ABORTION
Planned Parenthood
Advocates of Ohio Executive Director Lauren Blauvelt is on the 2024 TIME100
list, TIME magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the
world. "Our success enshrining abortion into Ohio's Constitution proves
that protecting the right to abortion is possible in every state, regardless of
party politics," Blauvelt said. The full list and related tributes will
appear in the April 29 issue of TIME and online at https://tinyurl.com/m7fa7hwh. The article on Blauvelt is available at https://tinyurl.com/245rzjwx.
ADDICTION/SUBSTANCE ABUSE
The OneOhio Recovery
Foundation welcomed physician and Sen. Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) this week to
replace Senate Majority Floor Leader Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) on its board of
directors, which addressed conflicts of interest Wednesday and updated the
organization's roster from 100 grant applicants in March to "450 and
growing" this month, Director Alisha Nelson told members. Nelson said the
nearly 500 grant hopefuls represent all regions of the state and many local interests.
AGING
Ohio Department of
Aging (ODA) Director Ursel J. McElroy announced Wednesday that the Scripps
Gerontology Center at Miami University will soon launch the state's Biennial
Survey of Long-Term Care Facilities. The survey is commissioned by ODA and is
the only survey that collects information from every long-term care facility in
the state. It captures metrics in categories such as capacity, occupancy,
payment types accepted, staff, types of services offered, and more.
Participation in this survey is mandated for all long-term care facilities by
Section 173.44 of the Ohio Revised Code. Facility administrators will be
contacted directly in the coming days with instructions on accessing and
completing the survey, according to ODA. Staff from Scripps Gerontology Center
will also be available to provide technical assistance to facility
administrators. Administrators can contact the Scripps helpline by emailing
biennialltcsurvey@miamioh.edu or by calling 1-844-850-0043.
AGRICULTURE
The Ohio Department of
Agriculture (ODAg) has issued a quarantine for six counties in Southwest Ohio
to prevent the spread of an invasive insect -- the box tree moth. Butler,
Clermont, Hamilton, Greene, Montgomery, and Warren counties now have regulations
in place restricting the movement of boxwood shrubs out of the area, the
department said. ODAg is encouraging landscapers and residents in these
counties to check the quarantine boundaries and not transport the plants
outside of the quarantined area. A map of the quarantined zone can be found at https://tinyurl.com/mt68u4sw.
ARTS, SPORTS AND
ENTERTAINMENT
Rap legend Ice Cube
and country music star Jamey Johnson will perform at the 2024 Ohio State Fair,
officials announced Tuesday. Ice Cube will perform on Tuesday, July 30 at 7
p.m. Tickets cost $62 or $52. Johnson with special guest Southall will play on Saturday,
Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $48 or $38. Each concert ticket purchased in
advance includes admission to the Ohio State Fair. All concerts take place in
the indoor, air-conditioned WCOL Celeste Center. Tickets are available for
purchase at www.ticketmaster.com/OhioStateFair.
CHILDREN/FAMILIES
Gov. Mike DeWine
Friday announced the initial communities in 11 counties that will be served by
the new universal nurse home visiting program, Family Connects, and its partner
organizations. Family Connects will offer all new families, within the geographic
areas selected, a nurse home visit around three weeks after the family brings
their baby home. The visits will begin in the summer, with the goal of serving
approximately 4,000 new families within a year of beginning the program. The
partners and communities include the following:
- Every Child
Succeeds will offer visits to families in 16 zip codes throughout Hamilton
County (45202, 45204, 45205, 45206, 45208, 45209, 45213, 45214, 45215, 45216,
45225, 45229, 45232, 45238, 45242, 45246).
- Fisher-Titus
Medical Center will offer visits to families who deliver their babies at
the Medical Center, which includes primarily residents of Huron and Erie
counties.
- Greene County
Public Health, Darke County General Health District, Fayette County Public
Health and Sidney-Shelby County Health Department collaboration will offer
visits to families in Darke, Fayette, Greene and Shelby counties.
- Mahoning Public
Health and Trumbull County Combined Health District will offer visits to
families in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
- Noble County
Health Department and the Cambridge-Guernsey County Health Department will
offer visits to families in Noble and Guernsey counties.
The Ohio Chamber of
Commerce Tuesday hosted its inaugural Access & Affordability to Childcare
Summit, with panels on child care delivery models, best practices, and a
"fireside chat" with the director of the new Ohio Department of
Children and Youth, Kara Wente. The summit comes on the heels of Gov. Mike
DeWine's "State of the State" address in which he continued to focus
on children and improving accessing to child care. During the address, DeWine
announced, among other initiatives, the "Child Care Choice Voucher Program"
for families who earn up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or
$60,000 for a family of four; as well as $85 million for "Child Care
Access Grants" to provide resources to improve and expand existing child
care facilities. Both programs make use of federal funding. On Tuesday, Wente discussed
the new programs and issues like affordability, ensuring quality, and
public-private partnerships in a conversation with Ohio Chamber President and
CEO Steve Stivers, who has also repeatedly highlighted the effect of the child
care crisis on business and the economy.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
The latest version of
SB37 (Blessing-Ingram) would allow judges to continue to suspend Ohioans'
driver's licenses for certain non-driving-related offenses. In a party-line
vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee accepted a substitute version of the bill
on Wednesday.
