U.S. Sen. Rob Portman
Deep inside the gun bill: a break for drug middlemen
Many Americans across the political spectrum are clamoring for federal action on guns in the wake of a mass shooting at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school, a Buffalo, N.Y., grocery store and hundreds of other mass shootings. But buried in a bipartisan compromise hashed out by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday is an unrelated provision they might not be so happy about. Apropos of nothing, the gun bill would enhance the exemption drug middlemen working with Medicare have from the federal "Anti-Kickback Statute."
Ohio, Kentucky governors request federal funding for Brent Spence
An application for nearly $2 billion in federal funding was submitted by the governors of Ohio and Kentucky specifically targeting the Brent Spence Bridge corridor that spans the borders of the two states. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said they asked for $1.66 billion from the Multimodal Projects Discretionary Grant, a […]
No, undocumented immigrants don’t commit more crime. Research shows they commit a lot less
It’s an article of faith in some corners of politics and the media: All those undocumented immigrants crossing the southern border are making crime much worse in the United States. But new research gives the lie to that assertion. And, some border officials say, continuing to promote it will only lead to another racist massacre […]
Poll: Most Ohioans support a bipartisan infrastructure package. Will it get done?
A majority of Ohioans support a bipartisan infrastructure package being considered in Washington, D.C., according to a new poll commissioned and touted by a state environmental group. Around half of the 800 Ohioans polled offered support for the infrastructure bill, with approval rising to 64% after hearing some of the specific proposals in it, such […]
Drug-pricing reform might fall victim to infrastructure negotiations
As lawmakers attempt to salvage a bipartisan infrastructure package, new rules intended to crack down on secretive prescription-drug transactions might fall by the wayside.
Biden and bipartisan senators clinch a deal on $1.2T infrastructure plan
WASHINGTON — The White House and a bipartisan group of U.S. senators said Thursday they’ve struck a deal on the outlines of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, marking a breakthrough on federal dollars for road and bridge projects after weeks of negotiations — but with significant hurdles still ahead. President Joe Biden stood with the […]
Antitrust concerns are increasing on Capitol Hill. Advocates say they should extend to drug pricing
Antitrust concerns are increasing on Capitol Hill. Advocates say they should extend to drug pricing.
Congressman Tim Ryan to run for U.S. Senate seat
Tim Ryan, the 10-term Democratic congressman from northeast Ohio, announced Monday he will campaign for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Rob Portman. Ryan, 47, is the first Democrat to jump in the race. Portman announced earlier this year he would not seek reelection in 2022. Ryan’s campaign said he would soon embark on […]
COVID-19 relief aid headed to Ohio; Here’s what your community will receive
The village of Bloomdale is getting stimulus money from the American Rescue Plan, as are the Ohio villages of Bloomingburg, Bloomingdale and Bloomville. Billions of dollars are being allocated throughout Ohio as part of the COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden a week ago. There are billions […]
Ohio talks minimum wage raise after feds leave it tabled
Democratic legislators are leading the charge to raise the minimum wage in the state after a federal effort failed. State. Sen. Hearcel Craig and Sen. Cecil Thomas presented the bill in Senate Workforce and Higher Education recently, proposing increasing wages to $15 an hour by 2025. “Raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2025 would […]
Mailbag: It’s political jockeying season in Ohio
One election cycle you’re proud allies, the next you’re Twitter enemies. That’s politics, 2021 style. Welcome back to another installment of the Ohio Capital Journal Mailbag: Got a question about Ohio politics/government? Send them by email to [email protected] or tweet them to @tylerjoelb. What can we expect timeline-wise between GOP jockeying for governor primary vs […]
Former state treasurer Josh Mandel to run for U.S. Senate
Former state treasurer Josh Mandel announced Wednesday he is running for U.S. Senate, becoming the first major candidate to jump into the race to replace Sen. Rob Portman. Mandel, a Republican, served two terms as state treasurer and previously ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate against Sherrod Brown in 2012. He briefly campaigned to challenge […]