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Ohio lawmakers hire lawyers who defended ‘largest racial gerrymanders ever encountered’
Defending themselves against accusations of gerrymandering, the Ohio House speaker and Senate president hired a team of lawyers with a history defending North Carolina against what a federal court called one of the “largest racial gerrymanders ever encountered.” A spate of special interest and voter advocacy groups have filed four lawsuits alleging that Ohio officials produced […]
As Ohio House’s war on vaccine mandates fades, Speaker reticent on what’s next
Despite a political dead cat bounce late last week, the Ohio House’s war on vaccine mandates ended in stalemate, if not a humble retreat. After eight hearings on two versions of legislation to ban vaccine mandates, the requisite support failed to materialize and Ohio House Speaker Bob Cupp, R-Ohio, said Wednesday it’s time to move […]
Ohio House Speaker leans into ‘medical freedom’
The Republican Speaker of the Ohio House, under mounting pressure from the nascent anti-vaccination movement within the GOP, said his caucus is soon to unveil consensus legislation to ban vaccine mandates. Speaker Bob Cupp, R-Lima, said to reporters Wednesday that House leadership is in the “final stages” of putting together a bill to erect legal […]
House leader ducks questions about indicted Republican keeping seat
Five men were charged. Four cases remain open. Three plea deals have been signed. Two alleged conspirators might cooperate with federal prosecutors. But only one man, Rep. Larry Householder, R-Glenford, continues to shape state law and draw a taxpayer funded salary of roughly $62,000, even under shadow of a racketeering indictment described by prosecutors as […]
Senate Bill would nix overtime pay for emails from home, ‘insignificant’ clocked time
An Ohio Senate committee is reviewing legislation that would shield employers from overtime pay requirements for hourly employees in certain situations. The legislation, introduced by Republican Senators Andrew Brenner and Bob Peterson, would repeal overtime requirements for hours employees spend: Current law requires employers to pay 1.5 times an employee’s wage for hours worked more […]
Ohio House GOP again seeks to weaken prevailing wage law
Twelve House Republicans reignited efforts to rollback Ohio’s prevailing wage law, which requires governments to pay union-scale wages on most construction projects. The lead sponsors, GOP Reps. Craig Riedel and Susan Manchester, presented legislation to a House committee Wednesday that would allow various government entities to opt out from the requirements of Ohio’s prevailing wage […]
Ohio House Speaker defends naming anti-vaccine rep as Health Chairman
The Speaker of the Ohio House on Wednesday defended his decision to re-appoint a representative with outspoken anti-vaccine views to the helm of the House Health Committee. Rep. Scott Lipps, R-Franklin, has pushed legislation to weaken Ohio’s vaccine laws; called in to video conferences hosted by anti-vaccine groups; made public statements about the need to […]