jennifer gross
Second closed primaries measure gets a hearing in the Ohio House
Two Ohio lawmakers want voters to declare their party months before the primary election. But in its first committee hearing this week the idea was met with pushback from both sides of the aisle. The proposal is actually one of two measures in the Ohio House calling for closed primaries elections. Their most notable difference […]
Pumping the brakes: Ohio House Speaker dismisses effort to limit court jurisdiction on Issue 1
Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens threw cold water on a bid to thwart the recent abortion rights amendment Issue 1. Instead of attempting to deny the courts’ jurisdiction or rushing to the ballot with a repeal effort, Stephens argued lawmakers should focus on maternal and early childhood care. Despite the speaker’s measured response, Democrats remain […]
Ohio Republicans weigh response after losing at the ballot box on abortion, marijuana
Lawmakers are back to work this week, and Ohio Republicans are wrestling with the fallout of last week’s passage of Issue 1. In any other circumstance, a 13-point victory amounts to voters sending a clear message. But when it comes to the reproductive rights amendment, some right-wing lawmakers aren’t listening. On the heels of Issue […]
Some Ohio GOP lawmakers attempting to undermine democratic process after voters protect abortion
The decisive legalization and protection of abortion and other reproductive care access in Ohio has infuriated some fringe Ohio Republican lawmakers — so much so that they are threatening to alter the democratic process in their favor. Issue 1, the proposal to enshrine abortion access into the state constitution, passed 57-43% on election night. Despite this large […]
Ohio Republicans propose two measures to close primary elections ahead of 2024 presidential race
Ohio lawmakers have filed two measures that would establish a closed primary system. The change would mean only voters who previously declared a party affiliation would be allowed to vote in partisan primary elections. Unaffiliated voters make up the vast majority of the electorate according to the latest Secretary of State data. Ohio’s voter database […]
Bill to help homeless veterans in Ohio suddenly killed by lawmakers for ‘not being needed’
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 bill that would help provide funding to ensure every veteran […]
Four months from launch, Ohio lawmakers debate costs of new 988 mental health line
Ohio is working on legislation to set up 988, a new suicide and mental health support line. The number, which will accept calls and texts, launches nationwide in July thanks to federal legislation signed by former President Donald Trump in 2020. Service providers see the transition to a simple, three-digit number as an important step […]
Ohio House Health Committee chair doesn’t want leadership listening to hospitals during pandemic
Ohio House Health Committee Chair Scott Lipps said in a May text the last thing he and his allies need is for House Speaker Bob Cupp or the rest of the Republican majority leadership to be listening to hospitals — during a pandemic now in its fourth wave that has killed 20,866 Ohioans. The Statehouse […]
She says vaccines make you magnetized. This lawmaker invited her testimony, chair says.
After a discredited doctor’s conspiracy theories involving COVID-19 vaccines, magnetics and 5G towers made a mockery of the Ohio House of Representatives, the Health chairman blamed the sponsor of anti-vaccination legislation for inviting the doctor to testify before the committee. House Health Committee Chairman Scott Lipps, R-Franklin, said in an interview that fellow Republican Rep. […]
Health experts speak out against bill prohibiting vaccine mandates
Pediatricians and other infectious disease experts issued clear warnings about a proposed bill to weaken Ohio’s vaccination laws: Doing so would put children’s lives at risk and potentially expose the state to a resurgence of deadly viruses. A half-dozen medical experts implored lawmakers to reconsider approving a new law that would prohibit vaccine mandates for […]
Details emerge on proposed bill to restrict ‘vaccine passports’ in Ohio
Republican-sponsored legislation will seek to prohibit the Ohio government from instituting a “vaccine passport” program, but the drafted proposal does not appear to restrict private businesses from doing so. Rep. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, is soon introducing this bill in the Ohio House of Representatives. It has already received support from fellow Republican lawmakers. The term […]
GOP lawmakers seek to repeal tax on Ohio businesses
Some Republican lawmakers want to do away with an Ohio business tax that helps to fund state services. A new bill proposes to repeal Ohio’s “commercial activity tax” (CAT for short) by phasing it out over the next five years. This tax is levied on businesses with over $150,000 in yearly taxable gross receipts — […]