DISABILITIES
Family members of
Ohioans with disabilities and health challenges shared horror stories of abuse
and neglect in care facilities Wednesday in a House committee hearing, urging
the members to pass legislation allowing them to use audio-video surveillance
to monitor the care of their loved ones and expanding Medicaid coverage of
home- and community-based services to include payments to family caregivers.
The House Families and Aging Committee held a hearing for proponent witnesses
of HB465 (Carruthers), which is dubbed "Lauren's Law." More than a
dozen people spoke or provided written remarks to the committee in support of
the bill. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland), the committee chair, noted many of
those submitting written remarks could not attend in person because they were
at home caring for their loved ones.
DISASTERS
The Ohio Controlling
Board Monday approved nearly $4 million in disaster relief funds for the Indian
Lake region after it was struck by a deadly tornado last month. Those funds,
which were requested by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, will be disbursed
to Logan and Auglaize counties for debris removal, safety and security
operations, and to repair damage to municipal electrical systems and municipal
buildings. Logan County will receive $3.75 million and Auglaize County will
receive $187,500 through the State Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) -- a
reimbursement program that can be used in instances where storm damage does not
meet the threshold for federal assistance.
EDUCATION
The Controlling Board
approved nearly $11 million in advance funding to the Mt. Healthy City School
District in Hamilton County. The Ohio Auditor of State declared the school in
fiscal emergency earlier this month, finding an operating deficit of $10,758,000.
The advance, equal to the deficit, will keep the district solvent in FY24, and
it will be paid back over the next two fiscal years. According to the Ohio
Department of Education and Workforce (DEW), the district would not be able to
meet payroll or other financial obligations without assistance. The deficit,
which is equal to the advance, represents 26 percent of Mt. Healthy's General
Fund revenues for FY24.
Sen. Andrew Brenner
(R-Delaware) said Wednesday to expect an amendment aimed at limiting cell phone
usage in schools potentially within the next week. Brenner, chair of the Senate
Education Committee, said an amendment addressing students' use of cell phones
in school may be added to HB250 (Miranda-Richardson). The amendment requires
each school district board of education to adopt a policy governing the use of
cell phones by students during school hours. The policy, according to the
amendment, must "emphasize that student cellular telephone use be as
limited as possible during school hours," and "reduce cellular
telephone-related distractions in classroom settings."
The Ohio Department of
Education and Workforce (DEW) is gathering feedback in advance of posting a
draft rewrite of state rules on school transportation, which could address
recent budget bill changes as well recommendations of Gov. Mike DeWine's school
bus safety working group. DEW held a video conference Tuesday for stakeholders
on plans for the rule revisions, which are being considered as part of the
routine five-year review required for all administrative rules. Colleen Grady,
senior program officer for educational policy and options at DEW, said to
address concerns about mid-year rule implementation, DEW is looking to have the
new rules take effect for the 2025-2026 academic year, though the rule
revisions will likely be finalized by the end of 2024. Student transportation
rules are addressed now in Ohio Administrative Code 3301-83-01 through -25. The
department followed up Wednesday by posting the draft rules for comment. They
are available at https://tinyurl.com/yeyswdnp.
ELECTIONS 2024
One proposed solution
to the looming issue of President Joe Biden's getting onto Ohio's November
ballot was rejected this week by Attorney General Dave Yost's office, which
said Ohio law does not allow a political party to "provisionally certify"
a candidate to the ballot. Democratic attorney Don McTigue had proposed the
solution to Secretary of State Frank LaRose's office after LaRose had pointed
out that the Democratic National Convention to nominate Biden will be held
after the 90-day statutory deadline for political parties to submit the names
of their presidential and vice presidential candidates. Under the proposal,
Democrats would provisionally certify Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris
before the Wednesday, Aug. 7 statutory deadline, and then would confirm the
results by Sunday, Aug. 25, after the Democratic National Convention, which is
set to begin on Monday, Aug. 19, in Chicago.
Democrat Mark Sigrist,
a Grove City councilman and retired Honda employee, is the official winner of
the 10th District Ohio House of Representatives race after the Franklin County
Board of Elections completed a recount on Monday. According to the board, no
totals were changed over the official certified results, which had Sigrist
defeating Sarah Pomeroy by just 20 votes. The race went to an automatic recount
because the difference in votes was less than half of a percent.
