Friday, May 9, 2025

ADDICTION/SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Gov. Mike DeWine announced $2.25 million in funding to three dozen local drug task forces Friday to disrupt the drug trade and promote substance abuse awareness, prevention and recovery. The RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund awards, ranging between $190,000 to the Hamilton County Office of Addiction Response and $10,000 to the Licking County Sheriff's Office, will help officers identify high-level drug traffickers, dismantle large drug trafficking organizations, interrupt the flow of money and drugs from international cartels, and prevent the sale of illegal narcotics. Hamilton County led the state with an overall total of $220,000 in grants.

AGING

Although the month of May in the U.S. has been formally recognized as Older Americans Month since the 1960s, legislation signed by Gov. Mike DeWine earlier in 2025 renaming May as "Older Ohioans Month" shines a light on the state's more than 2.8 million residents age 60 or older. "We want people to remain empowered, active members of their communities. That can mean staying in or rejoining the workforce, participating in lifelong learning, taking charge of your health, or remaining engaged citizens well into older adulthood,” said DeWine. The Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) is using Older Ohioans Month to challenge what it means to age with the theme "Flip the Script on Aging," encouraging older Ohioans to challenge outdated stereotypes.

AMERICA 250-OHIO

Ohio Commission for the U.S. Semiquincentennial (America 250-Ohio) Executive Director Todd Kleismit discussed the group's recent activities during a webinar Friday, including how it awarded grants of up to $5,000 to 57 organizations around the state for their planned events. The total amount of awards was $278,834, and they will go to programs and initiatives commemorating Ohio's important contributions in American history. Kleismit further told attendees they are now nearing 300 participating communities in the state, and said it weighs on him that they had to turn down more applicants for the recent funding than were approved.

ARTS, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

The Senate should remove the budget language providing $600 million in bonds to help pay for a new domed Browns stadium in Brook Park, and instead provide $350 million to support a plan to renovate the current stadium on the lakefront, according to Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne. "The lakefront plan, including a dramatically transformed Huntington Bank Field, was originally proposed by the Haslam Sports Group (HSG) in 2023," Bibb and Ronayne wrote in a letter to senators. "We have never deviated from this compelling plan, and we ask you to align with a majority of Northeast Ohio residents who have indicated they prefer to watch football on the lakefront. HSG has not released the transformed lakefront stadium plans publicly. We urge you to view these plans before making a decision on public funding for HSG's stadium plans." Bibb and Ronayne said the lakefront stadium transformation plan is "far more reasonable and responsible" for Ohio taxpayers than the Brook Park plan.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Marking the 25th anniversary of the Fallen Officers Memorial Wall, Attorney General Dave Yost called for an end to violence against law enforcement professionals at Thursday's Ohio Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony only six days after Hamilton County Deputy Larry Henderson was run down by an irate driver while directing traffic. Yost honored four fallen officers at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy in London and recognized two historical inductees who died in the line of duty a century ago. "Nothing that I do as attorney general is more important than being here today to recognize the indispensable role that law enforcement officers play in our lives," Yost told those attending the 37th Ohio Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony, where he was joined by families of the fallen, members of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC), ceremonial units from dozens of law enforcement agencies from across the state, and a riderless horse. The 2025 ceremony paid special tribute to the following four peace officers lost in the line of duty between 2021 and 2024:

- Officer Jacob Derbin, Euclid Police Department

- Deputy Rex A. Emrick, Pickaway County Sheriff's Office

- Lt. David W. Reynolds, Butler County Sheriff's Office

- Officer Jamieson R. Ritter, Cleveland Division of Police

BALLOT ISSUES

Attorney General Dave Yost Monday certified the title and summary language for a proposed referendum to repeal SB1 (Cirino), the higher education reform bill passed by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Mike DeWine. A group of Youngstown State University professors kicked off the effort last month by submitting the petition to the attorney general. SB1 would, among other provisions, ban university faculty from striking, ban the use of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts at universities, lower the term-length for university boards of trustees, prohibit political and ideological litmus tests in hiring, promotion and admission decisions, and require annual evaluations of full-time faculty members. DeWine signed the bill on March 28 and it becomes law on Friday, June 27.

A proposed constitutional amendment submitted to the attorney general's office late last week would abolish all property taxes in the state of Ohio. Citizens for Property Tax Reform, based out of Cuyahoga County, submitted the proposed amendment and petition language to Attorney General Dave Yost for approval. The language of the amendment is short, stating that "No real property shall be taxed, and no law shall impose any taxes on real property." It also states that, "No other provision of the Constitution shall impose any taxes on real property." It defines "real property" as "land itself, all growing crops therein, and all buildings, structures, and improvements permanently attached to the land."

