Commentary
Ohio and Michigan are moving apart in politics – differences in ballot access may explain why
By David Jackson, Bowling Green State University and Dominic D. Wells, Bowling Green State University It may seem that the midterm elections are firmly behind us. Pollsters are already measuring likely outcomes in 2024 presidential matchups. And announced candidates and possible contenders for the Republican presidential nomination are taking trips to Iowa, the party’s first […]
In proposed higher education law, Ohio Republicans have gone ‘woke’
As a member of the faculty senate of Bowling Green State University I want to express my appreciation to the sponsors of Ohio Senate Bill 83. This bill will fulfill the lifelong dreams of our now aging boomer radicals by kicking ROTC off our campus and bashing down the barriers to trans participation in all […]
The political strategy against Ohio abortion rights: Manufacture hysteria and stack the deck
The political strategy to try to defeat Ohio’s proposed abortion rights amendment is wildly obvious: Manufacture hysteria over a slippery slope legal fallacy about parents rights, and use all levers of power at every level to stack the deck against Ohio voters and in favor of right-wing extremists. The first tool in stacking the deck against […]
High swipe fees are a clear example of a rigged system in favor of big banks
As a small business owner in Ohio, I am deeply concerned about the rising cost of swipe fees and the impact on my business and our economy as a whole. These fees, which are charged every time a customer uses a credit or debit card to make a purchase, have more than doubled since 2010, […]
LaRose bends to election denying extremists again by pulling Ohio out of database integrity program
Watch what the “election integrity” scammers do, not what they say. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose says a lot these days about voter fraud because he’s posturing for a U.S. Senate run. LaRose, like every other MAGA-snowing Republican, knows the GOP base believes the myth of massive voting fraud so he talks as though […]
Should hybrid cars pay for roads?
The Ohio House of Representatives recently passed a two-year, $12.6 billion transportation budget. The budget included a number of different provisions, including billions of dollars for pavement and bridges, dollars allocated specifically for economic development projects, and $3 billion for Cincinnati’s Brent Spence Bridge. One small provision of the bill, however, makes a tweak to […]
The unconscionable push to bring back child labor
Brad Greve has been a Scout leader for more than 20 years. The Davenport, Iowa retiree leads 50-mile canoe trips on Minnesota’s Boundary Waters that test teens’ mettle while teaching them essential skills. Greve told a story recently where two boys, despite being warned repeatedly, let their canoe drift perilously close to a section of stream that […]
How favoritism has now infected our state’s last branch of government, the Ohio Supreme Court
Ohioans concerned about corruption in Ohio’s legislature and executive offices won’t find much comfort looking to the Ohio Supreme Court, which has now also been infected by favoritism for DeWine family friends and anti-abortion special interests. At the end of last year, Ohio Republican Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor was forced to retire due […]
Ohio energy policy: Incoherent, asymmetrical, and special interest driven
The lack of coherent state energy policy and asymmetrical alignment of risks and rewards left a vacuum that made Ohio fertile ground for the HB6 bailout and bribery scandal. The national debate over energy policy in recent years has revolved around two quite different, although not irreconcilable policy objectives: transitioning the energy sector into a […]
PUCO: A case study in regulatory passivity and failure in the face of crisis
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has had to deal with two very consequential crises within the scope of its jurisdiction, the House Bill 6 Scandal in electricity, and the Norfolk Southern derailments, particularly the one in East Palestine in transportation. In both cases, the commission posture has been one of passivity and minimal intervention. […]
Analysis: Where are Ohio’s guardrails against corruption?
This is the first of three analysis pieces from former PUCO Commissioner Ashley C. Brown analyzing the failures and deficiencies in Ohio’s utility regulation and anti-corruption guardrails. Perhaps the most notable — but least commented on — aspect of the House Bill 6 bribery scandal is the almost complete absence of any meaningful state guardrails […]
Ohio Republican gun law proposal is unconstitutional, performative, and needlessly dangerous
Ohio leaders have bent over backward to give powerful gun lobbyists everything they wanted and more. The National Rifle Association owns our Statehouse lock, stock, and barrel. Republican lawmakers can’t introduce and pass enough pro-gun, industry-written legislation to legalize unlimited gun access in Ohio and allow unrestricted freedom to strap on a Glock anytime, anywhere […]