Candidates, and the
super PACs supporting and opposing them, spent millions of dollars in the final
days of the primary campaign for the U.S. Senate, with Republican Bernie Moreno
emerging victorious to take on U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown. Monday was the deadline
for federal candidates to file fundraising reports covering the period from
Feb. 29, through March 31. Additionally, super PACs reported their activity
through the first three months to support or oppose federal candidates.
Secretary of State
Frank LaRose Thursday announced the "Ready for November" initiative,
which will include a series of collaborative training opportunities between
Ohio's 88 county boards of elections and the secretary of state's elections,
public integrity and communications staff to ensure election officials are
trained and prepared for the 2024 presidential election. Among some of the
topics covered by the initiative, election officials will preview poll worker
recruitment and training, provisional voting, election night reporting, early
vote and election day logistics, election integrity protocols and communication
best practices, among other topics.
The following
endorsements were made over the week:
- The re-election
campaign of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced the endorsements of the
Ohio State Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters, Sprinkler Fitters, and
Mechanical Equipment Service Technicians.
- The Hamilton County
Republican Party endorsed Sen. Louis Blessing (R-Cincinnati) for re-election
and John Sess, Jim Berns, John Breadon, Curt Hartman, Jenn Giroux, Cindy
Abrams, and Mike Odioso for the Ohio House.
- The U.S. Senate
campaign of Republican Bernie Moreno announced the endorsements of U.S. Reps.
Brad Wenstrup (R-Cincinnati), Jim Jordan (R-Urbana), Bob Latta (R-Bowling
Green), Max Miller (R-Rocky River), Warren Davidson (R-Troy), Mike Turner
(R-Centerville), Troy Balderson (R-Zanesville), Dave Joyce (R-Novelty) and Mike
Carey (R-Columbus).
ENERGY/UTILITIES
Ohio Chancellor Mike
Duffey was a 30-something freshman legislator when the General Assembly first
entered the battle over sub-metered utilities with a raft of four bills to
regulate services to multi-family dwellings. In the decade since, four sponsors
including Duffey have embraced new challenges and one has died, now leaving it
to the Ohio Supreme Court to grant renters equal protection under the state's
utility law or punt the dispute back to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
(PUCO) on procedural grounds. The Office of Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC)
American Electric Power (AEP) have both appealed Ohio Power Company v.
Nationwide Energy Partners -- the latter Ohio's leading utility reseller --
to the high court after PUCO imposed certain restrictions on sub-meterers last
year, including a local-utility price match and customer disconnect standards,
but denied landlord-dependent Ohioans the full protection of the state as
apparent consumers of third-party services rather than as captive ratepayers
under Ohio's system of local distribution utilities.
The PUCO is asking the
Biden administration to approve $11.4 million from the federal Grid Resilience
Formula Grant Program for eight projects led by American Electric Power (AEP)
of Ohio and Duke Energy Ohio. Commissioners approved the proposals Wednesday for
submission to the U.S Department of Energy (DOE). DOE requires a 100 percent
match from sub-awardees handling over 4 million megawatt hours (MWh) per year
and 33 percent from those under that load, bringing Ohio applicants' total
match to $9.8 million. Distribution utilities, generators, electric grid
operators, transmission owners and operators, electric storage facilities, and
fuel suppliers may apply for grants currently slated through FFY26, with $3.9
billion available in the current and subsequent federal fiscal years.
FEDERAL
The United States
Postal Service (USPS) plans to increase mailing service prices effective
Sunday, July 14, 2024, according to a notice filed recently with the Postal
Regulatory Commission, which oversees USPS operations and pricing. Proposed
adjustments have been approved by the governors of the postal service and would
raise mailing service prices approximately 7.8 percent. If favorably reviewed
by the regulatory commission, the price increases would include the following:
- First-Class Mail
Forever Stamp: to 73 cents from 68 cents.
- Letters (metered one
ounce): to 69 cents from 64 cents.
- Domestic Postcards:
to 56 cents from 53 cents.
- International
Postcards: to $1.65 from $1.55.
- International letter
(one ounce): to $1.65 from $1.55.
- Additional-ounce
price for single letters: to 28 cents from 24 cents.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod
Brown (D-OH) and Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown held a press call
Wednesday, with both saying Congress needs to get its "act together"
and pass legislation that would renew the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
before its funding runs out. The ACP offers qualifying households a discount of
up to $30 per month toward Internet service, but April is the last month that
will be fully offered without new action by Congress. Enrollment was frozen on
Feb. 8, 2024, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website.
