ohio house
GOP lawmakers share insight into ongoing rift after ‘chaos’ erupts on Ohio House floor
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. Republicans in the Ohio House can’t stop fighting with each other. After the […]
Ohio’s new Republican crybaby caucus another consequence of gerrymandering
After a weeklong meltdown of moaning, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, a new faction of Ohio House Republicans capped off their temper tantrum Wednesday by revitalizing plans to subject the Ohio Constitution and all Ohioans to extremist minority rule. Last week, 54 adults in the Ohio House came together in a bipartisan vote to elect […]
‘Moderate’ Republican Jason Stephens snatches Ohio House Speaker position in surprise upset
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. Moderately conservative Republican Jason Stephens, with the help of the Democratic Party, snatched […]
Who is likely incoming Ohio House speaker Derek Merrin?
This week, the Ohio House will reconvene to begin the 135th general assembly session. When they do, they’ll hold a formal vote to elect the next House speaker. Because Republicans hold a 67-32 majority, the winner of the caucus race, Rep. Derek Merrin, R-Monclova Township, is expected to take the gavel unless further challenges to […]
Education sees some funding boosts, some missed opportunities in 2022
Next year is sure to be a busy one when it comes to education in Ohio, with potential state agency overhauls and funding changes still on the agenda for the state legislature. The end of 2022 was capped by an 11th-hour push and ultimately failure for an attempted overhaul of the Ohio Department of Education […]
Ohio trans athletes ban moving forward with genital inspections replaced by birth certificates
Changes to remove genital inspections as part of a ban on trans student athletes have been approved by an Ohio Senate committee, replaced by birth certificates, as the overall bill continues to move forward. House Bill 151’s efforts to increase teacher mentorship in Ohio were praised by education leaders, except for the part of the […]
What will happen if Ohio abolishes its income tax?
For years, legislators in the Ohio General Assembly have been working to abolish the state income tax. Republicans now command historic majorities after the 2022 midterm elections. Because of this, Cleveland.com politics reporter Jeremy Pelzer is saying income tax abolition is now closer than ever. The caveman argument for abolition of the income tax is […]
After bipartisan backlash, Ohio GOP tweaks legislation that makes it harder to amend Constitution
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. The resolution to make it harder for voters to amend the Ohio Constitution […]
In 1912, Ohio voters asserted their democratic authority. Now Ohio Republicans want to rip it away
Ohio Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Rep. Brian Stewart have launched a frontal assault on voters’ ability to amend our state constitution, putting their knives at the neck of 110 years of citizen-led democratic progress in the Buckeye State. Thinking that Ohioans are stupid and gullible enough to relinquish our democratic powers […]
In official count, Democrat wins last undecided Ohio House race, now headed for automatic recount
In official election results from the Franklin County Board of Election, Ohio House Democratic incumbent Richard D. Brown looks to have won the only remaining undecided race, meaning that Republicans will control the House 67-32 instead of 68-31. The official results for Ohio House District 5 show Brown received 17,429 votes, or 50.21%, compared to […]
Frank LaRose and Ohio Republicans have launched an all-out assault on voters and democracy
Right now, at least, Ohioans can bypass an out-of-step legislature and go straight to statewide voters to remedy wrongs and enshrine rights in the Ohio Constitution. It is not an easy process by design. No slam dunk. But amending the state constitution through citizen-led ballot initiatives gives people power to change policy that politicians won’t. […]
Ohio bill limiting health care for LGBTQ+ youth would create registry of trans kids, activist says
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 Republicans updated a bill that severely limits healthcare for LGBTQ+ youth with […]