Ohio Senate
Ohio Senate approves DATA Act standardizing elections information statewide
The Ohio Senate has approved a bill overhauling how county boards collect and maintain voter data. The vote comes one day after the proposal passed committee, and without any of a handful of changes proposed by interested parties. The proposal, known as the DATA Act, grew out of a report commissioned by the Trump-aligned America […]
Ohio Senate passes massive higher education overhaul bill, House version hears opponent testimony
The Ohio Senate passed a massive higher education bill that would significantly alter college campuses. Wednesday’s 21-10 vote comes a week after changes and clarification were made to Senate Bill 83, which was introduced by state Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland in March. SB 83 now moves to the House for committee consideration. Republican state Sen. […]
Senate bill would create ‘intellectual diversity’ centers at Ohio State and the University of Toledo
A Senate bill is trying to create new centers at Ohio State University and the University of Toledo that expand and affirm “intellectual diversity.” Senate Bill 117 — introduced earlier this month by Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, and Sen. Rob McColley, R-Napoleon — would create the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society […]
Ohio citizens and organizers dismantle extremist special interest arguments for attacking voters
The attempt by more than 80 Ohio Statehouse Republicans and Secretary of State Frank LaRose to get voters to enshrine 41% minority rule over our state constitution in a special August election was passed out of an Ohio House Constitutional Amendments Committee Tuesday in a 7-6 vote, with all five Democrats on the committee voting […]
Opponents say Ohio income tax cut hurts the poor; advocates say it doesn’t help wealthy enough
Ohio’s proposed income tax cut meant to benefit the middle class isn’t helpful and is just taxing, according to advocates on each side of the financial debate. On Wednesday, the House passed a $95 billion budget, $88 billion of it from the general revenue fund (GRF) and $7 billion of it being one-time GRF, overage […]
Answering viewer questions about the Ohio proposal meant to stop abortion from becoming legal
OCJ/WEWS readers and viewers have sent in dozens of questions about the GOP proposal to make it more difficult to amend the Ohio Constitution. This resolution is being streamlined to an August special election and is meant to stop abortion from becoming legal, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers say. This is a complicated situation, so […]
Ohio Republicans attacking voters seem to believe citizens are stupid, ignorant, and over-emotional
You should know how little Ohio Statehouse politicians think of you, the constituents they were ostensibly elected to represent in Columbus. Hate to break it to you, but the pols running the legislature dismiss you as stupid, confused, and prone to emotion. We simpleminded citizens are incompetent to govern ourselves. We can’t be trusted to […]
Amid mass bipartisan protest, Ohio Senate passes resolution to make it harder to amend constitution
Ohio senators passed on Wednesday the controversial resolution to make it harder to amend the state constitution. Chants that echoed around the Ohio Statehouse all had the same goal: shaming the GOP lawmakers. House Joint Resolution 1 is the revived resolution to make it harder to amend the Ohio Constitution. Its companion bill in the […]
The shame of Ohio: Corrupt, gerrymandered Statehouse Republicans assault voters, again
Just moments after I watched Ohio Senate Republicans pass a resolution for 41% minority rule over the Ohio Constitution on Wednesday, I walked past a field trip of Ohio children touring the Statehouse. Seeing those kids’ faces as their eyes explored the beautiful Ohio Statehouse Rotunda, a sharp, stabbing pain of shame for our once-great […]
Ohio State Board of Ed again delays selecting search firm for new state superintendent
The State Board of Education once again voted to delay naming a search firm to identify superintendent candidates. In a 14-4-1 vote, the board pushed back until May’s board meeting on deciding on a search firm that would bring superintendent candidates for board review. This comes days after Ohio Department of Education’s interim superintendent of […]
Special interest groups say they’re trying to protect Ohio Constitution from special interest groups
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. Special interest groups say they are trying to protect Ohio’s constitution from […]
Supporters of Ohio’s higher education overhaul argue it would promote intellectual diversity
Five educators spoke up in support Wednesday of a gigantic higher education bill proposed by lawmakers that would, among other things, require American history courses and tenure evaluations based on if the educator showed bias or taught with bias, and prohibit university staff and employees from striking. Proponents of Senate Bill 83, introduced earlier this […]