Sen. Brown said all Ohio families should have high-speed Internet without
paying "exorbitant" prices and that many households lack alternative
service options. More than one in four Ohio households have used ACP, including
senior citizens who got Internet service for the first time. He also detailed
how high-speed Internet is important for health care, education and starting a
business.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE
The House Democratic
Caucus Wednesday announced the formation of a screening panel that will
interview candidates for former Rep. Jessica Miranda's (D-Cincinnati) 28th
District seat. Miranda resigned Saturday after she was appointed Hamilton
County auditor, succeeding the late Brigid Kelly, who died last month after a
battle with cancer. The panel, led by Rep. Dan Troy (D-Willowick), is
requesting resumes and letters of interest from individuals seeking appointment
to the House District 28 seat, the caucus said. The caucus will appoint a
qualified applicant to serve the remainder of Miranda's term, which runs
through December 2024. Troy will be joined by Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio
(D-Gahanna) and Cincinnati-area Reps. Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati) and Rachel
Baker (D-Cincinnati) on the screening panel to interview applicants and make a
recommendation to the 32-member Minority Caucus. Applicants should email
resumes and cover letters to House Democratic Chief of Staff Jordan Plottner by
6 p.m. on Friday, April 26 at jordan.plottner@ohiohouse.gov.
Some areas of the Ohio
Statehouse may be without air conditioning for a period of time in the coming
months as the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) continues
various improvements from the elevators, to audio and HVAC systems. CSRAB
Executive Director Laura Battocletti gave the board an update during a meeting
Thursday, saying that the most labor-intensive project in the coming months
will be updates to the HVAC system, which involve replacing up to 250 various
components tied to the system that provide supplemental heating and cooling to
various rooms throughout the Statehouse. Battocletti said CSRAB will inform the
public about the various "pain points" that may be without cooling
and how long it is expected to last.
In other action, CSRAB
began discussing various rule updates and changes as most of its rules are
coming up for a five-year review by the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review
(JCARR). The board is expected to act on the rules at its meeting during the
summer, but Battocletti previewed a number of changes.
In other legislative
action, the House Health Provider Services Committee reported out SB81
(Romanchuk), which deals with medical professionals’ authorized duties.
GUNS
President Joe Biden's
recently announced National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center and
"red flag" policy undermine Ohioans' and other citizens' fundamental
right to legal due process, equal protection under the law, and freedom from
unreasonable search and seizure, Attorney General (AG) Dave Yost and 18 other
red state AGs argue in a scathing letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick
Garland. Led by West Virgina Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, the AGs said
that the Biden administration has overstepped its constitutional authority by
seeking to direct states' gun safety policies and especially their position on
red-flag restrictions on the Second Amendment gun rights of the mentally ill.
"The idea that federal officials would purport to instruct state and local
officials on how to implement state and local laws is strange enough,
especially when the aim is to undermine a federal constitutional right,"
say Yost and colleagues.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Looming restrictions
on gender transition services for children and transgender women and girls'
participation in K-12 and collegiate sports are on hold under a judge's order
issued Tuesday. Judge Michael Holbrook of Franklin County Common Pleas Court issued
a temporary restraining order requested by families of two children, identified
by the pseudonyms Madeline Moe and Grace Goe, who are in the midst of or
considering hormonal treatments that would be disrupted by HB68 (Click).
Lawmakers passed the law in December of 2023 then returned in January to
override Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of the legislation. The ACLU of Ohio filed
suit in late March to block its enforcement. It was due to take effect next
week. Holbrook said he found "little doubt as to the irreparable nature of
the actual physical injury to plaintiffs upon enforcement of the act. There is
certainly a point where the changes to the body as a result of the progression
of puberty cannot be reversed."
Earlier on Monday, Ohio
Department of Health (ODH) rules banning gender transition surgeries and
referrals for minors had been cleared to move forward after Republicans on the
Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) voted against invalidating them.
Numerous witnesses testified against the rules, and Democrats argued they
should be invalidated for violating several JCARR prongs. JCARR had also been scheduled
to consider ODH rules on reporting requirements for gender transition care, but
those rules were placed in "to be refiled" status ahead of the
meeting.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Ohio State University
(OSU) President Ted Carter delivered his first "State of the
University" address at the Ohio Union recently, marking his first 100 days
as Ohio State's 17th president. Carter discussed the history of the university,
which opened in 1873 as the Ohio Agricultural and Technical College, touted its
successes, and reviewed his vision for the university's future. One of those
areas of success is around research, Carter said. Last year, Emeritus OSU
Professor Pierre Agostini was one of three individuals to be awarded the 2023 Nobel
Prize in Physics for his study of electron dynamics in matter, making him the
fifth Nobel Prize laureate in the history of Ohio State. Carter also noted,
"I'm part of a small consortium of university presidents, and I'm the only
Big 10 president right now, writing a strategy for the nation on higher
education as a strategic asset. … I will submit to you, in the present, that
only a few public land grant universities of our stature can turn this
conversation around. And we have the people, we have the ambassadors, we have
the backing of the Buckeye community that understands how important this part
of our mission is."
