Politics & Gov
LaRose: Voter registration change should come from Statehouse, not ballot amendment
It’s been a busy week for Frank LaRose. The Ohio Secretary of State is overseeing the early voting season ahead of next month’s primary election. He recently welcomed more than 200 new citizens at a naturalization ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse. On Tuesday, he testified in favor of a Senate bill that would streamline Ohio’s […]
Critics slam Trump attempt to overhaul bedrock environmental law
WASHINGTON — Concerned citizens and environmental activists from around the country traveled to the nation’s capital on Tuesday to blast the Trump administration’s plans to overhaul one of the nation’s bedrock environmental policy laws at a rare public hearing with administration officials. President Donald Trump last month unveiled a massive rewrite of the regulations associated […]
Black history, childhood trauma, coronavirus, and scamming seniors
Each day in our newsletter, we are highlighting stories and commentary from other media big and small throughout Ohio and the nation. If you’d like to get this feature directly to your inbox, please sign up for our newsletter here. Catching Our Eye: History Thursday. As we come to the end of Black History Month, the Ohio […]
Proposed county inspector general system would root out corruption in local government
Lawmakers are considering a plan to establish a county inspector general system in Ohio, with the hopes of rooting out corruption, theft and other administrative problems in local governments. Ohio currently has a state inspector general’s office, which conducts investigations of state entities. House Bill 311, sponsored by Rep. Dave Greenspan, R-Westlake, would allow for […]
U.S. House votes on landmark bill to make lynching a federal hate crime
WASHINGTON — Lynching is not considered a hate crime under federal law, but that’s expected to change soon. The U.S. House voted 410-4 on Wednesday to approve a bill called the Emmett Till Antilynching Act. The bill would specifically list lynching as a hate crime, which is identified as a crime that targets people based on their race […]
U.S. Senate rejects two anti-abortion bills
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell doesn’t allow many bills to get floor votes these days, but he made an exception Tuesday for two bills intended to curb abortion access. Two GOP-led anti-abortion bills failed on procedural votes Tuesday as expected. The politically charged bills have both failed during previous Senate floor votes and […]
Wrongful convictions, Lake Erie erosion, and unpaid state loans
Each day in our newsletter, we are highlighting stories and commentary from other media big and small throughout Ohio and the nation. If you’d like to get this feature directly to your inbox, please sign up for our newsletter here. Catching Our Eye: Unjust justice. Columbus Dispatch’s Randy Ludlow is reporting, “Can Ohio end wrongful convictions that sent 83 […]
Before presidential bid, Bloomberg threw cash at unlikely Ohio candidates
The last-minute boost to Jamie O’Leary’s campaign could not have come at a better time. Locked in a five-way race for an Ohio State Board of Education seat, O’Leary’s main opponent had already received the support and financial backing of two major teachers unions. Then came $12,500 on Nov. 1, 2016 from a resident of […]
EdChoice debate: Opponents of district-funded vouchers say formula is the problem, not schools
An Ohio legislative committee adjourned without making a decision on changes to the state’s private school voucher program, but not before hearing about 50 hours of testimony over the course of a week. The testimony came from schools districts and students from all reaches of the state, and included pleas to keep the EdChoice program […]
EdChoice debate: Private schools a beneficial option, students and administrators say
Students and parents from Ohio’s private schools stayed up past their bedtimes in some cases to put their two cents in about the state private school voucher program’s fate. At conference committee hearings to decide on one particular proposal for EdChoice, private school advocates argued the workforce waiting for their students and the competitive nature […]
Supreme court reviews challenge to drinking-and-guns ban: ‘How’s he… protecting anybody?’
A drunk person, in the sanctity of his home, has every right to lawfully use a firearm, Stephen Palmer argued before the Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday. Palmer is representing Frederick Weber, a Clermont County man who was convicted under an Ohio law that prohibits intoxicated people from carrying or using a firearm. Weber, 50, […]
Gender disparity evident in Ohio’s county governments
There are more county sheriffs in Ohio named Scott than there are sheriffs that are women. There are also as many Johns serving as county engineer as are women. Across Ohio’s 88 counties, there is a striking disparity between the number of men and women serving in elected office. In sum, women make up […]