troy balderson
Will Norfolk Southern’s political spending help shield it from consequences?
Officials are all singing from the same hymnal. Republican and Democrat; state, local and federal; all agree Norfolk Southern will be, must be, held accountable for the train accident in East Palestine. Wednesday, U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance, R-OH and Sherrod Brown, D-OH, put pen to paper, introducing legislation for rail safety. But the company has […]
Last minute donations: Who gave to Ohio’s federal candidates in the final weeks of the election?
Donors spent a lot of money in Ohio during this year’s election. Campaign advertising tracker AdImpact estimated $344 million went into ads on TV, online or over the radio. OpenSecrets, which tracks federal campaigns, showed candidates raising about $100 million — and that didn’t take into account the final week of fundraising. During the final […]
Americans for Contraception group makes six-figure digital ad buy against four Ohio GOP congressmen
A new advocacy group called Americans for Contraception is targeting four Ohio Republican U.S. Congressmen with a six-figure advertising buy in the lead up to the Nov. 8 election, criticizing them for their votes against the “Right to Contraception Act” introduced by Democrats following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning national abortion rights. The series […]
Intel breaks ground at “Silicon Heartland” in Licking County
White tents sprung up like mushrooms Friday on the dusty patch of dirt where Intel is building two microchip factories. Returning to a line from his last state of the union address, President Biden called it a “field of dreams” serving notice that “the industrial Midwest is back.” “Since I took office, our economy has […]
5 Ohio congressmen object to Electoral College count in effort to overturn result
Five Republican members of Congress from Ohio voted Wednesday evening to reject an Electoral College certification, an action taken hours after a right-wing mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building in a violent show of support for overturning the presidential election results. Those objecting were U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan of Urbana, Bill Johnson of Marietta, Bob […]
All Ohio U.S. Congressional incumbents win reelection, Associated Press projects
All of Ohio’s U.S. Congressional district incumbents both Republican and Democratic have won reelection according to projections from the Associated Press based on unofficial results. The AP has called the races in favor of incumbent Democratic U.S. Reps. Joyce Beatty, Marcy Kaptur, Marcia Fudge, and Tim Ryan, as well as Republican incumbents Steve Chabot, Troy […]
Forecasters predict few close congressional races in Ohio in 2020
Ohio is looking like a toss-up state in next month’s presidential election, with numerous polls showing the two candidates in a virtual tie. The congressional races, meanwhile, are a different story. Few of the results are in doubt, the result of a carefully crafted congressional map that all but ensures uncompetitive elections throughout the state. […]
House passes bipartisan public lands bill; next stop president’s desk
WASHINGTON — Major environmental legislation sailed through Congress Wednesday while the nation’s political leaders were stuck in intense negotiations over the contours of a fifth coronavirus relief package. The bill would provide $9.5 billion over five years to pay down the National Park Service’s maintenance backlog and provide permanent funding at $900 million per year […]
House Dems pass massive infrastructure bill; Ohio GOP reps call it ‘not serious’ and a ‘partisan game’
When U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, a Republican from southeast Ohio, talks about the infrastructure needs of his district, he talks about how crucial better internet connections are for students, patients and entrepreneurs. He says Appalachia’s roads and bridges are too often neglected by state and federal officials who decide where to spend money for repairs. […]
It’s finally Primary Election Day in Ohio. Here’s what to keep an eye on.
At long last, it is finally Primary Election Day in Ohio. Here are a few things to know today: There is still time to vote If you haven’t yet cast a ballot, you still have an opportunity to do so today. Monday was the postmark deadline to mail in absentee ballots, but if you didn’t […]
Pandemic highlights gaps in internet access
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers are urging congressional leaders to prioritize emergency funding for high-speed internet access in upcoming coronavirus relief legislation. More than two dozen lawmakers sent a bipartisan letter last week asking Democratic and Republican leaders of the U.S. House and Senate to set aside funding for a temporary emergency relief fund at the Federal Communications […]
Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan takes workhorse-showhorse divide to extremes
WASHINGTON — One of the most influential members of Congress — and most ardent defenders of President Donald Trump — is also one of the least active legislatively. Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan — the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the upper chamber’s main investigative arm — didn’t introduce any bills […]