The University of
Toledo (UT) announced plans to merge its College of Nursing and College of
Health and Human Services into one college and to merge the College of Arts and
Letters with the Judith Herb College of Education. Committees of faculty and
staff from the colleges are being formed to work through the logistics of the
proposed mergers during the upcoming school year. The goal is for the four
colleges to become two colleges by the start of the 2025-26 academic year.
President Joe Biden
recently released initial details of a new proposal that could bring the total
number of borrowers eligible for some student debt forgiveness to over 30
million borrowers. The public will have an opportunity to comment on the plans
in the coming week. In addition, Biden also announced $7.4 billion in debt
cancellation for 277,000 borrowers, although Ohio joined several states in a
lawsuit challenging the president's Saving on A Valuable Education (SAVE) plan.
Lakeland Community
College (LKCC) in Northeast Ohio is overstaffed and burdened with debt related
to facilities that are significantly underused because of continued declines in
student enrollment over the past decade, according to the Ohio Auditor of State.
LKCC stands at the precipice of fiscal watch, the auditor's office said, and
administrators will have to make difficult decisions related to workforce,
class and program offerings, and facilities to remain in operation. Auditor of
State Keith Faber said, "LKCC's trajectory is unsustainable." The
concerns, along with recommendations to address the downward enrollment trends,
are included in a performance audit of LKCC released Tuesday by the auditor’s Performance
Team, which reviews the operations of government agencies and programs and
offers recommendations to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.
HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS
Saying they are
"using carrots, not sticks," Reps. Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) and
Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) Tuesday announced bipartisan legislation that would
create a grant program to incentivize local governments to adopt policies
friendly to creating more housing as a way to address the state's looming
housing crisis. Isaacsohn said there are not enough options for Ohioans'
looking for a place to rent or buy that they can afford, will fit their needs,
and they will feel safe in. He said their proposed bill would
"revolutionize" how local governments approach housing policy. The
bill was drafted with the input of local governments, housing advocates, and
developers. Under the legislation, any local government that adopts at least
three of 12 different policy options to address housing, from eliminating
parking minimums, to providing density bonuses for developments or speeding up
the permitting process, would be eligible to apply for grant money from the
state.
After 35 hours of
listening to testimony from more than 200 witnesses across Ohio, the Senate
Select Committee on Housing announced Wednesday its findings and provided 23
recommendations the General Assembly should look at to fix the current housing
crisis in Ohio. Members of the Select Committee on Housing present included the
chair of the committee, Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-Columbus), along with Sen.
Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus), Sen. Louis Blessing (R-Cincinnati), and Sen. Andrew
Brenner (R-Delaware). Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) also attended the
news conference. Earlier Wednesday, members of the committee introduced four
new bills that Reynolds said stem from the report: SB243 (Reynolds-Craig),
which addresses zoning regulations; SB244 (Reynolds-Craig), which deals with
the property tax and Residential Stability Zones; SB245 (Reynolds-Craig), which
revises housing laws; and SB246 (Reynolds-Craig), which renames the Department
of Development the Department of Housing and Development. In the press conference,
Huffman said the recommendations all have different timelines, so some may take
weeks, and some may even be achieved over the next few years.
JUDICIAL
Back when people
actually wrote each other, one was admonished not to send an angry letter
without taking time to reflect. The facility of social media posts has only
sharpened that advice, as demonstrated by the public reprimand of Hamilton
County Probate Judge Ralph Edward Winkler. Winkler inherited a difficult case
from his predecessor that was being handled primarily by a magistrate when the
judge was first elected in 2014. Children of the elderly Mary Francis McCulloch
had long contested her guardianship and conservatorship for dementia, according
to the Board of Professional Conduct, resulting in what the Hamilton County
Prosecutor's Office described as "threatening and harassing" letters
to the magistrate. Developments in the case led to Winkler’s posting on
Facebook – a post he deleted but which led to the reprimand by the board.
A statewide database
of dead Ohioans with the names and addresses associated with the causes of
death is not available to the public via a public records request because it
contains "protected health information," the Supreme Court of Ohio
ruled Wednesday. In the 5-2 decision, the Supreme Court rejected the claim of
former Columbus Dispatch reporter Randy Ludlow, who sought the
cause-of-death information from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) during the
onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The department provided Ludlow with requested
spreadsheets with vital information from death certificates, including sex,
age, and cause of death, but not the names and addresses of those who died.
Writing for the Court majority, Justice Patrick F. Fischer stated the department
correctly determined that the names and addresses, when combined with the other
medical information, would constitute protected health information. Under Ohio
Revised Code (ORC) 3701.17, the department is prohibited from releasing that
information.
