Governor DeWine Announces Ohio Air Force Lab Will Be Site of Groundbreaking New Tech

Gov. Mike DeWine, along with several other senior Ohio and military officials, announced Friday that Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport would be the test site for a new and revolutionary aviation system. DeWine was joined in his announcement by Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, and Major General William Cooley, Commander of the Air Force…

Read More

Ohio Attorney General Pushes to Reform Drug Pricing By Focusing on Middlemen

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost blasted the middlemen responsible for negotiating drug prices on behalf of the state Monday, calling for immediate legislative action. The move comes a month after the state formally launched a lawsuit against the pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) responsible for the negotiations. Currently, Ohio cannot directly…

Read More

Ohio Secretary of State Drafting Bill To Automatically Enroll Citizens as Voters

  Secretary of State Frank LaRose along with a bipartisan group of legislators announced in a Wednesday joint press conference that they were crafting an election reform bill that would automatically register eligible citizens to vote throughout the Buckeye state. The bill, which has not yet been introduced, would alter…

Read More

DeWine Proposed Budget Includes New Taxes for Ohio’s Tattoo Artists and Body Piercers

Governor Mike DeWine’s proposed budget for Ohio includes a provision that will raise taxes and regulations on all tattoo artists and body piercers throughout the state. The new provision would require that all current and future tattoo artists and body piercers register with the state for as long as they…

Read More

Federal Judge Blocks Part of Ohio Law Banning Second Trimester Abortion Procedure

A Federal Judge has ruled that portions of an abortion-limiting bill, signed into law late last year, cannot be enforced as the law is written. As previously reported: On December 13, 2018, then-Governor John Kasich signed Senate Bill 145 (SB 145), commonly referred to as a Dismemberment Abortion Ban into…

Read More

Labor Union Representing Lordstown Auto Workers Rocked By Scandal

The labor union solely responsible for the future of Ohio’s Lordstown Auto Complex was blasted Wednesday in Tennessee for the myriad of scandals that have plagued the organization over the past several years. The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, commonly known as the United…

Read More

Ohio Future Foundation’s Chairman Jim Renacci Hosts Facebook Live Budget Forum with State Rep. Powell and Buckeye State Fellow Greg Lawson

The Ohio Future Foundation hosted a wide-ranging Facebook live interview that reviewed the March 15 budget biennial 2020-2021 proposed by  Governor DeWine. Ohio Future Foundation Chairman Jim Renacci was joined by Republican State Representative Jena Powell of Ohio’s 80th district and Senior Fellow Greg Lawson of the Buckeye Institute, a…

Read More

Last of Lordstown Auto Parts Manufacturing Ends Two Months Early: More Layoffs to Follow

The last manufacturing orders left for the rapidly shuttering Lordstown Auto Plant finished up on April 5. The project – metal stamping replacement parts for the Chevy Cruze – was slated to last until June, ensuring work for those few employees still not laid off.  With the job wrapping up…

Read More

Tim Ryan Blames Trump for Migrant Crisis, Calls the President ‘Lazy’

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), now a 2020 presidential hopeful, placed the fault for the current migrant crisis squarely on the shoulders of President Donald Trump Sunday, stating that “the president has caused it” by being “lazy.” The nine-term congressman made the statement during a wide-ranging interview with Kasie Hunt on MSNBC.…

Read More

Report: Ohioans Enrolled in Obamacare Had 20 Percent of Medical Claims Denied Despite Coverage

A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation has found that, from 2015-2017, 20% of all claims made by individuals covered under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, have been denied. This has led to thousands of patients going “out of pocket” to cover expensive procedures or putting…

Read More

New Ohio Bill Would Overhaul Controversial ‘State Takeovers’ of Local Public Schools

A new Republican-backed bill is being considered that would dramatically undo a major and controversial education initiative that was supported and signed by former Gov. John Kasich. In 2015, Ohio was facing an epidemic of failing schools. An Ohio Department of Education report for 2014-2015 found that only six of the…

Read More

Buckeye Institute Fellow Testifies for Bill Intended to Increase Accountability in Government

Greg Lawson, a research fellow at the free-market think tank The Buckeye Institute, testified Wednesday before an Ohio legislative committee on the importance of a bill that would “codify” a new tool to expand government transparency in the state. In December of 2014, then Republican State Treasurer of Ohio Josh Mandel oversaw…

