casey weinstein
Bipartisan bill would legalize marijuana in Ohio
Ohioans 21 and older would be able to cultivate, purchase and possess marijuana if a bipartisan bill passes in the Ohio Statehouse. State Reps. Jamie Callender, R-Concord, and Casey Weinstein, D-Hudson, introduced House Bill 168 — also known as the Ohio Adult Use Act — earlier this month. The bill would also allow conviction records […]
Ohio Gov. DeWine ignores questions about gun safety amid state lawsuit against Columbus gun law
During a news conference Wednesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine repeatedly ignored questions about gun safety, which came on a day a 7-year-old was shot in the head in Cleveland, and as the state is suing Columbus over a safe gun storage law. The child was shot Wednesday morning and remains in critical condition at University […]
When asked about Holocaust deniers, Sen. Cirino said colleges “should be about accepting even views that are uncomfortable”
Ohio state Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, danced around a question about college professors interacting with a student with “a dissenting view” of the Holocaust Wednesday morning during the House Higher Education Committee Meeting. State Rep. Casey Weinstein, D-Hudson, asked Cirino, “If a student had a dissenting view about the Holocaust, which there is a very active […]
Ohio lawmakers send 60% supermajority amendment to the ballot
Wednesday, Ohio House lawmakers voted 62-37 to advance a resolution asking voters to raise the passage threshold for constitutional amendments. The vote caps off nearly six months of legislative wrangling largely meant to hobble an abortion rights amendment. Lawmakers are entering questionable legal territory, however, as they set the vote in August through the resolution […]
Ohio House approves rules package over the objection of right-wing GOP bloc
Usually a procedural afterthought, the Ohio House approved a new rules package Tuesday over the bitter objections of right-wing lawmakers. The provisions lay out the ground rules for the coming session. Republicans who backed Rep. Derek Merrin for speaker argue they were locked out of the process. Rejected rules included allowing guns on the floor, […]
Adult-use marijuana won’t pass Ohio legislature this year, but sponsors say it’s coming
In their first and likely only hearings of the session, two adult use marijuana measures came up Tuesday in a House committee. The proposals — one Republican and one Democratic — aren’t going anywhere this year. Sponsors remain optimistic about their chances in the next session, but even they acknowledge any change may have to […]
Ohio Democratic representatives file ‘joint’ bill to legalize recreational weed on 4/20
The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. April 20 — or World Weed Day — was the perfect […]
Ohio Democrats focusing HB 6 scandal attention on Gov. DeWine
In the year after the House Bill 6 scandal first broke in July 2020, much of the focus was on state Rep. Larry Householder. Householder has since been booted from the legislature and awaits trial. Attention is shifting further toward Gov. Mike DeWine as the investigation continues to develop. The governor has not been accused […]
DeWine reaffirms support for aides, despite their roles in scandal-tainted legislation
One staffer waited weeks — and until after an FBI raid — to inform Gov. Mike DeWine that FirstEnergy had paid Sam Randazzo a massive sum just weeks before DeWine nominated Randazzo to be Ohio’s top utility regulator. Another staffer, while still a FirstEnergy lobbyist, founded a dark-money group that would funnel tens of millions […]
Three more Ohio lawmakers test positive for COVID-19 in past week
A trio of state legislators have tested positive for COVID-19, each announced, bringing the total to more than a dozen so far in 2020. Democratic Reps. Michele Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown and Casey Weinstein of Hudson announced their positive tests on Tuesday. Republican Rep. Jon Cross of Kenton announced his last Friday. In a statement, Lepore-Hagan […]
DeWine again caught in middle of tug-of-war over COVID-19 response
Ohio has reached another crossroads in the battle against COVID-19. Gov. Mike DeWine is once again caught in the middle as the state repeatedly sets new records for virus cases and hospitalizations. After months of a decentralized approach and emphasis on personal responsibility, DeWine now says Ohio faces “a monumental crisis.” As much as the […]
Demilitarize the police? Two Ohio lawmakers have this goal in mind
State Rep. Casey Weinstein recalls driving to work during the recent protests and being shocked at what he saw. “When I would get down to Columbus, I saw these armored personnel carriers stationed downtown,” the Hudson Democrat said. “It just felt like I was entering a warzone. It felt escalatory. It felt worrying. “Where are […]