Ohio Statehouse
Issue 1 passed in Ohio, protecting abortion rights — now what?
Ohioans voted to protect and legalize abortion access Tuesday night, but the fight is not over. In a 13-point victory, Issue 1 passed. “This is a huge win,” said Veronica Ingham with Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights. “We must continue to fight for freedom and defend democracy.” Even though the constitutional amendment will go into […]
Former state Rep. Bob Young’s domestic violence trial begins
Former state Rep. Bob Young was in court Tuesday facing the domestic violence charges that led to his resignation from the Ohio Statehouse. Young, a former Republican representing the Green area in the Ohio House, has been arrested three times in recent months. His charges include domestic violence, assault, violating a protection order and menacing […]
Airtag stalking would become illegal under proposed Ohio bill
A bipartisan bill passed by the Ohio Senate would make it a crime to electronically track someone without their consent. This comes as domestic violence groups are seeing an increase in Airtag stalking. After Heidi Moon was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 2022, an investigator found a tracking device in her car. Smaller than your palm, an […]
As election workers face threats, Ohio lawmakers introduce bill to protect them
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Ohio has come together to support their election officials, aiming to help shield them from increasing threats. Getting involved in working elections means being a part of the democratic process. But it’s definitely different times than a few years ago, said Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Director Tony Perlatti. […]
Ohio Republicans work to politicize our schools, destroy power of elected state school board
Last fall I voted for a serious candidate to be my levelheaded voice on the Ohio Board of Education. Like many voters, I was fed up with the far right craziness that had infiltrated the ed board at the expense of real issues roiling public education in the state — unconstitutional school funding, under-resourced schools, […]
Lawmakers want to curb teen vaping through harsher punishments for businesses
A new bill introduced to the Ohio House would increase the penalties for businesses that sell tobacco and nicotine products to kids and teens. Teen vaping continues to rise. “We see those numbers going up every year, more and more kids vaping, using tobacco products,” said Kelly Vyzral with the Children’s Defense Fund Ohio. Twenty […]
Ohio voters can expect to get hosed again by gerrymandering in upcoming redistricting charade
As Ohio gears up for another round of Statehouse redistricting, Republican politicians’ gerrymandering games never really ended — they were just intentionally paused to run out the clock on a full, fair, transparent, and good faith process. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has called for the Ohio Redistricting Commission to reconvene on Wednesday, Sept. 13. Ohio […]
Lawmakers on each side want state Rep. Bob Young gone from Statehouse after second arrest
Ohio lawmakers on each side of the aisle want state Rep. Bob Young, the Republican who is facing domestic violence charges and was just arrested again, to stop embarrassing the state and just resign. Young (R-Green) is facing three charges: domestic violence, assault and violation of a protection order. He was in court Wednesday morning […]
Ohio state Rep. Bob Young arrested for second time in last two months
Ohio Republican state Rep. Bob Young was arrested for the second time in two months Monday night after he allegedly violated a protection order stemming from his first arrest on domestic violence charges, according to Summit County Jail records. The Republican legislator is being held in Summit County jail on a misdemeanor charge of “recklessly” […]
As redistricting debate emerges again, Ohio Gov. DeWine says politicians shouldn’t draw maps
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday the state’s current redistricting system “doesn’t work very well,” and while he doesn’t think politicians like him should get to decide the maps, his office has some initial qualms with a new proposal to create an independent commission of citizens to redraw the state’s districts. The issue of further […]
Ohio lawmakers propose domestic violence prevention bill after representative charged with abuse
Ohio lawmakers plan to introduce legislation to prevent domestic violence following the arrest of one of their colleagues. Northeast Ohio Rep. Bob Young (R-Green) was charged Saturday with domestic violence and disrupting public services after a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to Barberton Municipal Court records. Young faces at least one first-degree misdemeanor […]
The historical malfeasance of equating the Ohio Constitution with the U.S. Constitution to attack it
Republicans pushing Ohio voters to strip ourselves of our own power over the Ohio Constitution on Aug. 8 by raising the threshold for passing amendments to 60% have repeatedly used historically misleading arguments about the U.S. Constitution. Never mind that U.S. Constitutional amendments require support from two-thirds of lawmakers in each chamber of Congress and […]