Read More

DeWine Officially Signs Heartbeat Bill as National Groups Prepare for Legal Battle

Gov. Mike DeWine signed Ohio’s heartbeat bill into law Thursday afternoon, and advocacy groups and legal teams nationwide are all preparing for what is sure to be a major political and legal battle. For the third time in the last decade, a bill that would ban all abortions after a fetal heartbeat…

Read More

Ohio Petition to Bypass Electoral College Abandoned Days After Launching

A push to amend the Ohio State Constitution to negate the electoral college came to an end after nine days on Tuesday. On March 21, the law firm McTigue & Colombo LLC filed two petitions with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost to create a new constitutional amendment. The two petitions were…

Read More

Two Ohio-Based Nuclear Power Plants Will Receive Bailouts Under Legislators’ New Plan

Ohio legislators revealed Monday their latest plan to save Ohio’s only two nuclear power plants from bankruptcy. As previously reported, FirstEnergy Solutions, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy that manages several power stations across the Midwest, announced that it was closing all three of the nuclear plants it owns and operates throughout the region. Two…

Read More

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown Blasts Trump on Obamacare Repeal, Calls on Governor and Attorney General to ‘Do More’

Monday, Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown and Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein, in a joint press conference at PrimaryOne Health in Ohio, pledged to oppose President Trump’s recent efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), nicknamed “Obamacare.” As previously reported, the court case Texas v. Azar ruled that the ACA was unconstitutional. The…

Read More

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown Joins Bipartisan Group Introducing Bill Sanctioning China for Opioid Trafficking

Democratic Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown joined a bipartisan group of six Senators Thursday to introduce a bill that would sanction any country involved in the trafficking of illegal opioids into the United States. According to the U.S Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2018 National Drug Assessment, synthetic opioids,…

Read More

Ohio Republican Joins Cannibus Caucus in Pushing for Greater Marijuana Protection from Federal Government

Ohio Republican Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH-14), along with the entire Congressional Cannabis Caucus, introduced a bill Wednesday that seeks to protect state marijuana policies by strengthening states’ rights. The Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States Act, the “STATES Act” for short, would function to amend existing laws, specifically the Controlled…

Read More

Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan Announces 2020 Candidacy, Pledges to Send Trump ‘Back to Mar-A-Lago’

In an appearance on The View, Ohio Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), announced Thursday his candidacy for the 2020 presidential election. The nine-term representative from Ohio’s 13th district (formerly 17th) pointed to the recent closure of the Lordstown Assembly Complex in his district as evidence that President Donald Trump is failing in…

Read More

More Layoffs for Lordstown Auto Workers as GM Accelerates Closure

One of the primary service providers to the Lordstown plant in Ohio announced Thursday another round of layoffs for their beleaguered factory workers. Leadec Industrial Services is a German-based service provider of “janitorial, mechanical, and maintenance services” to GM’s Lordstown Auto Plant. In an initial letter, sent on Feb. 13,…

Read More

Ohio Catholic School Sues City for Violating First Amendment Rights

A private Ohio Catholic School filed suit Wednesday against the city of South Euclid over a recent anti-discrimination ordinance that, they allege, discriminates against the school’s religious freedom. On April 9, 2018, the City Council of the City of South Euclid passed Ordinance No. 12-17, found in South Euclid, Ohio Code…

Read More

Ohio Medicinal Marijuana Sales Lagging: Price and Availability Cited as Chief Concerns

The Ohio Medicinal Marijuana Control Program released it’s weekly sales figures Monday for Medicinal Marijuana throughout Ohio. Since the controversial drug became available on Jan. 16, it has sold just under three million dollars worth of medicinal marijuana. These low numbers are raising questions about the drug’s future viability in the Buckeye…

Read More

Ohio Legislature Reaches Compromise on Gas Tax Hike

Late Tuesday night, a joint legislative committee of the Ohio House and Senate reached a compromise on the controversial and divisive gas-tax hike. The gas tax will increase by 10.5 cents per gallon, and 19 cents per gallon for diesel fuel. While this falls short of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s original…

Read More

Gas Prices Spike as Ohio Legislature Approves Gas Tax Hike

The American Automobile Association (AAA) announced Monday that only three months into 2019, the nation’s average gas price has spiked by almost 45 cents. Ohio prices increased as well, but by slightly less than the national average. While Ohioans may be relieved, experts are predicting that these price increases are expected…

