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‘Blended learning’ bill passes committee
A new bill specifying “blended learning” for the 2021-2022 school year has been approved by an Ohio Senate committee. Senate Bill 229 is yet another bill meant to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student success and education, and was favorably passed in Senate Primary & Secondary Education Committee on Tuesday. In the […]
Redistricting deadlines have no ‘teeth,’ advocates pessimistic
With less than two weeks before the next congressional redistricting deadline, anti-gerrymandering groups are still in the dark on progress of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, and aren’t hopeful the deadline will be met. “Nobody has really been able to get an understanding of the calendar,” said J. Collin Marozzi, policy strategist for the ACLU of […]
Home health care workers ask federal senators for better pay, benefits
Home health care workers say their pay and a lack of benefits is unsustainable and in need of change on the federal level. Toledo resident Amina Nash was one of several home health care workers that spoke to Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey in a recent roundtable on the needs […]
Redistricting court challenges move forward
The fight over the legislative redistricting maps is ongoing in the Ohio Supreme Court, with a few wins already registered for opponents of the new maps. In the three different cases being considered by the state’s highest court, one from the League of Women Voters of Ohio, another from the Ohio Organizing Collaborative and yet […]
Ohio parks and rec to get millions in federal grants
The National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund is granting more than $10 million for local parks and recreation areas. Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s office announced the grant funding, which is part of legislation passed in June 2020 to make investments to national parks and public lands infrastructure. The biggest of the 18 […]
Analysis: Child tax credit provides needed stability amid pandemic recovery
An analysis by an Ohio-based think tank says the expanded child tax credit has given life to families who were already struggling before the pandemic began, but sank further amid job losses and increased child care needs. The child tax credit was expanded temporarily in March as part of the federal American Rescue Plan, raising […]
‘Failed abortion’ laws already on the books, say opponents of new bill
Opponents of a new abortion-related piece of legislation and one legislator on the committee reviewing the bill questioned why the bill was needed considering the regulations are already a part of law. Senate Bill 157 received its third hearing in the Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee on Wednesday, where opponents and supporters of the […]
‘Backpack Bill’ sponsors seek way forward under new funding formula
The sponsors of a bill that would promote the use of private school vouchers and “school choice” came together on Wednesday with a religious lobby group to bring the bill back up. House Bill 290 was originally introduced in May as a “legislative intent” bill aiming to allow students to have the funding they need […]
Sex abuse survivors speak out for more education
Among more than a dozen advocates demanding better education in schools on sexual abuse, survivors told their stories, issuing an ultimatum to legislators to keep other children from being victimized. “Just as we teach addition and subtraction, we must teach children how to speak up for themselves,” said Alicia Zimov, a survivor, along with her […]
ECOT loses latest court challenge, must repay state
The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow has lost yet another court challenge, with the Ohio Supreme Court concluding they must repay the more than $60 million the state is owed from the now-defunct private online charter school. The state’s highest court upheld a decision by the Ohio State Board of Education that said ECOT had falsified […]
Abortion rates rise in Ohio despite efforts to ban it
Over the last year, state data shows that abortions have risen in Ohio despite several efforts to deepen regulations on the practice. The 2020 “induced abortions” report from the Ohio Department of Health shows terminated pregnancies increased by 3% from 2019 to 2020. Since 2000, however, there has been a steady decline in abortions, about […]
Congressional maps proposed as process heads back to commission
With the state legislature missing the Sept. 30 deadline to approve congressional maps, the state redistricting commission now has a month to propose, agree to and approve new district lines for Ohio’s U.S. representatives in Congress. The commission starts out with two proposals already submitted, one from Ohio Senate Democrats and one from the independent […]