Ohio Affordable Housing Market Target of New Legislation

Construction on Home

A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers wants to give taxpayer money to local communities that adopt pro-housing policies they say will create a healthier housing market.

Sponsors say the new bill introduced Tuesday would stabilize both home prices and rents and “revolutionize” how local governments approach housing supply by using state policy and resources to encourage innovation and access.

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Ohio BLM Activist Convicted for Stealing Donated Money to Facebook Page

Maejor Page

A Toledo man was found guilty of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering by a jury after a six-day trial this week for stealing donated money to his Black Lives Matter (BLM) organization and using it for personal gain, according to the Northern District of Ohio U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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Ohio Taxpayers Losing Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars to Scams

Hacker at a compter

At least 23 government offices throughout Ohio have been affected by scams associated with redirecting payments from public accounts in the past year.

Ohio Auditor Keith Faber said the scams have hit at least 23 government offices in cities, villages, townships and school districts, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses of public funds.

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Ohio Lawmakers Act on DeWine’s Call to Ban Cell Phones in Classroom

Kids on Phone in Class

Gov. Mike DeWine’s push to ban cell phones in Ohio classrooms is meeting resistance from Republicans and Democrats.

In last week’s State of the State address, DeWine called cell phones a major distraction in state schools and asked lawmakers to develop legislation that would eliminate the usage in most classroom settings.

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Ohio Court Blocks House Bill 68 from Taking Effect Next Week

Softball

The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas issued a temporary restraining order on Tuesday to prevent House Bill 68 from taking immediate effect.

House Bill 68, which includes the SAFE Act and the Save Women’s Sports Act, was set to take effect next week on April 24.

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose Applauds House Speaker Mike Johnson and Former President Trump’s Election Integrity Proposal

Ohio Sec State Frank LaRose

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose applauded former President Donald Trump and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson’s (R-LA-04) election integrity proposal to ensure that only U.S. citizens are allowed to register and vote in American elections.

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Toledo, Lucas County to Buy Back Residents’ Medical Debt

Man getting an MRI procedure

Lucas County and the city of Toledo, along with one of the city’s largest health care providers, reached an agreement to wipe out more than $222 million worth of medical debt for area patients.

State Rep. Michele Grim, D-Toledo, made the announcement that is expected to impact 108,737 residents. ProMedica is the second health care provider in the area to abolish debt.

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Lawmakers Want to Address Name, Image, Likeness Law for All Ohioans

Ohio State Football

It’s not just college athletes’ name, image and likeness on the radar of the Ohio House of Representatives.

Normal Ohioans could receive protection from unauthorized use of their identities under a new bill that addresses the growing use of artificial intelligence.

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U.S. Senate Candidate Bernie Moreno Says Sherrod Brown and Joe Biden’s Economic Policies are ‘Crushing Ohio Workers’

Bernie Moreno Inflation

Bernie Moreno, the Republican nominee in the Ohio U.S. Senate race, used Wednesday’s inflation report to call out his opponent, incumbent U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and President Joe Biden for their economic policies that are “crushing Ohio workers.”

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Higher Ohio Minimum Wage Could Be on November Ballot

Servers in Restaurant

A year after language was approved for a constitutional amendment to raise the minimum wage in Ohio, organizers are still collecting signatures to get the issue on the ballot.

A coalition, Raise the Wage Ohio, received approval for the proposed amendment nearly a year ago from the Ohio Ballot Board and has been collecting the more than 413,000 signatures since.

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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Delivers State of the State Address

Mike DeWine Speaking

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine delivered his 2024 State of the State Address to a joint State House and Senate session on Wednesday.

The governor laid out his agenda, which focused on Ohio’s youth, specifically improving access to child care and children’s health care.

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Indicted, Powerful Former Ohio Utilities Chairman Dead; Suicide Suspected

Ohio’s former chairman of the Public Utilities Commissioner, facing charges in the state’s biggest corruption case, has been found dead. The body of Sam Randazzo was discovered late Tuesday morning in a building he owned in Columbus. He was 74.