Read More

Following Multi-State Tour, Ohio Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan Mulls 2020 Run

Saturday evening, Ohio Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan made one of his last appearances in a multi-state blitz tour of early presidential primary states. When Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown decided not to run last month, most Ohioans thought that would be it for Ohio politicians entering the 2020 race. Yet Rep. Ryan, despite not announcing…

Read More

New Bill Provides Tax Exemption for Ohio’s Disabled Veterans

A bill currently under consideration by the Ohio Legislature would exempt disability service pay, made to honorably discharged veterans, from state income taxes. House Bill 18 (HB 18) was introduced to the Ohio House of Representatives last month. Wednesday, the bill finally came to a vote where it passed by an…

Read More

Report: Ohio Prison Population Still Growing Despite Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform

Despite bipartisan calls for a reduction in the prison population and a slew of laws aimed at doing just that, a new report released this week has found that the prison population of Ohio has continued to climb over the past decade. Since 2011, the state has passed several new…

Read More

Ohio Attorney General Opposes Scrapping All of Obamacare, Breaking With President Trump

Ohio Republican Attorney General Dave Yost announced Wednesday he would oppose President Donald Trump’s plan to completely repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare. On December 14, 2018, shortly before the 2019 open enrollment period ended, a contentious and controversial case was finally ruled on by the U.S. Supreme…

Read More

Ohio Joint Legislative Committee Fails to Reach Compromise on Gas Tax Hike

Thursday’s joint committee meeting to find a compromise on the controversial gas tax hike appears to have ended inconclusively. As previously reported, the gas tax hike has proved an extremely divisive start to the legislative calendar.  Currently, House Bill 62 (HB 62), the 2020-21 Ohio Transportation Budget, the first major bill…

Read More

Ohio Legislators Push for New Missile Defense Site to be Located in Ohio

A group of Ohio Legislators in an open letter Thursday called on Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan to select Ohio as the location for a new missile defense site and complex. The Continental United States Interceptor Site (CIS) is the only ground-based segment of the total U.S. defense system.…

Read More

Buckeye Institute Blasts Tax Hike, Warns Legislators: ‘Don’t Increase the Tax Burden on Ohioans!’

A joint committee of the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate was convened Wednesday in the hopes of reconciling the major divides in their respective transportation budgets. As they work towards a solution, one state think tank is reminding them not to forget the consequences Ohio citizens will face as a result…

Read More

Supreme Court Hears Gerrymandering Case That Could Extensively Redraw the Ohio Electoral Map

The United States Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments Tuesday on a pair of cases that could lead to the Ohio electoral map being completely redrawn. The two cases, Rucho v. Common Cause and Lamone v. Benisekm, could both set precedents that could supersede a similar Ohio case making its way to…

Read More

Despite Growing Support for Hemp Legalization, Ohio Government Cracks Down

As the Ohio Senate considers legalizing hemp and hemp byproducts in the Buckeye State, the Ohio Department of Health, along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is simultaneously cracking down on any form of sale of the substance. Currently, hemp is trapped in a complicated legal limbo and while state legalization will alleviate many of…

Read More

Ohio Medicinal Marijuana Sales Break Two Million Dollars as New Dispensaries Open

The Ohio government announced Thursday that several new dispensaries have been given the green light to open for business in the Buckeye State. The Ohio Medicinal Marijuana Control Program, which oversees the implementation, sales, and regulation of medicinal marijuana throughout the state has confirmed that three new dispensaries have received their…

Read More

Ohio Senate Breaks Even Further from Governor DeWine, Lowering Gas Tax to Six Cents

The Republican-held Ohio Senate joined Republicans in the House of Representatives in opposing Gov. Mike DeWine on his proposed gas-tax hike. House Bill 62 (HB 62), the 2020-21 Ohio transportation budget, first proposed by DeWine on Feb. 12, originally called for an 18 cent increase to the current gas tax. This was…

Read More

Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Ohio Abortion Limit Passed Last Year

A Senior District Judge is placing a two-week hold on a key provision of an Ohio abortion limit passed in December of last year. On December 13, 2018, then-Governor John Kasich signed Senate Bill 145 (SB 145), commonly referred to as a Dismemberment Abortion Ban into law. It is, as…