FY24-25 BUDGET

Tax revenues came in slightly less than 1 percent over forecasts in April as a $102 million miss on income tax collections was offset by over-estimate collections for the sales tax and Commercial Activity Tax (CAT), according to preliminary data from the Office of Budget and Management. Total collections of $2.6 billion were about $20 million or 0.8 percent over estimates. For the fiscal year so far, collections of $23.5 billion are about $550 million or 2.4 percent ahead of estimates. The income tax brought in about $1.1 billion, versus expectations of $1.2 billion, an 8.5 percent miss. The sales tax brought in $80.2 million or 6.5 percent more than expected, with about two-thirds of that overage from the non-auto sales tax.

FY26-27 PROPOSED BUDGET

The House-passed version of budget bill HB96 (Stewart) includes language that could compromise the privacy of patients who receive abortions, according to Lauren Blauvelt, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio (PPAO). "There is absolutely no reason why there should be a public dashboard that allows people to see how many abortions are happening at each zip code. Why is that information necessary? It's to invite completely unregulated community policing or something. It feels sinister, and a threat to patient privacy," Blauvelt told Hannah News in a phone interview. Under the bill, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) would be required to create a public electronic dashboard to publish abortion data on a monthly basis.

BUSINESS/CORPORATE

The DeWine administration announced Thursday that the Kimberly-Clark Corporation's Board of Directors had approved plans for an $800 million advanced manufacturing facility in Trumbull County expected to lead to 491 new jobs. The company received a 10-year tax credit for the project Monday, which noted at the time the project was pending further review and a final decision by Kimberly-Clark.

ECONOMY

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday the nation added 177,000 jobs in April while the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2 percent. Employment continued to rise in health care, transportation and warehousing, financial activities, and social assistance. The decline in federal government employment continued as well. The number of unemployed people was also little changed in April at 7.2 million, and BLS said the unemployment rate has been between 4.0 and 4.2 percent since May 2024. Among major worker groups, unemployment rates for adult men (4.0 percent), adult women (3.7 percent), teenagers (12.9 percent), Whites (3.8 percent), Blacks (6.3 percent), Asians (3.0 percent) and Hispanics (5.2 percent) all showed little or no change in April.

EDUCATION

The DeWine administration said Friday that a range of state entities will be collaborating to increase K-12 schools' cybersecurity through statewide implementation of TechGuard, a platform equipping schools and Ohio's 16 Information Technology Centers (ITCs) with resources for cybersecurity training and simulated cyberattacks. Schools are seen as "prime targets" for cybercriminals, according to the administration, due to student data, staff records and limited cyber defenses. The TechGuard training will help school administrators, educators and students identify phishing attempts, email scams and other types of common attacks. Participating organizations include CyberOhio, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) and the Ohio Education Computer Network's Management Council, which will implement the program.

Ohio ranks in the bottom half of states in most measures and meets half of quality benchmarks in the latest report on preschool from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). NIEER released its "State of Preschool 2024 Yearbook Report," finding early childhood education nationally reached historic highs in the 2023-2024 school year, but progress was uneven from state to state. "As federal cutbacks in education and elsewhere are being implemented, it is notable that federal COVID-19 recovery funding played a crucial role in sustaining and advancing preschool, and other federal funds underpin state programs and decrease inequality among the states in access to quality preschool education," the report states. Ohio's state profile in the NIEER report finds the state ranked 35th for access for four-year-olds and 23rd for three-year-olds. Ohio ranks 39th for state spending and 43rd for all spending.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) on Thursday announced the new divisional breakdowns and playoff regions for the 2025 football season. No schools in Division II through Division VII opted to move up to Division I, OHSAA said.

ELECTIONS

Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Wednesday that he does not support proposals to abolish the Ohio Elections Commission (OEC) that are part of the House-passed version of budget bill HB96 (Stewart), but instead called for legislative reform of the 50-year-old panel. LaRose sent a letter to Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) asking for lawmakers to improve OEC's oversight and authority. "The commission has become an increasingly toothless and inconsistent shell of what it was intended to be," said LaRose. "To date, it has issued nearly $100 million in fines that have so far gone uncollected, sending a terrible message that you can break the law and get away with it. There is no reason to have campaign finance laws in Ohio if we cannot meaningfully enforce them, yet that is precisely where the commission has left us." LaRose also called out the commission's inaction on referrals from his office, including those related to the 133-HB6 (Callender-Wilkin) scandal.

ELECTIONS 2025

Ohio voters approved public works amendment Issue 2 on Tuesday. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, the secretary of state's website shows the issue passed with 67.8 percent of the vote.

Local voters approved 64 percent of local funding issues before them on Tuesday's ballot, according to the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA). The passage of 64 of 99 issues represented an improvement from the 2024 primary election, when just over half, 52 percent, of local funding issues won voter approval. While the majority of new funding issues did not pass, the 40 percent of those that were approved marked an improvement from the 13 percent approved in March of 2024. Levy renewals saw broad support, with 89 percent of them passing, versus 74 percent in the 2024 primary.

