dick stein

Senate sends homebrew legislation to governor

BY: - December 16, 2021

Elmer Steingass’ friends call him Goose, and his brown ale took home a gold medal at a recent homebrewing competition. It’s going to be tough to get a taste, though. That’s because homebrewing falls into a bit of a grey area under Ohio law. A measure on its way to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk would […]

Local control, or killing renewables? Bill sparks debate

BY: - March 25, 2021

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 […]

19 lawmakers declared victory over COVID-19 in June. Now it’s spreading in their districts.

BY: - October 27, 2020

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 

BY: - July 21, 2020

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 […]

Ohio House passes bill to limit Dr. Acton’s power to issue health orders

BY: - May 6, 2020

A small group of Ohio legislators may be given the chance to put the state’s COVID-19 health orders to a vote. The Ohio House of Representatives has approved a bill that would give that group authority to approve or reject certain orders from Dr. Amy Acton, the director of the Ohio Department of Health. The […]

Many Ohio lawmakers use campaign $$ to subscribe to hometown papers

BY: - February 7, 2020

Dozens of Ohio legislators are choosing to spend their donors’ money in the interest of local journalism. In total, 35 state representatives and senators paid for news subscriptions using campaign funds in 2019, a review from the Ohio Capital Journal has found.  And though the president bemoans the alleged problem of “fake news,” it is […]