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Lawmakers React After Norfolk Southern Agrees to $600 Million Settlement to Resolve Lawsuits from East Palestine Train Derailment

East Palestine

Norfolk Southern Corporation announced Tuesday that it reached a $600 million settlement in a class action lawsuit in response to the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, last year.

The railroad company said in a press release that if the court approves the settlement, all class action lawsuits within a 20-mile radius of the derailment and all personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius of the derailment will be resolved.

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Biden in Jeopardy of Not Making Ohio’s November Ballot

President Joe Biden

Ohio law and the planned date for the Democratic National Convention could keep President Joe Biden off the state’s November ballot.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s chief legal counsel wrote Ohio Democratic Party Chairwoman Liz Walters over the weekend, explaining the deadline to certify a presidential candidate in Ohio is Aug. 7.

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Bill Would Ensure Patriotic Groups Can Appear in Ohio Schools

Ohio state Representative Roy Klopfenstein with a Boy Scout

Two Ohio lawmakers want to make sure state schools follow federal law and allow groups like the Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts to be present during the school year.

Proposed legislation in the House of Representatives requires schools to allow U.S. Title 36, which permits patriotic organizations to provide information to students. Those organizations could be the Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, 4-H, Future Farmers of America, Civil Air Patrol, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and many other groups.

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Ohio Auditor Takes over School District Facing $11 Million Deficit

Keith Faber

State Auditor Keith Faber placed a southwest Ohio school district in fiscal emergency Friday after it projected an operating fund deficit of nearly $11 million.

A fiscal analysis by the Auditor of State’s Local Government Services Section certified a projected operating deficit of $10.8 million for the Mt. Health City School District in Hamilton County, near Cincinnati. The figure represents 26% of the district’s general revenue funds for the fiscal year that ends June 30.

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Cybersecurity, Voter Eligibility Focus of New Ohio Legislation

Bernard Willis

A plan to more stringently scrutinize voter registration data and citizenship verification during Ohio’s elections sits before the Ohio House of Representatives.

The proposed legislation, which has yet to be assigned to a committee, also focuses on security of individual voting machines and would require the state’s board of voting system examiners to contain a person with cybersecurity expertise and credentials.

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Yost Agrees Six-Week Abortion Ban Unconstitutional, Other Provisions Not

Attorney General Dave Yost

A Hamilton County judge now must decide on parts of Ohio’s heartbeat law after Attorney General Dave Yost agreed the law banning nearly all abortions is unconstitutional.

In court filings, Yost said Ohio’s 2019 law that banned most abortions in the state was unconstitutional after voters guaranteed the right to an abortion in the state’s constitution in November.

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Ohio Legislation Would Allow Some Criminal Records to Be Sealed

Brett Hillyer Ohio

Two Ohio Republican lawmakers want to make it easier for criminals to have records sealed to help the state’s workforce participation.

Sponsors say the plan – Getting Rehabilitated Ohioans Working or Grow Act – could also reduce revictimization and create an environment of safer and healthier communities and families.

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Independent Challenger Dennis Kucinich Garners Enough Signatures to be on the Ballot for Ohio’s 7th Congressional District

Dennis Kucinich, former Cleveland mayor and longtime Democrat U.S. representative, has garnered enough signatures to be on the ballot for Ohio’s 7th Congressional District as an independent candidate.

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Ohio’s Tornado-Ravaged Counties Await Federal Disaster Declaration

Ohio Gov Mike DeWine surveys tornado damage

State and federal officials are awaiting President Joe Biden’s disaster declaration to help recovery from tornadoes and severe storms that impacted 11 counties in mid-March.

Gov. Mike DeWine, along with Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown and Republican Sen. J.D. Vance, wrote asking for a FEMA presidential disaster declaration to open federal aid for those impacted not already reimbursed by other government programs or private insurance.

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Legislation Would Allow Some Criminal Records to Be Sealed

Ohio State Rep. Bret Hiller

Two Ohio Republican lawmakers want to make it easier for criminals to have records sealed to help the state’s workforce participation.

Sponsors say the plan – Getting Rehabilitated Ohioans Working, or “Grow Act” – could also reduce revictimization and create an environment of safer and healthier communities and families.

