Friday, Oct. 18, 2024

AGING

The Ohio Nursing Home Quality Navigator, the online system that allows Ohioans to access and compare information about the state's nursing homes, received a 2024 State IT Recognition Award earlier this month from the National Association of State Chief Information Technology Officers (NASCIO) for Data Management, Analytics and Visualization. The award was presented to the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) and the Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS). NASCIO recognizes state governments annually for innovative use of information technology to address critical business problems, improve business processes and elevate their citizens' experience. ODA says the award spotlights Ohio's leadership in leveraging cutting-edge technology to advance health care transparency and empower its citizens.

The Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) launched its annual statewide Medicare Checkup events to help Ohioans prepare for Medicare open enrollment for 2025 coverage which is running now through Saturday, Dec. 7. OSHIIP, part of the Ohio Department of Insurance, offers virtual and in-person events, providing insight about Medicare coverage. These events include information about Medicare basics, plan comparisons, prescription coverage, financial assistance, and cost-saving tips. Now that open enrollment is underway, personalized plan comparisons and one-on-one counseling are available. With annual changes in plans, the department suggests it is essential to review benefits, costs, and coverage details. Medicare 2025 plan information is available at www.medicare.gov. For personalized OSHIIP assistance, Ohioans can schedule virtual appointments at https://tinyurl.com/3wvwukse, email oshiipmail@insurance.ohio.gov, or call 800-686-1578.

ARTS, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Projects throughout Ohio recently received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to support various humanities education, research, preservation and public programs. In total, NEH granted $37.5 million for 240 humanities projects across the country, in addition to $65 million in annual operating support provided to the national network of state and jurisdictional humanities councils. In Ohio, seven projects received grants totaling nearly $1.3 million.

FY24-25 BUDGET

Hundreds of millions of dollars in over-estimate sales tax collections reported by the state in September will likely be "largely offset" later this year, according to the October financial report from the Office of Budget and Management (OBM). The full monthly report elaborates on the dynamics first explained in preliminary revenue reports for September, which attributed the $565 million in unanticipated non-auto sales tax collections to the fact that revenue projections far overestimated the revenue losses from Ohio's first expanded sales tax holiday. In the biennial budget HB33 (Edwards) lawmakers replaced the disused Income Tax Reduction Fund with the new, expanded sales tax holiday, generally applicable to most items under $500. The holiday ran for 10 days and supplanted the shorter and more limited back-to-school sales tax holiday on clothing and school supplies. The back-to-school holiday will still take place in the future in years where revenue is not sufficient to support an expanded holiday. The General Assembly included more than $700 million in HB33 to offset revenue losses from the expanded holiday, which apparently was far more than necessary. The budget office predicted revenue of about $250 million for September -- when tax was collected for most August sales -- but actual collections exceeded $800 million. "The lack of Ohio precedent and absence of similarly structured holidays across the nation made the holiday's fiscal impact challenging to forecast. Assuming most of the year-to-date variance comes from the overestimated impact of the holiday, such variance will largely be offset by fiscal events occurring after September," the monthly report states.

BUSINESS/CORPORATE

The Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) Division of Unclaimed Funds recently reminded banks and other businesses operating in the state of Ohio to submit their unclaimed funds reports to the division by Friday, Nov. 1, even if there are no funds to report. The Nov. 1 deadline covers accounts dormant as of June 30, 2024. Life insurance companies have a separate deadline of May 1, 2025 for accounts dormant as of Dec. 31, 2024. Dormant accounts are those which haven't had any activity or communication for a specific period of time based on the account. This includes three years for refund checks, five years for checking accounts and three years without an appointment for patient credits held by a physician. The four-step reporting process includes identifying inactive accounts; sending a letter to the owner when the funds are $50 or more; creating an unclaimed funds report; and submitting it along with the money.

