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Ohio Republicans choose to fight abortion amendment the hard way
Earlier this month the Ohio Republican Party central committee met in a downtown Columbus ballroom. The state party has a lot to celebrate. Republicans across the country underwhelmed in 2022, but not in Ohio. The GOP carried the big-ticket statewide races, won every state supreme court race and two ballot measures. But the prevailing mood […]
Supermajority amendment opponents sue, arguing ‘no legal basis’ for August election
State lawmakers approved a measure to ask voters if Ohio should raise the threshold for approving constitutional amendments to 60%. But in an unusual move, they set the August date for that election through the resolution itself. They made no changes to state law which strictly limit such elections. Republican House and Senate leaders insist […]
Bipartisan rail safety bill headed for U.S. Senate vote
It’s been just over three months since a Norfolk Southern train derailed near East Palestine, Ohio. Federal legislation meant to improve rail safety and reduce similar incidents is advancing in the U.S. Senate. The Railway Safety Act of 2023 is a bipartisan effort led by Ohio’s U.S. Senators, Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Sherrod Brown. […]
Ohio lawmakers send 60% supermajority amendment to the ballot
Wednesday, Ohio House lawmakers voted 62-37 to advance a resolution asking voters to raise the passage threshold for constitutional amendments. The vote caps off nearly six months of legislative wrangling largely meant to hobble an abortion rights amendment. Lawmakers are entering questionable legal territory, however, as they set the vote in August through the resolution […]
House leaders tee up supermajority amendment measure for floor vote
The stage is set for a long-awaited House vote on SJR 2. The resolution would ask voters whether the threshold for amending the constitution should be 60% rather than a simple majority. But lawmakers pushing the plan may not be celebrating yet. A parallel effort to send the question to voters before they consider an […]
Supermajority roadmap: Backers have until Wednesday to get 60% amendment on August ballot
It’s a big week for lawmakers attempting to raise the threshold for constitutional amendments in an August special election. The House could vote on a joint resolution sending the question to the ballot as soon as Wednesday. But the legislation setting up the August election is in limbo. Lawmakers in the House and the Senate […]
Ohio Republican Party committee votes to support amendment change, oppose abortion rights
The Ohio Republican Party central committee gathered in a downtown Columbus ballroom Friday morning. Ahead of the pledge of the allegiance, one committee member urged her fellows not to pause before “under god.” The members dutifully took her advice; some even ad-libbed “born and unborn” at the end. Party chairman Alex Triantafilou joked “we take […]
Prohibition on gun insurance requirements getting first Ohio House hearing
A consequential firearms measure cruised through the Ohio Senate and is currently waiting on a hearing in the House Insurance committee. The proposal, like numerous previous measures, preempts local action, this time by prohibiting fees or liability insurance for gun owners. Cities around Ohio are wrestling with increases in violent crime since the pandemic, but […]
GOP plan to advance 60% amendment in August looking wobbly after second hearing cancelled
Hints of uncertainty are creeping into the Ohio House ahead of an effort toward a constitutional showdown. For the second time in as many days, the House Government Oversight committee canceled its hearing instead of voting on an August special elections measure. That legislation is crucial to a Republican ballot effort asking voters to make […]
Ohio House committee narrowly advances 60% supermajority provision despite opposition
In an Ohio House committee, witnesses pleaded with lawmakers to reject the effort to install a 60% threshold for future constitutional amendments. The joint resolution they’re considering would put the question to voters on an upcoming ballot. After breaking for an extended recess around lunch time, lawmakers heard more testimony and voted to advance the […]
What changes do Ohio budget drafters have in mind for sports betting?
Sports betting went live in Ohio just five months ago. But lawmakers are already wrangling over small tweaks and big changes for the industry in the state budget. Ohio established its sports gaming system in late 2021, but it didn’t go live until Jan. 1 this year. One of the chief questions lawmakers had to […]
Ohio lawmakers consider bill simplifying how businesses calculate taxes for remote workers
Ohio lawmakers are considering a measure that could allow business owners to shift their tax burden for remote workers. Proponents of the idea argue it’s a way to simplify tax filing. But it could also make it easier for businesses to reduce their tax burden. State law allows municipalities to levy income taxes on businesses […]