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ACLU Sues Ohio over 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortions

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio announced Friday it filed a lawsuit on behalf of abortion providers across the Buckeye State challenging state law that says women must wait a minimum of 24 hours after an in-person medical consultation before getting an abortion performed.

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Ohio’s Unemployment Rate Holds Steady in February

Construction Workers

Ohio’s job market remained neutral in February, better than falling like the national figures, according to analysts.

The new numbers from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services bucked a trend of rising unemployment in the state that covered six months.

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Report: Ohio Spent $1 Billion on Medicaid for People Enrolled in Dual States

More than 124,000 people enrolled in Ohio’s Medicaid program were also enrolled in Medicaid programs in other states, a new report from state Auditor Keith Faber said.

The audit that examined four years’ worth of data also showed the state paid more than $1 billion to medical providers for services to people enrolled in multiple states.

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ACLU of Ohio Files Lawsuit Against House Bill 68’s Ban of Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio announced Tuesday it has filed a lawsuit on behalf of two families challenging the Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, which is included in House Bill 68.

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Former Ohio Speaker of the House Indicted on 10 New Felony Charges

Larry Householder Charges

Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder has been indicted on ten new state felony charges alleging misuse of campaign money and ethics violations, Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Tuesday.

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Report: Ohio Taxpayer Return of Investment One of Nation’s Best

Ohio Capitol Money

Despite the likely feeling most Ohioans have about taxes, they could feel better knowing they have one of the nation’s highest returns on their tax dollars, according to a new report.

The personal finance website WalletHub ranked the Buckeye State fifth in the country in terms of taxpayer return on investment after analyzing state and local tax collections with the quality of services residents receive in each state using 29 different metrics.

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Ohio State Rep. Beth Lear Explains Why Bill to Close Primaries Will Make Elections Fairer

Ohio State Rep. Beth Lear

Ohio State Representative Beth Lear (R-Galena) said her bill that would modify the timeframe for voters and candidates to declare a political party is a “simple” piece of legislation that would work to make elections fairer in the Buckeye State.

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University of Dayton Professor Suggests Bible Says Men Breastfed and Gender is a ‘Colorful Spectrum’

Esther Brownsmith

A professor at the University of Dayton suggested in an op-ed that the Bible paints gender as a spectrum.

University of Dayton Professor of Hebrew Bible Esther Brownsmith wrote a piece in January for the Dayton Daily News in which she argued that scripture “portrays gender as a colorful spectrum.”

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Just Four of 17 Ohio’s Congressional Delegation Say ‘No’ to $1.2 Trillion Spending Plan

Rep. Jim Jordan, Sen. JD Vance; Rep. Troy Balderson, and Rep. Warren Davidson, US Capitol

Just four of 17 members in Congress from Ohio opposed the $1.2 trillion spending bill given to taxpayers as law early Saturday.

Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and Republican Reps. Troy Balderson, Warren Davidson and Jim Jordan all said no in votes cast over Friday and early Saturday morning. Six House Republicans from Ohio cast a vote for the legislation.

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Ohio Legislation Would Close State Primaries in ‘Great Step Forward’ for Election Integrity

Ohio State Rep. Beth Lear

Ohio State Representatives Beth Lear (R-Galena) and Brian Lorenz (R-Powell) are championing legislation that would close primary elections in the Buckeye State, requiring voters to cast ballots to nominate candidates corresponding to their registered political party.

Lear and Lorenz filed HB 437 in early March to require voters be registered as a member of a political party for 90 days in order to cast primary election ballots to select that party’s candidates. The legislation would prevent voters registered to the Democratic and Republican parties from casting primary election ballots in the other party’s contests.

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New Ohio Law Enforcement Certifications Established

Mike DeWine

Law enforcement agencies in Ohio can now be certified in the state’s new standards for professional excellence by meeting nearly three dozen standards established to entrust public confidence, accountability and integrity.

Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed an executive order for the new Law Enforcement Accreditation Program established by the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board.