All 13 library funding issues on the Tuesday primary ballot won majority support from local voters, according to the Ohio Library Council. Even the two new funding requests on Tuesday's ballot -- additional levies sought by Delaware County Public Library and Troy-Miami County Public Library -- passed with relatively comfortable margins, both notching a 12-point win. Support for renewal levies went as high as 85 percent for Gnadenhutten Public Library in Tuscarawas County.

According to information provided by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO), six of seven children services levies on Tuesday's ballot passed. Only the issue in Coshocton County lost.

ENVIRONMENT

The General Assembly should not cut funding for water quality initiative H2Ohio, leaders of the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODAg), Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) and Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) said Thursday. The House version of budget bill HB96 (Stewart) would cut funding for H2Ohio from $270.3 million over the biennium to $150 million over the biennium.

GAMING/GAMBLING

According to the Senate Journal for Tuesday, May 6, Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) created the Senate Select Committee on Gaming and appointed the following members: Sens. Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville), chair; Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario), vice chair; Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green); Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin); Jane Timken (R-Canton); William DeMora (D-Columbus), Ranking Member; and Willis Blackshear (D-Dayton).

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

The House Wednesday by a split, mostly party-line vote passed legislation that would shield companies from public nuisance lawsuits over their products. Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) said HB126 (A. Mathews-Craig) codifies the Ohio Supreme Court ruling in Trumbull County v. Purdue Pharma, where the Court ruled that Ohio counties could not sue companies for their role in the opioid epidemic under the state's nuisance laws. Rep. Meredith Craig (R-Smithville) said HB126 is a targeted clarification of existing law, and that if a plaintiff is challenging a product, it must do so through the legal framework on product liability, not the nuisance lawsuit. She said it is about restoring balance and maintaining legal clarity in courts. The bill passed 59-36, with Reps. Justin Pizzulli (R-Franklin Furnace), Don Jones (R-Freeport), Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton), Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) and Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) joining the Democrats in voting against it.

The House unanimously passed HB130 (LaRe-Brennan), which would require Medicaid to inform enrollees of the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program that may seek to recover costs of the program from a person's estate after they die, including through the sale of property. The House also unanimously passed HB57 (Jarrells-Williams), regarding school policies on the administration of overdose reversal drugs; SB20 (Antonio-Manning), which would designate the first week of May as "Ohio Stroke Awareness Week;" and HR87 (Lorenz), to designate and commemorate May 6-12 as Nurses and Health Professionals Week.

The House also passed HR60 (T. Mathews-Santucci), which supports moving NASA headquarters to Cleveland. Rep. Ty Mathews (R-Findlay) said "Why not Ohio?" when it comes to moving NASA, while Rep. Nick Santucci (R-Niles) noted Ohio's rich history of aviation and aerospace, its manufacturing and research institutions, and the economic benefits as reasons why Ohio would be a good location. The resolution passed 90-5, with Reps. Sedrick Denson (D-Cincinnati), Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland), Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland), Karen Brownlee (D-Cincinnati), and Anita Somani (D-Dublin) voting against it.

The Senate unanimously voted Wednesday on updates to the laws governing local alcohol, drug addiction and mental health (ADAMH) boards. Sen. Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), sponsor of SB138, highlighted three main elements of the bill: updates to contracting between local boards and providers; a requirement for local boards and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) to establish a data sharing plan; and creation of penalties for operating recovery housing without certification or accreditation.

Also passing the Senate unanimously Wednesday was HB4 (Holmes-C. Thomas), to designate Sept. 19 as "Ohio Stillbirth Prevention Day," thus sending it on to the governor for his consideration. Finally, the chamber unanimously passed SB148 (Cirino), which names a part of Rt. 2 in Lake County as "Spc. Lloyd Andrew Sellers Memorial Highway."

Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) discussed the passage of Issue 2 with reporters following the House Rules and Reference Committee meeting Wednesday, saying he thought "this is a very popular program for a few reasons" including that people like infrastructure and those projects are spread around Ohio.

Asked about school levy results from Tuesday night, Huffman said "every levy is a different question" and those can reflect local issues. He also discussed how Ohioans want property tax relief, which is a complex process to solve, and said he's working to "give back" money schools have but are not spending. That totals over $10 billion statewide and would provide "immediate tax relief," Huffman continued.

After the session, Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) spoke with reporters about potential property tax changes. McColley said he continues to believe the 30 percent carryover threshold set by the House version of HB96 (Stewart) is too low, and said he thinks the property tax system is due for "macro" level changes. McColley said it's right for taxpayers to question how much their districts are carrying over, noting a few have balances of over 200 percent. "It's going to be a conversation we're going to have, definitely, as to whether we want to have a cap at all, and if so, what's the appropriate number for that cap. Because I do think ... this issue of property taxes, it's not a Republican-Democrat issue."

The Senate announced an update to its first-half session schedule, cancelling a session planned for Wednesday, May 21. The chamber otherwise plans to meet for voting sessions every week through June.