CIVIL RIGHTS

As campaign advertising during this election season highlights or targets a given candidate's support of LGBTQ rights and HB68 (Click) remains tied up in the 10^th District Court of Appeals, a recent forum at the Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC) asked if LGBTQ+ rights in Ohio are currently losing ground. Sen. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) said LGBTQ Ohioans have gained a lot of ground since she came out 30 years ago. Antonio said currently LGBTQ people are more visible than they have been before, and many local communities in Ohio are granting rights to LGBTQ Ohioans where the state doesn't fill in. Antonio credits people in rural communities with being a community of people who look out for each other and come to the aid of one another in crisis. Ken Schneck, editor of The Buckeye Flame, said his publication is focusing more on rural Ohio as LGBTQ issues are being raised and as there is more willingness to be out as gay in rural, more conservative areas of the state. Schneck says the past few years have seen an amazing evolution in action for LGBTQ rights in rural Ohio.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

The Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) led eight regional human trafficking task forces and over 100 law enforcement agencies in the arrest of 132 "johns" and other suspects in a recent statewide sting, the Ohio Attorney General's Office announced Monday. Operation END-OHHT (End Ohio Human Trafficking) and OOCIC brought together the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, H.E.A.L. Human Trafficking Task Force, Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, Montgomery County Human Trafficking Task Force, Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, Southeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, Southern Ohio Organized and Major Crimes Task Force, Summit Regional Human Trafficking Taskforce and the Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS), as well as various police departments and sheriffs' offices in those regions. They focused on buyers of sex in 19 counties between Oct. 6-12, including major investigations in Akron, Columbus, Cleveland, Marietta, Portsmouth, Toledo and Mahoning Valley. Ranging from 21 to 71 years of age, as many as 110 johns from diverse backgrounds face charges of engaging in prostitution or solicitation, along with 22 individuals seeking commercial sex with a minor and/or in possession of narcotics.

EDUCATION

The Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday applied its recent holding in a Union County tax valuation dispute to an additional 13 cases that turned on when new restrictions on local jurisdictions' ability to challenge valuations actually took effect. In September, justices ruled that Marysville Schools could go forward with its appeal of the value of the Residence at Cooks Pointe, because the original case was pending at the local board of revision before the effective date of 134-HB126 (Merrin), which greatly restricted the ability of schools and other local governments to intercede in valuation challenges. In applying its holding in Marysville Exempted Village Schools Board of Education v. Union County Board of Revision, justices affirmed appellate rulings in two other cases from Union County, while affirming appellate rulings in 11 additional cases involving school districts in Delaware, Fairfield and Franklin counties and remanding them for further proceedings. The decisions were all unanimous.

State officials and leaders of Ohio Excels -- a nonprofit focused on improving educational outcomes in the state -- were joined by out-of-state experts in enhancing workforce preparation during Tuesday's Aim Hire conference. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted opened his remarks by saying Ohio has become "the heart of it all once again" as the U.S. realized it can't rely on foreign supply chains -- particularly ones involving adversarial nations -- and Ohio is well-placed for the resulting domestic manufacturing growth. He then described the importance of helping young people do "what's next," which has changed over the years. The economy is "doing fantastic" for most people in Ohio, which isn't the case for all states, and now there are more jobs than people to fill them. Husted noted that reflects demographic problems such as an aging workforce population, which have forced businesses to change their practices and be aggressive rather than selective. That has led to an increased look at hiring high school students, with Husted adding that educators and businesses need to engage with each other for the benefit of the students who represent "young talent" for the workforce as well.

Teaching candidates who haven't met the passing score for subject-matter licensing exams but have the confidence of a local superintendent could teach for up to three years with an interim license, under a proposal discussed Tuesday by the State Board of Education. Amid ongoing discussions about the teacher pipeline and the challenges that licensure exams pose for teacher candidates, Superintendent Paul Craft and Jim Wightman, associate director in the Office of Educator Licensure and Effectiveness, brought the proposal for an interim teaching license to the board. Teaching candidates would still need to have a passing score on assessments related to professional teaching knowledge and pedagogy, but could be within one standard error of the current passing score of 220 for subject-area exams -- a score of 206. That flexibility would capture about half of candidates who do not pass the exam, Craft said.