LOBBYISTS
The Batchelder Company
announced Hunter Wright as its new vice president of government relations,
citing his over 10 years of experience working on issues at the "highest
levels" of the General Assembly and executive administration. Wright is
currently on the Ohio Lobbying Association's Board of Trustees and is an active
member of the Ohio Commodores. He has a B.A. from Bowling Green State
University in marketing and communication.
MARIJUANA/HEMP
Senate President Matt
Huffman (R-Lima) told reporters Wednesday that he is "reasonably
hopeful" lawmakers can pass something to address the state's marijuana
program, although House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) had told
reporters earlier that he doesn't expect the House to address the marijuana
program before the June deadline for the state to release licensing
applications. However, Huffman said Wednesday that he has talked with
"higher ups" in the House, without naming anyone, about getting
something passed by the time lawmakers go on their summer break, "and
they're working with some members of our caucus to try to do that." He
said he is hopeful "because I think most reasonable people, including
people in the industry, believe that it would be better to have it clarified in
law," he said.
MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM
It's unclear if the
results of Auditor of State Keith Faber's report on Medicaid concurrent
enrollment can be trusted, according to Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee
(JMOC) Chair Sen. Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario). "The period that they
audited was during the public health emergency (PHE). That was not normal
operations for the state, or any state for that matter. So it's unfortunate ...
that the auditor's office chose a period that was very unusual. And that
clouds, in my view, the results of the report," Romanchuk said during
Thursday's JMOC meeting. Faber's office recently released an audit report,
"The Cost of Concurrent Enrollment," finding that more than 124,000
people were concurrently enrolled in Ohio Medicaid and the Medicaid program of
another state from 2019 through 2022. The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM)
raised questions about the audit in a lengthy response. "Thirty-four out
of 48 months of the sample period were under the PHE. We could find no evidence
that the auditor took that into account," ODM Director Maureen Corcoran
said.
MENTAL HEALTH
Gov. Mike DeWine's
newly formed Competency Restoration and Diversion Work Group dove into the data
Wednesday in its second meeting. Members are seeking solutions to the outsized
number of felony offenders at the state's six psychiatric hospitals and explored
the difference between anti-social "criminogenic" behavior and
mentally ill persons who are acting out or "behaving badly," saying
early intervention offers hope to struggling Ohioans who might otherwise become
institutionalized. Scheduled speakers presented some overlapping and
potentially divergent numbers on the percentage and severity of mentally ill
persons in Ohio prisons and jails. Criminal Justice Services Chief Chris
Nicastro of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS),
who reports to work group chair and department Director LeeAnne Cornyn, said
the "severely mentally ill" comprise 4 percent of the general
population and 15-20 percent of the incarcerated, but did not give figures for
the "seriously mentally ill" or lesser diagnoses.
NATURAL RESOURCES
The Ohio Wildlife
Council has voted to remove the trumpeter swan from the state's threatened
species list, Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR)
Director Mary Mertz announced recently. The delisting culminates a 28-year
effort by the ODNR Division of Wildlife to restore the population of trumpeter
swans in Ohio. Ohio's trumpeter swan population today stands at nearly 900,
with swans nesting in 26 different counties, according to the governor.
"Trumpeter swans represent a great comeback story for Ohio. This is just
one of many examples of the conservation work ODNR has been doing for the last
75 years," said Mertz.
Ohio's spring wild
turkey seasons have begun, according to the Ohio Department of Natural
Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Ohio's 2024 youth wild turkey hunting
season ran from Saturday, April 13 through Sunday, April 14 while Ohio's
regular seasons are divided into two zones: the south zone, which opens to
hunters on Saturday, April 20, and the northeast zone (Ashtabula, Cuyahoga,
Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull counties), which opens on Saturday, April 27. The
season limit is one bearded turkey. During the 2023 spring turkey seasons,
hunters harvested 15,673 birds.
OHIO HISTORY
After declining a
request to delay lower court proceedings in the eminent domain case involving
what's now part of Ohio's new World Heritage Site, Ohio Supreme Court justices
decided Tuesday they won't take up the latest appeal by Moundbuilders Country
Club, which already lost a legal battle with Ohio History Connection (OHC) over
the "taking" of the Octagon Earthworks. The country club more
recently challenged evidentiary decisions in the eminent domain trial over how
much OHC must pay the country club for lost lease interest. Justices allowed
OHC to proceed with the taking of the earthworks in December 2022, which were
subsequently recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage Site, along with other
Hopewell earthworks in Ohio.
PAYDAY LENDING
Payday lending reform
advocates Tuesday celebrated the fifth anniversary of full enactment for
132-HB123 (Koehler-Ashford), while also saying they remain vigilant about any
attempts to remove bill provisions from state law. Springfield Central
Christian Church Pastor Carl Ruby said former Reps. Kyle Koehler and Michael
Ashford made "an act of political courage" by sponsoring the bill. He
also explained the process that led to its passage, comparing it to a
"David versus Goliath" fight. Ruby further said results of the bill
had exceeded all his expectations and ensured low-income families still had
access to emergency short-term credit without being trapped by high interest
rates.
