Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Names Giles Allen as Director of Legislative Affairs

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Monday that he named Giles Allen as his new director of Legislative Affairs.

Allen (pictured above), who is DeWine’s former deputy director of Legislative Affairs, will replace former director of Legislative Affairs Aaron Crooks, who Lt. Governor Jon Husted recently named as his chief of staff.

Read More

Ohio Republican Leader Scott Pullins Announces Exploratory Campaign for House District 98 in 2024

Longtime Ohio conservative Republican leader Scott Pullins announced on Thursday he is exploring a second run for Ohio House District 98 in 2024. State Representative Darrell Kick (R-Loudonville), who is currently in that seat, will not be able to run again because of term limits which, in theory, would create an open seat, but new districts will have to be drawn again.

Pullins, from Knox County, ran for election to the Ohio House District 98, which includes all of Knox County and parts of Morrow and Holmes counties, against Kick in the August 2022 Republican primary. He lost to Kick but gained 43 percent of the vote.

Read More

Ohio University Employees Are Donating to Democrats 10-to-1 over Republicans

With midterm elections this year, Ohio’s 2022 congressional redistricting plans are under scrutiny. The state lost one congressional district last year, bringing the total number down to 15.

The Ohio Supreme Court recently struck down new redistricted maps and gave the Ohio Redistricting Commission until Feb. 17 to draw new maps. As the deadline approached, the Commission decided they were at an “impasse” and negotiations came to a halt as of this writing.

Read More

Ohio University Latest to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccine

Ohio University

Ohio University is the latest school to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine among students, faculty, and staff, according to a letter from school President Hugh Sherman.

“Public health experts are tracking an increase in cases in Ohio and on our campuses due to the extremely contagious Delta variant, and we need to do everything we can to continue to show our care and respect for one another and do our part to help keep the entire community safe and healthy,” the letter says. 

Read More

Resolution Calls on Ohio High Schools to Change Native American Nicknames

The Cleveland Indians changed their nickname to the Guardians last month, and now two Democratic lawmakers want Ohio high schools to follow that lead.

Reps. Adam Miller, D-Columbus, and Jessica Miranda, D-Forest Park, have introduced a resolution that encourages all state schools to retire the use of Native American mascots and to engage Native American groups as part of the process.

Read More

Ohio Governor DeWine Rescinds Quarantine Guidance for Classrooms and Schools, Not Sports and Extracurriculars

During a COVID briefing on Wednesday Ohio Governor Mike DeWine rescinded the State of Ohio guidance suggesting students quarantine after being in close contact with other COVID-positive students in school and the classroom.

“Today we are changing our guidance,” said DeWine, who continued “I know that there’s been a great deal of pain – students not being able to do things because they are in quarantine. I fully understand that and I’m sorry that happened, but we had to follow the CDC guidance.”

The Governor said the decision was based on an evaluation of Ohio students, a CDC report involving students in Mississippi, and priority the Governor has given to teachers and staff to receive the COVID vaccine.

Read More

Ohio University President Gets $72,000 Bonus, Pay Raise, and Increase to Future Bonuses

  The Ohio University Board of Trustees voted in favor of a resolution Friday granting President Duane Nellis a $72,000 bonus and a $7,000 raise after completing a “presidential performance review.” According to The Athens News, Nellis received a $71,000 bonus last year and his base salary will now be…

Read More