larry householder
As Amazon profits soar, Ohio gives $800K grant to benefit company project
The state controlling board has invested $800,000 in public grant money benefiting an Amazon distribution center project in Licking County. That amount is nearly equal to the funding amount cut from a public school district headquartered just two miles from the Amazon site. Amazon is in the process of building the distribution center in Etna […]
House lawmakers leave racism resolution on the table
A resolution declaring racism a public health crisis did not receive a hearing before the Ohio House of Representatives left for their summer break. The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus announced the measure at the beginning of the month, and it was referred to the House’s State and Local Government Committee on June 3. The bill […]
Ohio faces second year with no executions
When Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine last week delayed three more executions into 2022 and 2023, it meant that 2020 would be the second consecutive year in which the Buckeye State had engaged in no judicial killings. The delays raise the question: Will the death chamber at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility ever be used again […]
Ohio House passes bill to limit Dr. Acton’s power to issue health orders
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 […]
After confusing primary, advocates and leaders begin planning for fall election
Ohio’s lengthy, unpredictable primary election finally concluded last week. Now the fight is on to determine how the November general election will proceed. That will be an election with a presidential race and other hot ticket items on the ballot, leading to a much larger turnout compared to the election held primarily through the mail […]
Some Republican legislators need to grow up, stop stoking anger and peddling misinformation
This past week we’ve seen Americans at a fever pitch over stay-at-home orders imposed to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve seen men armed with semi-automatic rifles in militia cosplay storm the Michigan Statehouse, screaming in the faces of the police officers preventing them from entering the Michigan House of Representatives. We’ve seen unhinged […]
As pandemic rages and uncertainty looms, Ohio legislature takes the backseat
For nearly two months now, Gov. Mike DeWine has pulled the levers of government power via executive orders, announced in real time at televised briefings every afternoon. Ohio’s chief executive and his health director have blocked mass gatherings of people, canceled in-person learning at K-12 schools, and shuttered “non-essential” businesses. The General Assembly, meanwhile, has […]
GOP lawmaker plans bill to ‘reopen Ohio’, revoke powers used by DeWine, Acton
A Republican state lawmaker is proposing legislation that would reopen Ohio “without delay” and revoke the authority used by the DeWine administration in responding to COVID-19. State Rep. John Becker, R-Union Twp., is wasting no time in preparing for the Ohio House of Representatives to get back to work on Monday. Becker sent out a […]
DeWine reversal on mask mandate follows pressure from public, fellow Republicans
On Monday, Gov. Mike DeWine made his position on wearing masks at reopened businesses very clear: “No mask, no work, no service, no exception.” As it turned out, there was an exception: some people being “offended” by that mandate. The result was a complete reversal on Tuesday. DeWine announced his administration would not require any […]
Legislative staffers worried about opening of the Ohio Statehouse
Several legislative staffers are concerned coming back to work next month could unnecessarily expose them to the risk of coronavirus, and is just a political exercise. On Thursday, House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, announced staffers would be coming back to work at the Riffe Center offices and the Ohio Statehouse two days a week starting […]
Jewish leader: response to Brenner part of ‘protocol’ on handling Ohio pols’ Nazi comparisons
When the anti-Semitic comments amplified by state Sen. Andrew Brenner were uncovered Wednesday morning, Howie Beigelman, the son of a Holocaust survivor, knew what to do. He picked up the phone and called Brenner directly to talk about them. This is the third such call the executive director of Ohio Jewish Communities has had to […]
GOP lawmaker says he won’t let Jewish health director turn Ohio into Nazi Germany
Note: State Sen. Andrew Brenner apologized for the comments on Thursday afternoon. Updates are being posted to a new story available here. The original reporting from throughout Wednesday is below. A Republican state senator took to Facebook on Holocaust Remembrance Day to pledge he would not allow the Jewish Ohio Department of Health director to […]