PENSIONS
Wade Steen retook the
State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) board seat from which Gov. Mike DeWine
had ousted him last year in the middle of the board's monthly meeting Thursday,
after appellate judges ordered him to be reinstated, in line with the recommendation
of their magistrate. After brief debate on whether to re-administer Steen's
oath and action on some routine items, STRS Board Chair Dale Price prompted an
uproar from colleagues by hastily adjourning the meeting. DeWine's office is
urging an appeal of the court ruling. The 10th District Court of Appeals ruling
came down as the board was in the midst of a meeting Thursday, which Steen
replacement Brian Perera attended for the first part of the day. The appellate
ruling came down as the board was heading into a lunchtime executive session,
and upon their return about two hours later, Steen retook the seat. DeWine
removed Steen about a year ago, citing his attendance record at meetings and
perceived advocacy for specific investment managers. The move came at a crucial
time for the balance of power on the board, after votes had been cast but
before results were announced in an election for another board seat in which
now-board member Pat Davidson defeated then-incumbent Arthur Lard. The board
has been closely divided on the leadership direction at STRS.
STRS board members
urged lobbying staff Thursday to emphasize potential savings to school
districts from allowing teachers to retire earlier as they work to convince
legislators to increase how much school districts pay into the pension fund.
The STRS Board Legislative Committee held its inaugural meeting, along with a
handful of other committees formed following recommendations from a fiduciary
audit report that called for STRS trustees to handle more business at the
committee level. Scott Hunt, designee of DEW’s Steve Dackin, was elected chair
of the committee. STRS has been seeking legislative sponsors for a bill that
would increase from 14 percent to 18 percent the share of salary that employers
would contribute toward teachers' retirement benefits. The Ohio Public
Employees Retirement System (OPERS) and Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund
(OP&F) are likewise seeking employer rate increases.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Private investigators
would be allowed to use devices to track people without their consent under the
latest versions of HB91 (Patton) and SB100 (Manning-Antonio). The House
Criminal Justice Committee on Tuesday amended SB100 to remove the requirement
that a private investigator obtain consent from the owner of the property upon
which a tracking device or tracking application is installed. The bill was also
amended to create a process for a person to uninstall a tracking device if the
other person had given consent in the past, but has since filed for divorce,
dissolution or a protection order. The committee also accepted a substitute
version of HB91 that includes the changes made to SB100. Committee Chair Rep.
Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) told Hannah News that HB91 and SB100 are now
identical, and that committee members will continue to work on both of them.
Abrams said she's not sure which bill will ultimately receive a committee vote.
The Educational
Service Center of Eastern Ohio leads the DeWine administration's new teen
driver training grants with a quarter-million-dollar award among 35 school
districts and governmental jurisdictions in 43 counties receiving funding for
the Drive to Succeed Scholarship Program. A total of $2,495,655 will provide
driver instruction to an estimated 5,500 teens from low-income families. The
ESC of Eastern Ohio serves Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties. Other
leading recipients include the ESC of Central Ohio in Franklin County
($168,000), Boardman Township Police Department in Mahoning County ($147,885),
Knox Public Health Department in Knox County ($142,000), Akron Public Schools
in Summit County ($134,00), Toledo Public Schools in Lucas County ($133,500),
Bethel Tate Local Schools in Clermont County ($116,630) and Washington Local
Schools in Lucas County ($111,250).
SOLAR ECLIPSE
The Ohio Department of
Transportation (ODOT) told Hannah News statewide traffic rose by 12.8
percent on Sunday and 15.8 percent Tuesday compared to four-week averages for
April and May 2023, saying that showed many visitors for the April 8 eclipse
did what state officials encouraged by coming to their planned viewing
locations early and staying late. "This was a major factor in Ohio's not
seeing the same traffic gridlock that impacted states in New England this year
and states like Kentucky and Tennessee in 2017," ODOT Press Secretary Matt
Bruning said. Sgt. Tyler Ross, a member of the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP)
Public Affairs Unit, told Hannah News OSHP troopers saw an increase in
traffic leading up to and on the day of the eclipse as expected.
More than 150,000
people viewed the Monday, April 8 total solar eclipse from one of Ohio's state
parks, wildlife areas, nature preserves or forests, according to the Ohio
Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Nearly 300 law enforcement officers
were on duty around the state on Monday. Natural resources officers and
wildlife officers were posted at some of the busiest locations along the path
of totality. Other wildlife officers were able to monitor the state parks,
nature preserves, and forests that were not in the path of totality.
