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Bill to put photo IDs on food stamp cards returned to Ohio Senate committee
The Ohio Senate will reconsider a bill regarding photo identification on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program after sending it back to committee Tuesday in the last Senate session of the calendar year. Senate Bill 165 was re-referred back to the Rules and Reference Committee with no other explanation and no objection from Senate members. The […]
Bipartisan Ohio bills seek to square state and federal mental health laws
The issue of mental health is getting attention in the Ohio Statehouse, with one law passed and some others introduced to help match state laws to federal laws. Still another seeks to create more room in state psychiatric hospitals for those who need it. In a matter of a few days at the beginning of […]
Dem legislators criticize State Report Card Study Committee final report
Three Ohio legislators say more needs to be done to address assessment of the state educational system, including an overhaul of school and district report cards. State Rep. Lisa Sobecki, D-Toledo, state Sen. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo, and state Rep. Phil Robinson, D-Solon, all spoke out against the speed and result of a task force that […]
Bill to increase hospital billing transparency presented to Ohio House committee
A bill seeking to create more transparency in hospital billing was recently brought to an Ohio House Committee for review. State Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, presented Senate Bill 97 to a recent meeting of the House Committee on Health. He said the bill would require hospitals to give estimates to patients at least seven […]
Bill looks to give employers ‘affirmative defense’ in sex harassment cases
A bill that would provide an “affirmative defense” for employers in sexual harassment cases is continuing through the Ohio Legislature. House Bill 352, also called the “Employment Law Uniformity Act,” has been touted by its sponsors as a new way to allow “timely, fair, and efficient resolution of claims for both employers and employees,” according […]
Gun advocates argue for removal of ‘duty to retreat’ in Ohio
A third hearing on a bill to remove the duty to retreat from a self-defense law was eventful and testy at times on Wednesday in its state Senate committee. Senate Bill 237 would expand the current law, often called the Castle Doctrine, which gives Ohio residents legal standing to use force to defend their home […]
Pharmacy board shows support for addiction treatment Ohio House bill
The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy on Tuesday spoke in support of a bill that would expand the types of facilities that could provide drug addiction treatment, including help with opioid dependence. The Ohio House’s Committee on Health held the fourth hearing on House Bill 341, which also has the support of the Ohio […]
Bill on rape statutes addresses marital rape loophole
With bipartisan support on the issue of removing the statute of limitations for rape and sexual assault in Ohio, legislators are hoping a bill recently introduced in the state Senate would also remove a loophole involving marital rights. Senate Bill 162 seeks to remove the statute of limitations for rape and sexual assault, which currently […]
Tax credit for donors to anti-abortion pregnancy centers moves toward full Ohio House vote
A bill giving a tax credit to donors for pregnancy centers who promote carrying a pregnancy to term was approved in the state House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, moving it toward a full House vote. Supporters and critics of House Bill 297 made their cases in the fourth committee hearing on the bill, […]
Bill regulating nurse overtime awaits Ohio House vote
UPDATE 12/11/19 3:16 p.m.: The House approved House Bill 144 on Wednesday with a vote of 80-13. A bill seeking to regulate overtime requirements for nurses is making its way through the legislature, with support from the Ohio Nurses Association and opposition from the Ohio Hospital Association and state Chamber of Commerce. House Bill 144 […]
New Ohio bill seeks to meld with federal mental health requirements
A new bill with bipartisan support seeks to line up mental health laws in Ohio with federal law, according to the sponsors of the bill. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was introduced Monday by State Rep. Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington and Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Dayton, according to a press release. The law […]
Supreme Court denies review of Kentucky ultrasound law
The United States Supreme Court declined to review a decision allowing Kentucky to require doctors performing abortions to conduct ultrasounds and describe the procedure’s findings to women. While the law allows women to decline to look at the ultrasound screen and request for the volume be turned down on the machine, it requires the ultrasounds […]