Ohioans with medical debt would see their interest rates capped and be shielded from wage garnishment and dings on their credit history under bipartisan legislation, HB257, announced Tuesday. Reps. Michele Grim (D-Toledo) and Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) said Tuesday their Ohio Medical Debt Fairness Act seeks to recognize that Ohio families can accumulate sizable health care bills through no fault of their own, even when they have insurance.

Where lawmakers have attempted to wade in before and failed, a bipartisan duo Tuesday joined with Ohio Consumers' Counsel Maureen Willis to announce new legislation aimed at regulating submetering in the state of Ohio. The practice, where a third-party buys electricity at wholesale rates and resells it to a consumer in a larger development such as an apartment complex, has long been debated in both the Legislature and in the courts. Reps. Tex Fischer (R-Youngstown) and Sean Brennan (D-Parma) said they believe the appetite to address the issue is there after the recent passage of energy omnibus bill HB15 (Klopfenstein), now in the hands of Gov. Mike DeWine.

Opposition to HB170 (Blasdel-Peterson) in the House Natural Resources Committee reached a peak Wednesday as one witness was removed from the hearing room by the sergeant-at-arms during testimony in opposition to the bill establishing a process to regulate carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in Ohio. More than 20 witnesses spoke in opposition, many detailing the adverse environmental and health effects of injection drilling for oil and gas in southern and eastern Ohio. Witness Jenny Morgan, who chronicles injection well safety issues on a Facebook page called "The Daily Accident Report," struck a confrontational tone with the committee at the beginning of her testimony, detailing issues in Ohio that have arisen from brine pollution resulting from such wells. Morgan said that if allowed by HB170, CCS would have the same negative effects on nearby communities as oil and gas injection wells. After going over her allotted time for testimony, Morgan continued in a raised voice over the objections of Chair Don Jones (R-Freeport). Jones called for the hearing to stand at ease as Morgan continued, then Jones eventually called for Morgan to be removed from the podium by the sergeant-at-arms in the hearing room.

The following bills were sent to the governor for his signature:

- HB15 (Klopfenstein) To amend the competitive retail electric service law, modify taxation of certain public utility property, and repeal parts of 133-HB6.

- SB14 (Reynolds) To designate Sept. 28 as "Speaker Jo Ann Davidson Day."

In other legislative action, the House Medicaid Committee reported out SCR5 (Koehler) which urges the president to support work requirements for certain Medicaid recipients; the House Transportation Committee reported out highway naming bills HB171 (Schmidt), HB56 (Ray) and HB228 (Williams-Rogers); and the House Health Committee reported out HB104 (Lawson-Rowe-Deeter) which designates Feb. 14 as “Cardiovascular Health Awareness Day.”

GOVERNOR

Appointments made over the week include the following:

- Anuj Goyal of Centerville (Montgomery County) to the Wright State University Board of Trustees for a term beginning May 2, 2025, and ending June 30, 2029.

- Nancy E. Fellows of Willoughby Hills (Lake County) to the Lakeland Community College Board of Trustees for a term beginning April 25, 2025, and ending Oct. 12, 2027.

- Jean M. Halpin of Westerville (Franklin County) to the Columbus State Community College Board of Trustees for a term beginning May 2, 2025, and ending Aug. 31, 2027.

- Christy Chavez of Marietta (Washington County) to the Washington State College of Ohio Board of Trustees for a term beginning May 2, 2025, and ending Feb. 16, 2027.

- Arushi Agrawal of Dayton (Montgomery County) as a student member to the Miami University Board of Trustees for a term beginning May 2, 2025, and ending Feb. 28, 2027.

- Ava N. Wood of Tallmadge (Summit County) as a student member to the Ohio University Board of Trustees for a term beginning May 14, 2025, and ending May 13, 2027.

- Chancellor Mike Duffey of Worthington (Franklin County), Stephen D. Dackin of Columbus (Franklin County) and Kara B. Wente of Dublin (Franklin County) to the Education Commission of the States for terms beginning May 2, 2025, and continuing at the pleasure of the governor.

- Bhakti Bania of Columbus (Franklin County) to the Ohio Architects Board for a term beginning May 2, 2025, and ending Oct. 2, 2029.

- Victoria I. Cordes of Lewisburg (Preble County) to the State Cosmetology and Barber Board for a term beginning May 2, 2025, and ending Oct. 31, 2026.

- Richard A. Kruszynski of Worthington (Franklin County) and Kelly A. Garza of Pemberville (Wood County) to the Chemical Dependency Professionals Board for terms beginning May 2, 2025, and ending Dec. 23, 2027.

- Ross W. McGregor of Springfield (Clark County) reappointed to the State Personnel Board of Review for a term beginning April 4, 2025, and ending Feb. 8, 2031.

- David K. Root of Elyria (Lorain County) to the Ohio War Orphans and Severely Disabled Veterans' Children Scholarship Board for a term beginning May 2, 2025, and ending Dec. 31, 2028.

