ohio house
Rugby is for every body
By Kat Amrhein During my time as a collegiate rugby player for the Miami Women’s Club Rugby Team, I played alongside individuals of different shapes, sizes, races, sexual orientations and gender identities. Each player brought their distinctive abilities to the team, and there was acceptance for the diversity within our club. A short and scrappy […]
Education funding overhaul reappears in final budget draft
The Ohio House’s version of a public school funding overhaul won the day after negotiations ended for the new two-year state budget. The conference committee on the budget bill, comprised of members of both chambers of the Ohio legislature, returned to the so-called “Fair School Funding Plan” after the Senate tried to make its own […]
Survey: Ohio middle-of-the-road on education, child health and economic well-being
In a national survey on child well-being, Ohio was middle of the pack when it came to growth indicators. The data, collected through the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranked Ohio 31st nationally in overall child well-being, calculated using indicators of economic well-being, education, health, and family and community context. Compared to 2019 numbers, Ohio was […]
Conservation is a team sport: With H2Ohio, everyone stands to win
By Bill Stanley, The Nature Conservancy I have been involved in conservation, personally and professionally, for more than 30 years. In that time, I’ve learned that long-term conservation success takes three things: innovative thinking, funding, and, above all, collaboration. It’s a lot like the African proverb, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If […]
Statute of limitations on rape targeted again in legislation
Two Democrats want to expand the statute of limitations on rape cases, legislation that has entered the Statehouse several times before, to no avail. State Reps. Tavia Galonski, D-Akron, and Jessica Miranda, D-Forest Park, re-introduced legislation regarding the statute of limitations for criminal and civil and sex crimes, with their bill eliminating any time limit […]
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 […]
Watch our Ohio state government closely, and hold these politicians accountable
Those who can’t govern, grandstand. You see it in Congress where the minority party routinely resorts to performing for right-wing media with manufactured controversies and tired catch phrases that bemoan “cancel culture” or “woke” libs. But it’s a lot easier to grab attention on Fox News by reading Green Eggs and Ham than it is […]
Don’t entrust pandemic response to lawmakers who aren’t taking it seriously
Snowflakes, misinformation, conspiracy theories, serial abuse of constitutional theory — all were on depressing display last week in an Ohio Senate committee hearing on a recently introduced bill that would allow state lawmakers to strike down executive or emergency health orders issued by the governor. The Feb. 3 public hearing on S.B. 22 featured many […]
Education overhaul’s fate uncertain as lame duck nears end
After years of work, an education overhaul bill that would have addressed the state’s public school funding formula could be put on hold yet again as the lame duck session comes to an end. It doesn’t help that House Bill 305’s two sponsors are both out due to positive COVID-19 tests. State Rep. John Patterson, […]
Abortions bills move through lame duck
As the end of the 133rd General Assembly swiftly approaches, abortion bills are making their way through committees, and one has already been passed into law. The Senate gave their final approval of Senate Bill 27 this week, which requires abortion providers to pay for the burial or cremation of fetal remains after surgical abortion. […]
Armed teachers bill enters House, GOP Committee members express support
In the first hearing before a House committee for a bill authorizing local school districts to create firearms policies for personnel, some committee members made it very clear where they stood on the issue. “The absolute ignorance and absurdity from people who oppose this amazes me,” said state Rep. J. Todd Smith, R-Farmersville, during the […]
Equal pay, gender equity back in the legislature
The issue of gender pay equity has come up yet again in the Ohio Statehouse, after multiple previous attempts to bring the measure to a vote. State Rep. Stephanie Howse, D-Cleveland, introduced a bill called the Equal Pay Act and one that creates a gender pay equity task force this week, marking the sixth time […]