Read More

Ohio Lawmakers Propose Protecting Elections with Civilian Cyber Militia

The Ohio State Senate’s Committee on Government Oversight and Reform took up a bill Wednesday with a unique solution to protect the ballot box in the next election. Senate Bill 52 (SB 52) will authorize the creation of the “Ohio Cyber Reserve,” a new division of the Ohio National Guard…

Read More

Columbus Civil Servant Sues Union Over Forced Payments

A city employee of Columbus, Ohio has filed a class action lawsuit against her local labor union for forcing her to pay union fees, despite the practice being ruled unconstitutional. Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) was one of the most impactful Supreme Court rulings…

Read More

Columbus Ohio Files Suit Against Ohio Over Gun Law

Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein announced Tuesday the City of Columbus would sue the state of Ohio over new gun law passed late last year. As previously reported, House Bill 228 (HB 228) established: Through an override of Ohio Governor John Kasich’s veto, the Ohio congress passed HB 228, expanding a…

Read More

President Trump Pushes GM CEO to Reopen Lordstown Auto Plant

In a series of tweets from Saturday to Sunday, President Donald Trump made it clear that he was aggressively advocating for the reopening of the Lordstown Assembly Complex in Ohio. Because the economy is so good, General Motors must get their Lordstown, Ohio, plant open, maybe in a different form or…

Read More

Amidst Rocky Campaign Rollout, 2020 Hopeful Beto O’Rourke Comes to Cleveland

Monday, 2020 presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke made his first appearance in the Buckeye State. It’s safe to say that the former congressman was hoping the visit could shake off what has been somewhat of a mixed campaign rollout. The Republican National Committee (RNC) Spokesperson Mandi Merritt was quick to note that: It’s been…

Read More

Report: Obama Administration Failed To Declare Fentanyl a National Emergency After Multiple Warnings

A groundbreaking report by the Washington Post has revealed that from 2013 to 2017, the Obama administration ignored, downplayed, or failed to act on multiple warnings that synthetic opioid deaths were becoming an epidemic in the country. In the most startling instance, 11 opioid medical experts pressed the administration to declare Fentanyl…

Read More

Federal Agency Approves Ohio Work Requirement for Medicaid

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved Ohio’s work rules for “able-bodied” recipients of Medicare Friday. Obamacare included a requirement that all 50 states expand Medicare eligibility to cover every individual whose income was up to 133 percent of the poverty line by January 1, 2014. In 2012, in a…

Read More

Governor DeWine Blasts Republican Controlled House for Lowering Gas Tax Proposal

Governor Mike DeWine aggressively condemned his fellow Republicans Monday for not supporting his gas tax increase in a candid interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial Board. During the interview, he accused them of outright endangering the safety of Ohioans statewide by not supporting his plan. DeWine, in one of…

Read More

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Announces Plan for 30 New Drug Courts to Combat Opioid Epidemic

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine unveiled the latest aspect of his plan Tuesday to fight opioid addiction by creating more specialty courts statewide. The plan is the latest announced component of his upcoming budget proposal for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.  If approved, it would allocate $2.5 million in 2020 for the creation of “15 specialty…

Read More

Ohio Senate Passes Bill to Restrict Abortions After the Detection of a Heartbeat

The Ohio Senate passed one of the most comprehensive and impactful abortion limitations in the country Wednesday. Senate Bill 23 (SB 23), commonly referred to as the “Heartbeat Bill” would ban all abortions once a heartbeat can be detected by a doctor. In many cases, this can be as early…

Read More

Ohio 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Affirms State Can ‘Defund’ Planned Parenthood

The Ohio 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 11-6 Tuesday that Ohio has the right to withhold public funds from abortion providers, most notably Planned Parenthood. On Feb. 21st, 2016, then-Republican Governor John Kasich signed House Bill 294. The bill’s intent is to prevent the use of public funds for elective (a.k.a. “nontherapeutic”) abortions.…

Read More

Governor Mike DeWine Declares a State of Emergency 20 Ohio Counties

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine formally called for a state of emergency Thursday in counties across Ohio. The decision was made in response to excessive rainfall that resulted in severe flooding in 20 separate counties. According to the Emergency Proclamation, from Feb. 5th to Feb. 13th “Severe storms and excessive rainfall resulting…

Read More