- Avraham L. Goldstein of Columbus (Franklin County), S. Zaheer Hasan of Waterville (Lucas County) and Larry L. Macon, Jr. of Sagamore Hills (Summit County) reappointed to the Advisory Board of the Governor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for terms beginning May 5, 2025, and ending May 4, 2026.

- George E. Jaskiw of South Euclid (Cuyahoga County) and Tomasz Kacki of North Royalton (Cuyahoga County) reappointed to the Commission on Eastern European Affairs for terms beginning May 2, 2025, and ending March 29, 2028.

- Stephanie L. Kunze of Dublin (Franklin County) to the Liquor Control Commission for a term beginning May 2, 2025, and ending Feb. 8, 2031.

- Jesse V. McClain III of Youngstown (Mahoning County) to the Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission for a term beginning May 2, 2025, and ending June 29, 2027.

- Robert Friedman of Columbus (Franklin County) and Sen. Andrew Brenner of Delaware (Delaware County) reappointed to the Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission for terms beginning April 7, 2025, and ending respectively on Nov. 11, 2027 and Dec. 31, 2026; and Sen. Casey Weinstein of Hudson (Summit County), Rep. Nick Santucci of Niles (Trumbull County) and Rep. Dani Isaacsohn of Cincinnati (Hamilton County) appointed to the commission for terms beginning April 7, 2025, and ending Dec. 31, 2026.

- Joseph R. Lemon of McConnelsville (Morgan County) and Kevin R. Corey of Fairfield (Butler County) reappointed to the Ohio Commission on Service and Volunteerism for terms beginning May 2, 2025, and ending April 21, 2028; Julie L. Ehemann of Anna (Shelby County) and Tasha R. Booker of Reynoldsburg (Franklin County) appointed to the commission for terms beginning May 2, 2025, and ending April 21, 2028; and Jason D. Clark of Miamisburg (Montgomery County) appointed to the commission for a term May 2, 2025, and ending April 21, 2027.

- Gregory H. Simpson of Milford (Clermont County) and Thomas R. Winters of Columbus (Franklin County) reappointed to the State Racing Commission for terms beginning May 2, 2025, and ending March 31, 2029.

- David Goodman of New Albany (Franklin County) reappointed to the Unemployment Compensation Review Commission for a term beginning April 4, 2025, and ending Feb. 27, 2031.

- Karen L. Beavers of Sidney (Shelby County) reappointed to the State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services for a term beginning May 2, 2025, and ending Nov. 12, 2026.

- Dorothy L. Battles of Thompson (Geauga County), Darin Robinaugh of Bellefontaine (Logan County), Mark N. Resanovich of Uniontown (Summit County), Matthew A. Phillips of Pemberville (Wood County) and Pradeesh M. George of Spring Valley (Greene County) reappointed to the State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services for terms beginning May 2, 2025, and ending Nov. 12, 2027; Brian K. Hathaway of Greenville (Darke County), Hamilton P. Schwartz of Cincinnati (Hamilton County), Jeffery D. Fishel, Jr. of Delaware (Delaware County) and John L. Weimer, Jr. of Piqua (Miami County) reappointed to the board for terms beginning May 2, 2025, and ending Nov. 12, 2026.

- W. Jason Bonomo of Boardman (Mahoning County) appointed and Ann B. Meyer of Cincinnati (Hamilton County) reappointed to the Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission for terms beginning May 2, 2025, and ending July 1, 2028; and Thomas J. Jordan of Loveland (Clermont County) appointed to the commission for a term beginning May 2, 2025, and ending July 1, 2027.

- Megan B. Richwine of Columbus (Franklin County), Michael A. Gittelman of Westerville (Franklin County) and Erica Leasure of Reynoldsburg (Franklin County) to the Rare Disease Advisory Council for terms beginning May 2, 2025, and ending April 22, 2027; and Randi L. Clites of Ravenna (Portage County), Kandamurugu Manickam of Columbus (Franklin County), Amista N. Lipot of Beverly (Washington County), Patrick Londergan of South Vienna (Clark County), Andrea E. Hoffman of Lewis Center (Delaware County), Kathleen L. Barrett of Dayton (Montgomery County), Kelly Maynard of Dublin (Franklin County), Angela L. Snyder of Columbus (Franklin County), Kimberly Wallis of Broadview Heights (Cuyahoga County), Tiffany N. Sammons of Batavia (Clermont County) and Edward J. Pauline of Worthington (Franklin County) reappointed to the council for terms beginning May 2, 2025, and ending April 22, 2027.

