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EdChoice private school voucher expansion reappears in lame duck
A new bill to expand the state’s private school voucher program has been filed in the twilight of the 134th General Assembly. Senate Bill 368, brought by state Sen. Sandra O’Brien, R-Ashtabula, would put an end to the Pilot Project Scholarship Program starting July 1, 2023, expand EdChoice eligibility to all by eliminating income requirements, […]
Third-grade retention, one yearly test removed under proposed Ohio education bill
A new bill supported by education groups across the state would mark the end of the third-grade reading retention requirements, but wouldn’t eliminate all the proficiency tests students during the year. House Bill 497 would eliminate the Third Grade Reading Guarantee that would have held back students who didn’t show proper proficiency in reading. But […]
Criticism of Ohio’s state board of education continues as overhaul is considered
Ohio’s State Board of Education was called dysfunctional and inefficient as lawmakers considered a bill to overhaul it and the entire state department of education, but others also said the bill shouldn’t be rushed. In the two days of testimony this week for a GOP-proposed bill to gut the roles of the board of ed […]
Minimum wage increase brought to Ohio House committee
A new push for a $15 minimum wage was introduced in the Ohio House, attempting to speed up the progress of a constitutional amendment passed nearly two decades ago. Democratic state Reps. Dontavius Jarrells and Brigid Kelly said their new bill not only addresses criticisms of quick implementation of a minimum wage increase, but also […]
Dems bring back public health resolution to address racism
An Ohio Senate resolution to declare racism a public health crisis is back on the table. Democratic state Sen. Hearcel Craig of Columbus introduced the legislation on Wednesday, matching an measure he pushed in the last General Assembly. “This problem requires attention from every level of government,” Craig told the Senate Health Committee. “In Ohio, […]
Anti-LGBTQ discrimination bill with bipartisan support introduced again in Ohio House committee
State Rep. Michael Skindell, D-Lakewood, set off Tuesday on his 20th year leading the charge to provide anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ Ohioans. With the introduction of HB 208 in the Ohio House Commerce & Labor Committee, Skindell and his Republican co-sponsor, state Rep. Brett Hillyer, said they have more bipartisan support than they’ve ever had […]
Ohio House committee continues debate on nixing August special elections
A proposal to remove August primary elections in Ohio is supported by a prominent conservative group and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, with both pointing to low voter turnout and high costs. House Bill 458, which passed the Ohio House in 2021, seeks to get rid of August special elections except when a school […]
Report: Multiple options to bring child tax credit benefits to Ohioans
In a new analysis, an Ohio think tank urges more investment in child tax credits, and sees at least two ways to do so and increase economic security for thousands of families across the state. Advocates have consistently pushed to return to the pandemic-era federal child tax credit, and in a new report, Policy Matters […]
Legislative effort to support pregnancy doulas has bipartisan support
Maternal and infant health advocates and certified doulas alike expressed their support Monday for a bill currently awaiting consideration by the Ohio Senate to bring doula services into the state’s Medicaid program. Participants in a meeting of the Ohio Legislative Children’s Caucus met with organizations employing and promoting the use of doulas as part of […]
Severe pregnancy complications are affecting Black women in Ohio the most
Urban centers are seeing the highest rates of pregnancy complications for Ohio women, followed by Appalachia, with Black women being impacted the most, a new report says, pointing to systemic racism, a lack of health care access, and poor community conditions. Not only are there disparities in general maternal health, but also in maternal morbidity: […]
Will teacher shortages become another chronic problem facing education?
Education advocates, and even those teaching the next generation of educators, are concerned that a teacher shortage may become a chronic problem, even as pandemic-related interruptions fade away. When the General Assembly came back into session after the November election, the biggest effort brought into the lame duck session was a bill that would overhaul […]
Ohio Democratic lawmakers push bill to reestablish local control on gun violence protection
Ohio Democratic lawmakers are pushing to reestablish local control over gun regulation as well as repeal so-called ‘stand your ground’ in Ohio, though neither bill is likely to become law considering Republican supermajorities. The two new Democrat-led bills hope to address gun violence happening in urban centers. With Republican supermajorities in the legislature, and bigger […]