jena powell
After backlash, GOP leader says ‘genital inspections’ won’t be part of anti-trans athlete bill
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. After widespread outrage, the Ohio Senate GOP is killing the “genital […]
Docs using ‘own specimen’ on fertility patients not illegal in Ohio, but could be soon
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. Fertility treatments can costs tens of thousands of dollars for parents […]
Near total abortion ban proposed in Ohio mimics Texas law but goes further
A new abortion ban bill created in conjunction with a Virginia-based anti-abortion group has been introduced in Ohio that mimics a Texas law currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, but goes further by proposing to ban nearly all abortions. State Rep. Jena Powell, R-Arcanum, introduced House Bill 480 on Tuesday, which allows civil lawsuits against […]
Ohio House approves transgender sports ban for women’s athletics
Ohio lawmakers approved a bill Thursday to allow college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness, with Republicans adding an unrelated provision to ban transgender girls from competing in women’s high school and college sports. The last-minute addition of a provision dealing with the transgender sports ban set off a chaotic debate on […]
DeWine speaks out against legislative attempt to block Vax-A-Million: ‘I respectfully disagree’
A proposal to halt Ohio’s Vax-A-Million program has not yet been formally introduced, but Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday he hopes it will make no progress over the coming weeks. And, should the bill somehow reach his desk, DeWine said he would surely veto it. Just as DeWine’s vaccine lottery program has received plenty of […]
With drawing days away, Ohio legislation seeks to stop Vax-A-Million program
Five Ohioans who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 are about to win $1 million through a new vaccine lottery program, but a Republican lawmaker wants to call the whole thing off. State Rep. Jena Powell, R-Arcanum, is drafting legislation that would prevent the state from administering any vaccine lottery program. Hundreds of thousands of Ohioans […]
Transgender athlete bills don’t solve any pressing issue. They’re just bullying
Two bills are working their way through the Ohio General Assembly that do not solve any pressing issues in high school athletics; they simply target and needlessly victimize five Ohio children in a cynical attempt to score cheap political points. I’m referring to Ohio House Bill 61 and Senate Bill 132, which would ban transgender girls from […]
Fertility fraud victim wants punishment put in Ohio law
Last November, Carrie Lauterbach did what many people have done since the fad began and submitted her DNA through a commercially-sold test to find out her genetic background. She knew her mother had gone to a fertility doctor in Cincinnati for help conceiving Carrie and her sister. She knew her parents had filled out paperwork […]
GOP bill seeks to end the Ohio mask mandate
Gov. Mike DeWine has outlined specific metrics the state can hit to trigger an end to Ohio’s public health orders, including the mandate to wear facial coverings in public. A group of Republican legislators think it’s already time to remove the mask mandate. Rep. Jena Powell, R-Arcanum, recently introduced House Bill 202 to terminate the […]
An Ohio county heard mixed messages on COVID-19. Now it’s a hotspot.
With the coronavirus raging in Darke County and health officials promoting a much-needed testing opportunity earlier this month, an area lawmaker offered a different message to her constituents in western Ohio. Quoting President Reagan, state Rep. Jena Powell wrote to her thousands of social followers: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: […]
Trump swipe at DeWine follows year of campaign support, COVID-19 praise
A year of Gov. Mike DeWine defending the president’s pandemic response and supporting his reelection effort was undone by a brief acknowledgment of reality on cable TV. To President Donald Trump, one comment is all it takes for someone to go from political ally to persona non grata. On Sunday, DeWine said on CNN that […]
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 […]