Phil Plummer
Ohio House Speaker shares priorities: full school funding plan, ‘backpack bill,’ flattening taxes
Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens Wednesday morning charted a course for the coming House term. The Kitts Hill Republican has a lot on his list — even before considering the budget. There’s just one problem. On Wednesday afternoon, leaders of different, and larger, faction of the GOP laid out a competing vision. That sect, which […]
Ohio House approves rules package over the objection of right-wing GOP bloc
Usually a procedural afterthought, the Ohio House approved a new rules package Tuesday over the bitter objections of right-wing lawmakers. The provisions lay out the ground rules for the coming session. Republicans who backed Rep. Derek Merrin for speaker argue they were locked out of the process. Rejected rules included allowing guns on the floor, […]
Ohio House Republican faction brings back proposal making it harder for voters to pass amendments
After more than an hour behind closed doors, a bloc of Ohio Republicans led by state Rep. Derek Merrin, Monclova Twp., trooped through the Ohio Statehouse. The faction — thirty-odd lawmakers who wound up on the losing side of the House Speaker’s race last week— climbed three floors and squeezed into the clerk’s office. After […]
Dayton incident with paraplegic man shines light on state, local police reform efforts
During a traffic stop, late last month, Dayton police officers pulled Clifford Owensby from his car by the hair. Owensby, who is paraplegic, repeatedly told the officers he could not get out of the car, that he wanted them to call a supervisor, that they could hurt him by pulling him from the vehicle. They […]
19 lawmakers declared victory over COVID-19 in June. Now it’s spreading in their districts.
Back in June, 19 state legislators joined together to claim that “Ohio smashed the curve long ago. Mission accomplished!” Months later, as Ohio continues to set new records for COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, one of those legislators admits the pandemic has proved to be an “evolving situation.” Another is doubling down on the letter’s message […]
Bipartisan Ohio bills seek to square state and federal mental health laws
The issue of mental health is getting attention in the Ohio Statehouse, with one law passed and some others introduced to help match state laws to federal laws. Still another seeks to create more room in state psychiatric hospitals for those who need it. In a matter of a few days at the beginning of […]
New Ohio bill seeks to meld with federal mental health requirements
A new bill with bipartisan support seeks to line up mental health laws in Ohio with federal law, according to the sponsors of the bill. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was introduced Monday by State Rep. Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington and Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Dayton, according to a press release. The law […]