STATE GOVERNMENT
The Ohio Facilities
Construction Commissions (OFCC) Thursday highlighted the new Ohio Fire Academy
Search and Rescue Training House in Reynoldsburg. The Ohio Fire Academy trains
over 5,000 students annually, OFCC Project Manager Chris Frommeyer said.
Frommeyer, who worked on the project, said the new training house has many
innovations to allow firefighter students to train in as realistic conditions
as possible. The structure features removable doors and windows designed
specifically for forcible entry and search training as well as for students to
train with different types of fires and construction materials to see how fires
may differ depending on how they started and how a home is constructed. Members
also approved additional updates to the Ohio School Design Manual (OSDM).
New OFCC Executive
Director Joy DeMarco reported that of the 13 school districts with an issue on
the ballot in March, only one was successful -- Kings Local School District in
Warren County. Four of them plan to return to the ballot in November, she said.
DeMarco reported $2.63 billion in FY24 project activity as of February 2024 for
315 projects in design and construction.
TAXATION
Think tank Policy
Matters Ohio (PMO) observed the tax filing deadline Monday, April 15 with an
online panel discussion of how state tax policy could be more favorable to
lower income Ohioans. Joined by colleagues from Children's Defense Fund-Ohio
(CDF-Ohio), Northern Ohioans for Budget Legislation Equity (NOBLE), Ohio
Association of Foodbanks and a Zanesville father of three, PMO outlined four
policy proposals aimed at addressing the greater share of income paid by some
Ohioans for basic living expenses. The policies include the following:
- Refundability of the
existing Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
- Thriving Families
Tax Credit, aka a state-level child tax credit
- Sales tax credit
- Property tax circuit
breakers
TOBACCO/SMOKING/VAPING
Fourteen Ohio cities
filed a lawsuit challenging a state law prohibiting local regulations of
tobacco and alternative nicotine products at a local level. Plaintiffs in the
lawsuit include Columbus, Bexley, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dublin, Gahanna,
Grandview Heights, Heath, Hilliard, Oxford, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington,
Whitehall and Worthington. It argues that legislation passed by the General
Assembly that is set to take effect later this month on Tuesday, April 23 is
unconstitutional. Gov. Mike DeWine used his pen to line-item veto the provision
in biennial budget bill HB33 (Edwards), but lawmakers in both chambers overrode
that veto in January. The lawsuit, filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court,
argues that the preemption violates home rule provisions of the Ohio
Constitution and that the local ordinances do not conflict with a general law
of the state. The cities note that the Ohio Constitution grants municipalities
the right to enforce local police, sanitary, and similar regulations as they
are not in conflict with the state's general laws.
TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE
At 2:14 a.m.
Wednesday, April 10 the new toll collection system for the Ohio Turnpike and
Infrastructure System went live, according to Turnpike Executive Director
Ferzan Ahmed. Ahmed updated the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission on
the launch at its monthly meeting Monday, saying it has so far been smooth.
Still, he noted the challenges that the more than $250 million project has gone
through over the last five years, with Ahmed calling it a "challenging and
complex project." The new system includes open road tolling, the removal
of all gates in E-ZPass entrance and exit lanes, and improvements to the
customer service center.
Gov. Mike DeWine was
joined by other state officials in unveiling a "re-imagined" rest
area on I-70 West in Licking County, part of a project to improve rest areas
around the state through 2026 that was announced in May 2023. This specific
rest area focused on nearby historical sites including two of the eight
Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, which were designated as a World Heritage Site
by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) in September 2023. The unveiling was held Thursday in recognition of
World Heritage Day. The rest areas will contain overall information and
displays encouraging travelers to visit local attractions. Other items shown at
the Licking County rest area include downtown Newark, Dawes Arboretum, the
restored 1928 Midland Theatre and sites in Columbus. There is also a 10-foot
map of the state showing points of interest such as colleges and universities,
state parks, campgrounds and nearby lakes. Video boards will provide live
weather and real-time traffic and road alerts. Athletic events are promoted on
the board as well.
WORKFORCE
The House Commerce and Labor Committee heard
testimony from a former Trump administration official and trades groups'
leaders in support of a bill to set E-Verify requirements for certain
employers. HB327 (Wiggam-Swearingen) would require political subdivisions,
private employers with 75 employees or more and nonresidential construction
contractors to verify each new employee's work eligibility through the federal
E-Verify program. The contractor provision also applies to subcontractors and
any tradesperson assigned to work on the project. Joseph Edlow, who has held
several executive and legislative branch positions regarding immigration
enforcement including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' deputy
director for policy, effectively an acting director position, spoke on behalf
of the organization NumbersUSA. He explained how the E-Verify system works
quickly and presented statistics on its accuracy, saying nearly 43 million
employees were checked for eligibility during FY23 and it automatically confirmed
work authorization for 98.24 percent.