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Ohio Redistricting Commission members are up for reelection. What were their roles?
Ohio’s ongoing redistricting battles have impacted the November election by changing districts and creating the need for two primaries. The congressional redistricting map decision by the Ohio Supreme Court, which deemed the map unconstitutional and unduly partisan, is being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court by Republican legislative leaders Senate President Matt Huffman and House […]
Ohio legislative committee passes rule defining fetal heartbeat
An Ohio legislative committee passed a rule on methods of identifying a fetal heartbeat that matched language in a previously passed abortion law, despite the fact that the law can’t currently be enforced. The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review passed an administration rule from the Ohio Department of Health entitled “appropriate methods for determining […]
Election-denying Secretary of State candidate asks state supreme court to allow ‘election observers’
An Ohio Secretary of State candidate who denied the validity of the 2020 election has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to compel the use of election observers in the November election. Terpsehore Maras, a podcaster who has also espoused QAnon conspiracy theories, filed a lawsuit against incumbent Secretary of State Frank LaRose, hoping to compel […]
New poll finds Roe v. Wade, same-sex marriage at top of voters minds going into November election
A new poll from Baldwin Wallace University shows a largely favorable opinion of Gov. Mike DeWine, U.S. Senate candidate Tim Ryan and former President Donald Trump among Ohio voters. Found to be unfavorable by likely Ohio voters is a lack of gun control in the state and a lack of action on climate change. “On […]
Abortion ban blocked indefinitely by Hamilton County judge
A Hamilton County judge once again blocked the six-week abortion law from taking effect in Ohio, and affirmed abortion clinics’ arguments that abortion is health care in a Friday ruling. “Abortion is safe health care to which Ohioans have a right,” Judge Christian Jenkins said. The judge blocked the Senate Bill 23 indefinitely as the […]
Abortion ban could impact LGBTQ+ community
Potential abortion bans in the nation and in Ohio have been criticized by various groups, from doctors, to religious leaders and legal officials. The impact of bans on reproductive health procedures is also being felt within the LGBTQ community. “It just sucks all around,” said Kathryn Poe, a public policy and digital communications manager with […]
LaRose announces election ‘public integrity division’
The state’s elections chief is pulling together a new method that he hopes will bolster trust in November’s general election, and others in the future. State Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office announced the “public integrity division,” which it says “consolidates many of the office’s current investigative functions, including campaign finance reporting, voting system certification, […]
Ohio legislators pledge anti-abortion measures at March for Life
Standing united, a group of Republican legislators attended the anti-abortion March for Life on Wednesday at the Ohio Statehouse. State Rep. Jena Powell, R-Arcanum, was the only one to speak at the event, but she made it clear that Republicans in the General Assembly plan to press forward with measures to completely ban abortion. “This […]
Critical local government funding in Ohio should be restored, municipal league says
Restoring local government funds for Ohio cities and villages should be a major priority in the newest state operating budget, according to policy experts and those who represent cities and counties. The Ohio Municipal League laid out their goals as the state operating budget discussion approaches, setting the LGF, which is used for the most […]
Ohio abortion report shows slight increase in 2021, before Roe went down
The Ohio Department of Health’s latest annual count of abortions conducted in the state showed a slight increase in 2021, the year before Roe v. Wade was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court this summer. The data showed that 60% of abortions happening in the state were in pregnancies of less than nine weeks. […]
Governor’s initiatives to ‘support parents’ headed for budget cycle next year
Gov. Mike DeWine’s office has released a set of initiatives it says will work to improve child outcomes throughout the state, if passed in the next state budget. The “Bold Beginning” initiatives are broken down into “health care,” “family stability,” and “leading the way” categories, with a focus on health coverage for mothers and infants. […]
Analysis: Some workers still don’t have paid sick time post-pandemic
A study by the Economic Policy Institute showed disparities are still prevalent in paid leave, specifically sick time, in America. Ohio is seeing similar struggles, and policy experts still hope to see federal pandemic stimulus money go toward needed paid leave. The EPI report used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify […]