Niraj Antani
Ohio college athletes will be able to profit off of names, likenesses
When a legislative effort was fumbled, it was said that Gov. Mike DeWine picked up the ball and ran with it. As it turned out, the Ohio General Assembly did get the job done before the final bell sounded. Sports metaphors abounded inside the Statehouse on Monday as two branches of government worked to enact […]
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 […]
Sports betting in Ohio takes one more step toward legalization
This time next year, Ohioans could be placing sports bets on Cincinnati Reds games or choosing an underdog to win it all at the Memorial golf tournament in Dublin. That’s if the Ohio House of Representatives quickly follows the lead of the state senate, whose members approved the framework for legalized sports betting earlier this […]
Buckeyes coach Day lends support of ‘NIL’ bill as it passes Ohio Senate
Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day is fully supportive of a bill to let college athletes make money off of personal sponsorship deals. It’s fair to the players and it could set them up for the years after their playing days are over. But mostly, with the dam breaking on the notion of college […]
Ohio bill wants to let college athletes make money on name, likeness
Joe Burrow was still a backup quarterback for Ohio State University when he started speaking out against what he viewed as a fundamental unfairness. The Buckeyes program was worth more than $1.5 billion. The coach made north of $5 million per season, with a host of bonus incentives for postseason success. Yet a burgeoning star […]
New bill proposes legal sports betting at Ohio casinos, lotto retailers
Ohioans may soon have the opportunity to place legal sports bets at casino properties, lottery retailers and possibly even in sports arenas. Lawmakers formally introduced a highly-anticipated proposal to legalize sports gambling in the state. The legislation will move quickly and members expressed hope it could be passed as early as next month. Senate Bill […]
Chances for Ohio death penalty repeal appear to be growing
The biggest-ever bipartisan coalition on Thursday announced a renewed effort to repeal the death penalty in Ohio. State Sen. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, and Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, hosted a virtual press conference to announce that they and three other Republican and four Democratic senators so far have said they will co-sponsor the repeal legislation. […]
Meet the freshmen lawmakers of the 134th Ohio General Assembly
Monday marked the beginning of the 134th Ohio General Assembly, the two-year legislative term that will run through the end of 2022. With each term comes a slate of new faces representing every corner of the state. Here is a quick introduction to the freshman class of the 134th Ohio General Assembly: Ohio House of […]
Helium, honey and hair products: A look into Ohio pols’ odd campaign expenses
A few years ago, during the lull before the Nelsonville Parade of the Hills, a young campaign volunteer made their way down a busy sidewalk. Most of the families had come prepared with empty shopping bags, awaiting an onslaught of candy, but some children did not have one. They might have been forced to collect […]
Ohio abortion bills by the numbers: Here’s what’s pending
A number of abortion-related bills have passed at least one chamber of the Ohio legislature, or are being reviewed currently within the Statehouse. Legislation that would effectively ban abortions after about six weeks — Senate Bill 23 — passed the Senate in April with 18 votes in favor and 13 opposed. The House approved the […]