economic recovery task force
Ohioans share their confidence, concerns about returning to work
A government worker who fears for their health. An employee who is afraid to return to working in a crowded Amazon warehouse. A store clerk who is very complimentary of his boss’s safety precautions, but nevertheless worries about the virus infecting his small shop. These are among the voices left unheard by state officials who […]
Recovery task force speakers downplay COVID-19, present conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theories, general downplaying of the seriousness of COVID-19, and allegations the governor shuttered the state economy with bad intent. The Republican chairman of the Economic Recovery Task Force allowed all of this during Monday’s meeting. But there was one thing State Rep. Paul Zeltwanger, R-Mason, would not stand for — any effort to push […]
Week 1 of Economy Recovery Task Force: a parade of white, male, GOP donors
Jason Duff is a small business developer in Bellefontaine. David Waikem works for a family-owned car dealership in Massillon. Bob Hager is the president of a workers uniform supplier in Wapakoneta. These Ohioans have several things in common: all three have donated to Ohio Republican candidates, and all three were recently invited to speak directly […]
Rep. Galonski: I’m too busy to prosecute Trump at The Hague
As it turns out, threatening international prosecution against the president is a lot easier said than done. State Rep. Tavia Galonski, D-Akron, appears to be backing off her plan to refer President Trump to The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity. Nearly two weeks after her initial call for action, she has announced no further […]
After 700,000 Ohioans file for unemployment, GOP lawmakers fear whether they’ll get off it
A group of Ohio lawmakers heard one breathtaking statistic after another: of restaurants closing for good, of hotels having record low occupancy, of a logjam of Ohioans being forced to seek out unemployment benefits after having lost their jobs. Hearing all that, several Republican members of the Ohio House Economic Recovery Task Force focused their […]
Some lawmakers itching to reopen economy as COVID-19 cases keep climbing
It was only minutes after state legislators ended their Zoom conference meeting, with many urging a swift reopening of the economy, that the Ohio Department of Health announced a new slate of virus deaths and illnesses. Fifteen more Ohioans had died in the prior 24 hours. An additional 363 people were confirmed to have the […]