ELECTIONS

Boards of elections across Ohio are facing high staff turnover rates due to being overworked and dealing with angry -- often misinformed -- voters, among other factors, according to a new report from All Voting is Local and Public Circle Research and Consulting. "When we politicize election administration, that incurs a lot of hidden costs for society. It affects workers. It affects voters. At the end of the day, there are dollars and cents concerns for taxpayers," Public Circle's Dean Jackson said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday. The report, "An Exhaustible Resource: Responding to Challenges Facing Ohio's Election Workforce," provides a number of recommendations for policymakers to consider as they work to address election workforce issues.

The Ohio Elections Commission Thursday found no violation in a case brought against Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) over whether as a candidate he could sign checks instead of the campaign treasurer. The complaint was brought by attorney Curt Hartman, himself a candidate this year for the General Assembly, who argued that state law only allows campaign committee expenditures to be made by the campaign treasurer or deputy treasurer. He said Weinstein was serving as neither for his campaign committee when he wrote checks on behalf of the committee in August 2023.

ELECTIONS 2024

In a 4-3 decision issued Tuesday, the Ohio Supreme Court refused to order Secretary of State Frank LaRose to rescind his directive limiting who can return an absentee ballot to a board of elections dropbox, saying the Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) lawsuit challenging that directive was filed too late. ODP filed the lawsuit in response to LaRose's issuing Directive 2024-21 which requires anyone returning an absentee ballot other than their own to enter the county board of elections office and sign a form attesting that they are complying with applicable laws. The directive was issued after a federal judge ruled against a provision of elections law 134-HB458 limiting the use of dropboxes to voters and their family members, saying it violated the Voting Rights Act as it pertains to disabled voters and their right to have assistance from "a person of the voter's choice."

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Portage County during the early voting period and on Election Day in response to concerns from voters in the county. They raised the issues after Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski posted on social media suggesting that the addresses of those with yard signs supporting Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris be written down so "when the illegal human 'locust' ... need places to live ... we'll already have the addresses of their new families." Zuchowski later removed the post and said it was "misinterpreted." DOJ said in its announcement that voters in Portage County "have raised concerns about intimidation resulting from the surveillance and the collection of personal information regarding voters, as well as threats concerning the electoral process. Attempted or actual intimidation, threats or coercion directed toward any person for voting and related activities or urging or aiding others in voting is prohibited by Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.”

A unanimous Ohio Supreme Court recently ordered the Montgomery County Board of Elections to provide more training on proper forms of voter identification to certain precinct election officials who did not already receive the training. The case was brought by Marcell Strbich, who said he attended one of the precinct-election official training sessions conducted by the board last month. Strbich said he questioned one of the presenters at the training about the lack of instruction addressing unacceptable forms of photo identification, including the use of photo identification issued to noncitizens. Strbich said the presenter told him that the instruction materials related to the photo-identification issue were not "on hand" and that because verification of a noncitizen's identity is conducted earlier in the registration process, there was no need to cover the issue.

Democrats in tight congressional races far outraised their opponents in the last quarter, according to federal campaign finance reports filed this week. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), in a tight re-election battle that could help decide control of the U.S. Senate with Republican Bernie Moreno, reported on his campaign finance report that he has raised more than $30 million, spent nearly $37 million and has nearly $4.5 million on hand. Moreno reported $6.5 million, spent nearly $7.8 million, and has $3.2 million on hand. Wednesday was the deadline for federal candidates on the ballot this year to report fundraising activity from July through September. In addition to Brown, two other Democratic candidates in tight re-election races reported raising more than $1 million in the last quarter -- U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo) and U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron).

