Politics & Gov
Obama stimulus watchdog: ‘Bad guys’ will make play for COVID-19 relief cash
WASHINGTON — Earl Devaney is feeling déjà vu. Devaney, a former longtime federal watchdog, was hired in 2009 to police the distribution of $840 billion in federal stimulus spending for the Obama administration. He had previously worked for the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. EPA’s environmental enforcement division and as the Interior Department’s inspector general. Now happily […]
Ohio Primary FAQ: Everything you need to know to cast your ballot
Note: This story includes the best available information drawn from the newly-passed legislation, the Ohio Secretary of State’s website and contact with county boards of election offices. We will update and add to this Q&A as necessary. If you have further questions, reach out to the Ohio Capital Journal on Twitter/Facebook or email the reporter […]
Pandemic spurs U.S. Senate to pass historic aid package
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate late Wednesday night approved a $2 trillion spending bill that aims to provide economic relief for workers and businesses and to aid hospitals and states reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. The chamber voted 96-0 to pass the bill in an unusual display of bipartisanship. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who tested […]
EdChoice frozen in Ohio omnibus coronavirus bill
The fight over private school vouchers is yet again on hold, this time to clear the way for the state’s coronavirus response. As part of the omnibus bill approved by the Senate on Wednesday morning and the House that afternoon, the expansion of the EdChoice scholarship program will be frozen while the coronavirus causes the […]
Ohio legislature addresses economy, health care workforce, and taxes in coronavirus bill
In the hundreds of pages of the Ohio legislature’s omnibus bill to address coronavirus, state representatives and senators attempted to address many of the state’s concerns, from the economy to the health care sector. The bill was passed by both houses on Wednesday, on its way to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk for signature. With an […]
Visitors flock to national parks after Trump waives fees. Is that safe?
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is urging Americans to head to national parks as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread. Many people are heading outdoors to seek a reprieve from being cooped up at home. But in Ohio and elsewhere, some fear that the sudden influx of visitors to national parks could put those parks […]
Ohio primary election voting officially extended through April 28
Voting for the Ohio Primary Election has been extended through April 28 and will be conducted through mailed-in absentee ballots. On Wednesday, the Ohio legislature approved a process that will extend voting following a postponement of the March 17 primary due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was approved as part of a larger bill addressing […]
Legislators get to work figuring out how Ohio’s primary election will proceed
The Republican answer to Ohio’s primary election confusion lays the foot down from the opening sentence. “Secretary of State Directive 2020-06, issued on March 16, 2020, is void.” The election was postponed due to COVID-19, and the power to set voting dates rests with the Ohio General Assembly. In the absence of any initial legislative […]
State, abortion clinic lawyers now clashing over health order specifics
State leaders declined to comment Tuesday on orders the Ohio Attorney General’s Office made to halt surgical abortions as part of a coronavirus-related health order. In an order signed March 17 by Ohio Department of Health director Dr. Amy Acton, non-essential and elective surgeries were halted in order to conserve personal protective equipment, or PPEs. […]
Ohioans get vastly different COVID-19 messages from Ohio leaders, Trump
One offered sympathy, the other sarcasm. Gov. Mike DeWine was sober and pensive as he addressed Ohioans about the state’s first COVID-19 death, a Toledo man who happened to be an old friend of his. The governor quoted scripture at length and offered condolences to the deceased’s family. At his presidential lectern a day later, […]
New federal sick leave law – who’s eligible, who’s not and how many weeks do you get
On March 18, President Donald Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act into law. The legislation is an emergency intervention to provide paid leave and other support to millions of workers sidelined by school closures, quarantines and caregiving. An obvious question you’re probably wondering is, “How will it affect me?” The bad news is […]
Bills to prevent utility shutoffs, evictions and foreclosures introduced in Ohio House
Two separate bills have been introduced in the Ohio House to address economic hardships stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, including one to prevent evictions and foreclosures and the other to prevent utility shutoffs. On Sunday, state Reps. David Leland, D-Columbus, and Jeffrey Crossman, D-Parma, introduced a bipartisan bill to put a stop to evictions and […]