GREAT LAKES

President Donald Trump's proposed budget would be a "catastrophe" for the Great Lakes and drinking water, according to the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition (HOWGLC). "Progress to restore the Great Lakes and protect the drinking water for more than 40 million people would be severely undermined by the Trump administration's proposed budget, which calls for drastic cuts to core environmental and clean water programs," the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) said. The NWF is one of the organizations that runs the HOWGLC. According to a letter from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the administration is seeking to cut the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund and the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund by $2.46 billion. The letter says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) state revolving loan funds (SRFs) were designed decades ago to give seed money to states to set up their own water infrastructure loan programs.

Western Lake Erie will likely see a mild to moderate harmful algal bloom (HAB) in 2025, according to the first early season projection from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "With observations through May 6, we predict a potential bloom severity range of 2.0 to 4.5 (mild to moderate bloom conditions), similar to the 2023 (mild) or 2022 and 2024 (moderate) blooms," NOAA said in a bulletin. "The range in forecasted severity reflects the uncertainty in forecasting precipitation, particularly through June and July." Conditions have been relatively dry through spring, according to NOAA, except for a large precipitation and associated river discharge event in early April and another moderate precipitation event in early May. The agency is predicting near normal precipitation and river discharge for the remainder of the loading season (May to July).

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health care providers and business groups expressed their concerns Wednesday with HB12 (Gross-Swearingen) -- dubbed the “Right to Try” bill -- that would broadly authorize off-label drug use, saying it would override providers' safety concerns and create liability risks. Among the medical groups opposing the bill, mostly in writing, were the Ohio Children's Hospital Association, Ohio Pharmacists Association, American Pharmacists Association, Ohio Hospital Association, Ohio State Medical Association, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, Ohio State Medical Board, and Ohio Academy of Family Physicians. Numerous individual providers, hospitals, medical education programs and others provided opposition testimony as well.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Speaking at a Governor's Executive Workforce Board meeting Thursday, Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel announced a new initiative to expand high school students' access to College Credit Plus (CCP) classes through three institutions, with a goal of providing waivers to others in the future. CCP has a requirement that students achieve a cumulative unweighted 3.0 grade point average (GPA) or pass placement tests first, but Columbus State Community College (CSCC), Sinclair Community College (SCC) and Lorain County Community College (LCCC) have received a recently established waiver for that. The Statewide Innovative Waiver is available to all public two- and four-year colleges and universities, as well as independent institutions. It is meant to give students more opportunities for industry-recognized credentials or certificates that prepare them for high-demand career fields. The announcement was made at CSCC during In-Demand Jobs Week.

Ohio Dominican University (ODU) recently announced the launch of a campuswide recycling program, funded by a grant from the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO). The initiative represents "an important step forward in ODU's ongoing efforts to care for the environment and promote sustainability," the university said. The initial goal of the program, which introduced 66 new recycling receptables across ODU's campus, is to reduce landfill waste by 25 percent. The partnership between SWACO and ODU will allow for the university to continue toward its goals of "environmental stewardship and social responsibility," the school said.

Sinclair Community College (SCC) recently received a $900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) to fund the establishment of a Student Resilience Center, which the college says will help serve students with "mental health concerns" and "basic needs insecurity." The college received the grant from the "Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program" which offers grants to eligible institutions of higher education to support programs that address the basic needs of students and to report on practices that improve outcomes for students, according to USDOE.

JUDICIAL

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld the 133-HB6 scandal-related convictions of former House Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) and former Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges. "Larry Householder was speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives. A jury found him guilty of conspiring to solicit and receive almost $60 million in return for passing a billion-dollar bailout of a failing nuclear energy company. A jury also found lobbyist Matthew Borges guilty of playing a role in Householder's conspiracy. Because we find no reversible error, we affirm their convictions," the court's per curiam opinion stated. Judges Amul Thapar, John Nalbandian and Stephanie Dawkins Davis reviewed the case.

The Ohio Supreme Court is looking to expand the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio to address assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) programs serving mental health patients and operated by probate courts. The Supreme Court's Advisory Committee on Children and Families proposes that each court with AOT -- an alternative to traditional civil commitment to a mental hospital or inpatient treatment -- adopt a comprehensive rule governing community-based outpatient services to "person[s] with mental illness subject to court order. … Transferring them to AOT frees up bed space at inpatient facilities and hospitals for those presenting more significant risks, the committee explains," the Court says. AOT-eligible Ohioans have severe mental illness and often have been stabilized through inpatient treatment.

The Ohio Supreme Court recently ruled unanimously that administrators dismissed by the largest geographic school district in the state due to inflated upper management have no legal right to reinstatement, backpay, benefits and interest under local policy adopted by the board of education. The Court denied oral argument and issued the finding over the objections of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators and Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators, which filed briefs in the case, State ex rel. Ruble v. Switzerland of Ohio Local School District Board of Education.

The Supreme Court of Ohio announced Monday the addition of Richard D. Schuster to its leadership team as the Court's chief legal officer. Schuster joins the Supreme Court from law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP where he was a partner and has practiced since 1983. There, Schuster was the chairperson of both the Toxic and Mass Tort Practice Group and Product Liability Litigation Group, in addition to his work in class actions, mass torts and product liability cases.

