Theresa Gavarone
Measure expanding reliance on cash bail gets first hearing in the Senate
The Attorney General-backed bid to change limits on cash bail got its first hearing in the Ohio Senate Tuesday. The effort comes as a direct response to a state supreme court ruling and would require a constitutional amendment to take effect. The purpose of bail is to ensure defendants return to court for their trial […]
Lawmakers roll out proposed constitutional amendment that could increase cash bail
Ohio Republicans may be lining up behind a constitutional amendment requiring judges to consider public safety when setting the amount of bail. The proposal is going before lawmakers as a joint resolution backed by Reps. Jeff LaRe, R-Violet Township, and D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron, in the House and Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Huron, in the Senate. They […]
Ohio makes it easier to get firearms despite rise in gun violence
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. Gun violence has been steadily increasing in the City of Cleveland […]
Bills seek party labels on ballots for Ohio Supreme Court
When voters cast their ballots for the Ohio Supreme Court, the justice candidates are not labeled by party affiliation. That could change if a new bill proposed by a pair of Northern Ohio Republicans is successfully enacted. Senate Bill 80, introduced by Republican state Sens. Theresa Gavarone of Bowling Green and Jerry Cirino of Kirtland, […]
Ohio House passes bill to limit Dr. Acton’s power to issue health orders
A small group of Ohio legislators may be given the chance to put the state’s COVID-19 health orders to a vote. The Ohio House of Representatives has approved a bill that would give that group authority to approve or reject certain orders from Dr. Amy Acton, the director of the Ohio Department of Health. The […]
The benefits — and challenges — of changing Ohio schools’ start times
There are consequences to being athletic in the largest school district in Ohio. The Switzerland of Ohio Local School District, located in Southeast Ohio’s Monroe, Belmont and Noble counties, covers 546 square miles — almost half the size of Rhode Island. On a Tuesday earlier this season, the Monroe Central High School Seminoles got out […]
Many Ohio lawmakers use campaign $$ to subscribe to hometown papers
Dozens of Ohio legislators are choosing to spend their donors’ money in the interest of local journalism. In total, 35 state representatives and senators paid for news subscriptions using campaign funds in 2019, a review from the Ohio Capital Journal has found. And though the president bemoans the alleged problem of “fake news,” it is […]
Helium, honey and hair products: A look into Ohio pols’ odd campaign expenses
A few years ago, during the lull before the Nelsonville Parade of the Hills, a young campaign volunteer made their way down a busy sidewalk. Most of the families had come prepared with empty shopping bags, awaiting an onslaught of candy, but some children did not have one. They might have been forced to collect […]
New safety program allows Ohioans to inform police of communication disabilities
The program allowing Ohioans to identify as having a communication disability, for the purpose of informing law enforcement, is now in place. Residents with a diagnosed communications disability can voluntarily be added to the database. The hope is that officers can learn about someone’s disability prior to making contact, which the program’s website states will […]
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 […]