenges to […]
In COVID’s third winter, biggest threat is three viruses at once
Ohio health officials are urging caution again this winter. But entering our third holiday season with COVID-19, the nature of those warnings is a bit different. As Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff explained, this year the threat is multiple respiratory viruses at once. “Unlike the last two winters, it’s not just about […]