LOBBYISTS

Hicks Partners announced it has launched new Ohio-based energy siting and stakeholder outreach services tailored for developers of energy infrastructure, power generation, and AI-driven data centers. The firm's announcement comes after the General Assembly passed HB15 (Klopfenstein) and as Ohio experiences rising demand for high-capacity, reliable energy to support AI and industrial growth. Under its new services, Hick Partners said it will guide clients through Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) processes, environmental permitting, and public engagement for projects including pipelines, compressor stations, and high-energy-use facilities.

MARIJUANA/HEMP

The General Assembly should stop trying to undermine the will of the voters with legislation like HB160 (Stewart), cannabis legalization advocates told the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. "The people spoke. Loudly," Rodney "Hash" Hennessey of the Ohio Cannabis Consumer Coalition said. "Why are you rewriting the will of the people? ... Do you think voters are stupid?" Hennessey was one of dozens of individuals who provided testimony opposing HB160, which makes a number of changes to the marijuana legalization law approved by voters in 2023.

Hemp regulation legislation HB198 (Fischer-Mathews) would "legitimize and expand the dangerous and unregulated market of intoxicating hemp products in Ohio," Ohio Cannabis Coalition (OHCANN) Executive Director David Bowling told the House Judiciary Committee during opponent testimony on Wednesday. "This bill is not about regulating wellness products or supporting Ohio farmers and small businesses. It is about paving the way for a market that traffics in chemically modified, synthetic drugs mimicking the effects of marijuana without any of the safety protocols," Bowling said.

NATURAL RESOURCES

The Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC) considered several nominations to move forward to the bidding process for leasing mineral rights under state-owned properties on Monday, but only approved two smaller proposals. During its meeting at the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) headquarters in Columbus, the commission unanimously voted to approve a nomination to drill on the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' (ODNR) Valley Run Wildlife Area in Carroll County. The nomination includes approximately 3.6 acres. The commission also approved a nomination to drill on about 0.7 acres of Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) property in Harrison County. The property is along a possible right-of-way on State Route 151. Those two nominations will go out to bid in July, according to ODNR.

The ODNR Division of Wildlife recently announced the 2025-2026 hunting and trapping seasons for white-tailed deer, migratory birds, small game and furbearers.

More than 300 acres of reclaimed mine land in Coshocton County has been transformed into a new airplane hangar for business and private aircraft as well as a new avionics service and training operations. ODNR helped cut the ribbon last week on the new Coshocton Richard Downing Airport named for the founder of the Downing Coal Company whose heirs donated the land to the state in 1967.

NEWS MEDIA

WOSU Public Media General Manager Anthony Padgett raised concerns about the effects of an executive order by President Donald Trump to eliminate federal funding for PBS and NPR through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), saying it "could present a serious challenge" to WOSU's work. "Eliminating this funding for PBS and NPR could devastate the local-national partnerships that enable WOSU to bring trusted journalism, children's programming, and educational resources to our community," Padgett continued. He also said WOSU remains focused on its mission "to serve the Central Ohio community with trusted journalism, lifelong learning, cultural programming, and meaningful local storytelling."

Associated Press staff, including Ohio Government and Politics Reporter Julie Carr Smyth, were recently named as a finalist for the Pulitzer Price in breaking news reporting for coverage of the July 13, 2024 attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Smyth happened to already be there, covering the Trump campaign rally. The Washington Post staff won the award for that category, based on their coverage of the same event. The other finalist was the staff of the News and Observer in Raleigh, NC and the Charlotte Observer for coverage of Hurricane Helene's damage.

OHIO HISTORY

The Ohio History Connection (OHC) and its partners, the Northwest Territory Museum Society and the Washington County Public Library, broke ground in April for the new Ohio River Museum on the eastern bank of the Muskingum River. The $14.3 million, 29,000 square foot facility will be constructed in two phases over the next two years and is intended to meet the changing needs of visitors in the 21st century. The museum will be built on the site of the previous Ohio River Museum, which will be demolished.

PARKS/RECREATION

The Wilds recently announced the opening of the 2025 summer season along with its new Hellbender Recreational Vehicle (RV) Campground set to open at the end of May. Located on nearly 10,000 acres of reclaimed surface mining land, the Wilds is a conservation center combining innovative conservation science and education with hands-on, immersive experiences. Open pastures provide a home for more than 30 endangered species from around the world, including takin, Pere David's deer, greater one-horned rhinos, southern white rhinos, Masai giraffes and others.

PENSIONS

The State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) Board of Trustees should not hire a permanent executive director at next week's meeting to give legislative leaders time to fill a board seat, Republican elected officials said in a letter Thursday. House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) and Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) share the appointment authority for the board seat to be held by an investment expert. The term expired in November for the prior occupant of this seat, Claudia Herrington. Huffman, McColley, Gov. Mike DeWine and Treasurer Robert Sprague signed the letter Thursday. Sprague also appoints an investment expert to a board seat; Allison Falls currently holds that position. Meanwhile, Akron teacher Michael Harkness will continue as a trustee for STRS and Columbus teacher Chad Smith will join the board in the fall, according to board election results announced by STRS.

