bill reineke
Proposed education overhauls see Ohio House action
Both bills seeking to overhaul the Ohio Department of Education were heard in Ohio House committees this week, with opponents torching a House version and sponsors bringing forth the Senate’s measure. Following its party-line passage in the Senate, Sen. Bill Reineke’s Senate Bill 1 entered the Ohio House Committee on Economic & Workforce Development for […]
Will Norfolk Southern’s political spending help shield it from consequences?
Officials are all singing from the same hymnal. Republican and Democrat; state, local and federal; all agree Norfolk Southern will be, must be, held accountable for the train accident in East Palestine. Wednesday, U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance, R-OH and Sherrod Brown, D-OH, put pen to paper, introducing legislation for rail safety. But the company has […]
Newly elected state school board member calls GOP plan to gut powers ‘Tornado from hell’
Former state Sen. Teresa Fedor got out of the Statehouse before the last vestiges of democratic governance were flattened by a power-hungry party on steroids. She knew a cyclone of destructive GOP legislation, super-charged by an unstoppable Republican juggernaut in the General Assembly, would be devastating. It is already bearing down fast on voting rights, […]
Delaware County Commission working on local solar, wind restrictions
This week the Delaware County Commission got the ball rolling on local provisions for regulating commercial solar and wind facilities. That authority stems from Senate Bill 52, which took effect Monday. The measure gives county commissions the opportunity to insert themselves in the state regulatory process by barring development of solar and wind projects on […]
Local control, or killing renewables? Bill sparks debate
A bill that would allow neighbors to block wind turbines and solar arrays in the rural corners of Ohio is sparking an intense debate over land owners’ rights and local control. Two bills are making their way through the legislature that would allow small groups of citizens to block solar and wind farms after they’re […]
Meet the freshmen lawmakers of the 134th Ohio General Assembly
Monday marked the beginning of the 134th Ohio General Assembly, the two-year legislative term that will run through the end of 2022. With each term comes a slate of new faces representing every corner of the state. Here is a quick introduction to the freshman class of the 134th Ohio General Assembly: Ohio House of […]
House Republicans introduce bill targeting Ohio biz mask inspections
Ohio Republicans have introduced another bill to restrict enforcement of the mask mandate in businesses. State Reps. Bill Reineke of Tiffin and George Lang of West Chester introduced House Bill 799 to rescind one part of a recent state health order requiring heightened enforcement of mask wearing in businesses. Ohioans are required to wear masks […]
19 lawmakers declared victory over COVID-19 in June. Now it’s spreading in their districts.
Back in June, 19 state legislators joined together to claim that “Ohio smashed the curve long ago. Mission accomplished!” Months later, as Ohio continues to set new records for COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, one of those legislators admits the pandemic has proved to be an “evolving situation.” Another is doubling down on the letter’s message […]
FirstEnergy money flowed to Ohio politicians who supported Householder-backed HB6
FirstEnergy Solutions said it needed a government bailout to continue operating. It still had hundreds of thousands of dollars available to donate to Ohio politicians. The Akron-based energy company spent years working toward what would become House Bill 6 — passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature and signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in the summer […]
It’s finally Primary Election Day in Ohio. Here’s what to keep an eye on.
At long last, it is finally Primary Election Day in Ohio. Here are a few things to know today: There is still time to vote If you haven’t yet cast a ballot, you still have an opportunity to do so today. Monday was the postmark deadline to mail in absentee ballots, but if you didn’t […]