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CHIPS Act Sends $8.5 Billion to Intel for Production in Ohio and Other States

Joe Biden Intel

The U.S. Department of Commerce and Intel Corporation reached a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms to offer up to $8.5 billion in direct funding via the CHIPS and Science Act to the company in hopes of creating jobs and logic chips in four states.

Intel plans to invest over $100 billion in the United States over the next five years. It also plans to expand its operations in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon, which it estimates will create over 10,000 manufacturing jobs and nearly 20,000 construction jobs, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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Ohio Republican Party Calls on Voters to ‘Unite’ Behind GOP Primary Victors Ahead of General Election

Bernie Moreno Derek Merrin

Alex Triantafilou, the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, is calling on voters across the state to unite behind the Republican candidates who won their primary races on Tuesday ahead of the November general election.

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Yost and Other AGs Want Presidential Immunity Test

Dave Yost

Three state attorneys general want the U.S. Supreme Court to establish a legal test for the limits of presidential immunity.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor, and Wyoming Attorney General Bridget Hill filed an amicus brief in former President Donald Trump’s immunity appeal on federal criminal charges.

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Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance Introduces Bill to Prohibit Universities from Hiring Illegal Aliens

JD Vance

Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) and Indiana U.S. Representative Jim Banks (R-IN-03) have introduced a bill that would prohibit universities that receive federal funding from hiring illegal aliens.

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Intel Issues First Ohio Progress Report on $1.5 Billion Facilities

Intel’s first required progress report shows a $1.5 billion expenditure and another $3 billion committed to what Ohio officials call the largest single private-sector investment in state history.

The report, submitted to the Ohio Department of Development, is part of $2 billion in incentives for the two planned microchip manufacturing facilities in Licking County, including taxpayer-funded grants and tax incentives.

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Bryan Quigley: Ohio U.S. Senate GOP Primary Is a ‘Flip the Coin Election’ Where ‘Every Vote is Going to Count’

Political pundit Bryan Quigley said Tuesday’s GOP U.S. Senate primary in Ohio will be a toss-up race where “every vote is going to count.”

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Proposed Amendment to End Immunity for Ohio Government Officials Rejected

Police officer arresting man

A proposed constitutional amendment that would limit immunity for public officials was rejected for misstatements, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said.

The proposed amendment would repeal constitutional immunities and defenses in cases alleging civil rights violations by governmental units and public employees.

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Bernie Moreno Has Last-Minute Lead in Ohio U.S. Senate GOP Primary Race, Poll Shows

Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan

A final poll conducted by Emerson College Polling revealing how likely voters in Ohio would vote in the 2024 U.S. Senate race shows businessman Bernie Moreno in the lead over challengers State Senator Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls) and Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

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Matt Dolan Maintains Lead in Ohio U.S. Senate GOP Primary Race, New Poll Shows

Matt Dolan, Frank LaRose, Bernie Moreno

A poll conducted by East Carolina University’s Center for Survey Research published on Friday reveals how likely voters in Ohio would vote in the 2024 U.S. Senate race.

In the Republican primary election, the poll shows Ohio State Senator Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls) with a 2-point lead over businessman Bernie Moreno and a 10-point lead over Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

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Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee Sue SEC to Stop New Climate Rule

Dave Yost

Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee sued the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission to stop a rule that requires publicly traded companies to report climate-related information.

The suit, filed by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on behalf of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, asks the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit in Cincinnati to stop the SEC from “overstepping its authority by meddling in environmental policy,” according to a news release.

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Ohio Man Sentenced for Brandishing a Weapon on Frontier Airlines Flight, Forcing Pilot to Make Emergency Landing

William Allen Liebisch

An Ohio man has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to interfering with the performance of the duties of a flight crew.

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Jim Jordan to Hold Fani Willis in Contempt of Congress Unless She Complies with Subpoena by March 28

Jim Jordan Fani Willis

Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) revealed on Thursday he sent a letter expressing his intention to hold Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in contempt of Congress if she does not comply with a subpoena from the House Judiciary Committee by the end of March.

A press release detailed Thursday the U.S. House Judiciary Committee has threatened to hold Willis in contempt over her alleged refusal to comply with a subpoena issued more than a month ago.

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