An investment expert with pension administration experience and a policy analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) briefed lawmakers Thursday on how other states constitute their teacher retirement boards. The presentations by Jim Voytko of investment consultancy RVK and Angela Rowe of NCSL to the Ohio Retirement Study Council (ORSC) Subcommittee on State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) revealed a wide variety of pension board structures. However, Ohio's STRS board shares characteristics with many other boards. State leaders have been increased their scrutiny of STRS's governance after a tumultuous period of staff leadership turnover, division within the board and other developments. According to the presentations, many other states' boards include a mix of appointees and members elected to represent beneficiaries, as Ohio does.

Later Thursday, the full ORSC took up and adopted staff recommendations on a handful of pension-related provisions of the pending biennial budget bill, HB96 (Stewart). The staff report endorses the proposed transfer of administrative authority for the Public Employees Deferred Compensation Program to the board of the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS). The report recommends removal of provisions regarding OPERS service credit for precinct elections officials, disapproval of language that would define retirement systems and the council as state agencies, and modification to language that would enable withholding of school district income taxes from pension benefits to delay implementation and eliminate or scale back the tax commissioner's rulemaking authority over the retirement systems.

POLITICS

Attorney General Dave Yost sent a letter Thursday to members of the Ohio Republican Party's State Central Committee informing them that he will not be attending the Friday meeting, which will likely include a vote to endorse a gubernatorial candidate. Backers of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy have been pushing for the committee to take an early stance and issue an endorsement for the primary, which won't occur until May 2026. Yost, in his letter, said he had a difficult choice on whether to attend Friday's meeting or the funeral of Hamilton County Sheriff Deputy Larry Henderson, who was killed while working traffic duty last week. He opted to attend the funeral.

Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) Chair Liz Walters announced on social media Tuesday that she is stepping down as chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, no later than June 30, 2025. Walters became the first woman to lead the ODP after the party chose her in 2021 to succeed David Pepper. She now moves on to lead Democratic political data firm TargetSmart, based in Washington, D.C.

House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) has named Claire Krafka as the new executive director of the House Democratic Caucus campaign operations, the caucus announced Thursday. Krafka is elevated to the new position after serving as political director for the caucus over the past two years.

PUBLIC SAFETY

The DeWine administration announced Monday that seven more sheriffs' offices including Summit County's and 13 police departments will pursue federally compliant accreditation under the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS), bringing to 30 the number of participating law enforcement agencies. The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) led the first 10 agencies to complete accreditation in February as part of phase I after the administration first proposed policing standards aligned with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2023 and the governor signed an executive order last year. Phase II encompasses sheriffs' offices in Delaware, Fairfield, Gallia, Medina, Mercer, Ottawa and Summit counties and police for Beachwood (Cuyahoga County), Beaver Township (Mahoning), Bridgeport (Belmont), Cleveland State University (Cuyahoga), Grove City (Franklin), Hamilton Township (Franklin), Huber Heights (Miami, Montgomery), Logan (Hocking), Medina (Medina), Miami County Park District, Pioneer (Williams), Springboro (Warren) and Wright State University (Greene).

STATE GOVERNMENT

The Controlling Board disposed of all spending requests on its agenda Monday without any formal objections, although lawmakers posed questions about payouts for wrongful imprisonment, use of outside attorneys to represent the state in legal disputes and the outlook for bird flu. The board approved payments of about $956,000 to plaintiffs Michael Sutton and Kenny Phillips, and of $2.6 million to Dwayne Brooks for their wrongful incarceration by the state. The Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS) also presented the last of a series of union contracts with state employees to the board, this time for two bargaining units representing about 1,500 employees of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

WORKFORCE

Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel announced Thursday that Ohio's eighth annual In-Demand Jobs Week has a theme of "Get in the Game -- Take Charge of Our Future." That emphasizes "taking an active role in career exploration, skill-building and connecting with employers to secure the jobs of tomorrow."

Hearings kicked off Wednesday in the House Commerce and Labor Committee on the newly dubbed "E-Verify Workforce Integrity Act" bill -- HB246 (Swearingen-Fischer) -- the latest iteration of legislation that Rep. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) said has been around several times before. This version, Rep. DJ Swearingen (R-Huron) said, has been narrowed from the legislation offered in the 135th General Assembly to focus on the construction industry, so that it makes sure "new hires are legally eligible for employment, reassures investors that contractors and subcontractors are utilizing a legal workforce, and protects jobs for authorized workers." The bill is sponsored by Swearingen and Rep. Tex Fischer (R-Youngstown). Swearingen noted that Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) has a companion bill in the Senate.