Jean Schmidt
Measure adding a judge to the Adams County bench advances from Ohio House committee
An Ohio House committee advanced a proposal adding a judge in Adams County on Tuesday. The measure now awaits a hearing on the House floor. The sponsors contend Adams County needs a judge immediately to address court delays. In a press release, Reps. Justin Pizzulli, R-Scioto County, and Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, emphasized how their proposal […]
Ohio lawmakers propose rapid fire timeline to add an Adams County judge
The effort to add a second judge in Adams County relies on a dramatically compressed timeline. Sponsors propose an emergency clause so the measure would take effect immediately. What’s more, the proposal lays out just three days for candidates to file, boards to certify and potential opponents to file protests. From the outside looking in, […]
Ohio House committee tweaks Adams County judge bill after pushback
Ohio House lawmakers are working on a plan to give Adams County an additional judge — it’s one of just five counties in the state with a single common pleas judge. According to the plan’s sponsors, Reps. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, and Justin Pizzulli, R-Scioto County, local leaders are on board. But as The People’s Defender […]
Ohio House codifies TikTok ban, bail provisions first offered by Senate
While Ohio House lawmakers decided to press pause on the most contentious proposal up for a floor vote — a bill that would force outing of LGBTQ+ K-12 students — they signed off Wednesday on a proposal codifying court rules for setting bail and another banning TikTok from government devises. In both cases, lawmakers stepped in […]
Ohio lawmakers propose ban on TikTok, other apps with Chinese ownership
Some Ohio lawmakers want to prohibit state employees from using apps like TikTok on their state-issued devices. The proposal echoes legislation already advanced in numerous states. According to an analysis from the website Government Technology, 30 states have so far moved to place some kind of ban on the app for state-owned devices. At the […]
Backers voice support for bill keeping Ohio cops from enforcing federal gun laws
A new bill in the Ohio House would strike out all references to federal firearm policy from state law in an attempt to render state and local law enforcement in Ohio no longer responsible for enforcing federal gun laws. This furthers a trend in recent years where, for instance, lack of movement on federal immigration […]
Ohio budget primer: Here’s Gov. DeWine’s spending plan for the next two years
Last week, Ohioans got their first look at the governor’s budget proposal. Lawmakers got their first chance to ask questions about his plans. Gov. Mike DeWine outlined the broad strokes of his spending plan in his state of the state address, late last month. He put heavy emphasis on supporting families through tax incentives, education […]
10-year-old rape victim apparently not among Ohio Gov. DeWine’s ‘most vulnerable’ needing protection
Gov. Mike DeWine spends a lot of time jawing about his concern for protecting the “most vulnerable” Ohioans whenever he signs a draconian law attacking the bodily autonomy of others. But as we learned according to reporting from the Indianapolis Star this week, a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim was forced to travel to Indiana for […]
Ohio bill increasing access to breast cancer screenings for all ages to become law
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. Ohio is set to make breast cancer care much more accessible […]
Newest ‘divisive concepts’ bill enters Ohio House
The newest bill to regulate school curriculums and keep out what legislators see as “divisive concepts” entered the Ohio House on Tuesday. State Reps. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, and Mike Loychik, R-Bazetta, brought House Bill 616 to the State and Local Committee, which prohibits all Ohio schools from “teaching or providing training that promotes or endorses […]
Ohio bill would ban abortion without rape exemption
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. A proposed law would completely criminalize abortion without exemptions for rape […]
Legalizing bigotry with “Don’t Say Gay” bill will chase businesses away from Ohio
Question: How could you blow a $20 billion investment in Ohio? Answer: Chase away business with legislation to legitimize bigotry. A cynical attempt by Ohio House Republicans to further stigmatize and marginalize LGBTQ people in Ohio with a Florida-style “Don’t Say Gay” bill could give Intel pause about breaking ground on the state’s largest private […]