A new Marist College Poll released this week shows U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) holding a slight lead over Republican challenger Bernie Moreno, but the difference is well within the poll's margin of error. The poll shows Brown leading Moreno 50 to 48 percent, within the poll's plus or minus 3.2 percent margin of error. Among respondents, 43 percent have a favorable opinion of Brown, 42 percent have an unfavorable one, and 15 percent either never heard of Brown or are unsure how to rate him. For Moreno, 37 percent have a positive impression of him, 44 percent have an unfavorable one, and 19 percent have not heard of him or are unsure how to rate him. In the presidential race in Ohio, former President Donald Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris 52 percent to 46 percent. Independent voters are split for both candidates at 49 percent, similar to a 2020 presidential exit poll of Ohio where 48 percent of independent voters went for each of Trump and President Joe Biden. Trump holds a 56 percent to 43 percent lead among White voters, while Harris leads Trump 80 percent to 18 percent among Black voters, a lower total than the 91 percent who supported Biden in 2020.

The presidential campaign of Jill Stein filed a lawsuit in federal court against Secretary of State Frank LaRose over his order to not have votes cast for Stein count, with the campaign arguing that the decision was based on paperwork submitted by someone with no authority over the campaign. The secretary of state's office said last month that it had received a letter in late August notifying the state that Stein's Ohio running mate, Anita Rios, was withdrawing from the race, and being replaced with Butch Ware, who is the vice presidential nominee of the national Green Party. Rios had submitted her name as Stein's running mate when Stein filed to run as an independent candidate in Ohio earlier this year. The secretary of state's office said that because the notice of Rios's withdrawal from the race came after the Aug. 12 deadline to fill a vice-presidential vacancy spot on the ballot, any votes cast for Stein will not count in the Tuesday, Nov. 5 election.

The following endorsements were made over the week:

- The re-election campaign of U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) announced the endorsement of Canal Fulton Mayor Joseph Schultz.

- The congressional campaign of Republican Kevin Coughlin announced the endorsement of former state Rep. Bryan Flannery.

- Citizens Not Politicians announced Issue 1 endorsement statements by Kareem Crayton, vice president of Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law; Edward Foley, director of election law at the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University; Ruth Greenwood, assistant clinical professor of law at Harvard Law School; Simone Leeper, legal counsel for redistricting at Campaign Legal Center; Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio; David Niven, associate professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati; Steven Steinglass, dean emeritus and professor emeritus at the Cleveland State University College of Law; and Catherine Turcer, executive director for Common Cause Ohio.

ENERGY/UTILITIES

A perfect storm of retiring power plants and increasing electric demand could force emergency measures this year if severe winter weather hits PJM Interconnection's 13-state region encompassing Ohio, the grid watchdog says. PJM warns of possible blackouts in the upper Midwest, northern Appalachia and mid-Atlantic states with a repeat of 2022's Winter Storm Elliott, when record-low temperatures slammed the region and most of the U.S. Since then, the forecast for winter peak electric demand has risen by more than 4,000 megawatts as more natural gas and coal-fired electric plants have closed in the 13-state area. Incorporation of new "thermal" or fossil fuel generators, meanwhile, has seriously trailed renewable projects in PJM's generation queue, depleting "capacity" reserves ready to operate 24/7/365 under extreme conditions. "These combined factors add a degree of risk that generator failures on the level of Elliott could leave the system vulnerable to power outages," the regional transmission organization (RTO).

Wadsworth Mayor Robin Laubaugh was re-elected as president of the Ohio Municipal Electric Association (OMEA) Board of Directors earlier this month. The OMEA is guided by a 16-member Board of Directors, with the communities of Celina (Mayor Jeffrey Hazel), Hamilton (Council Member Michael Ryan) and St. Marys (Mayor Joe Hurlburt) re-elected to four-year terms. Additionally, the community of Jackson Center was elected to a four-year term and the city of Oberlin was elected as an ex officio member of the OMEA Board.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) added 18 more cases Tuesday to commission rulings the Ohio Supreme Court may have to address on appeal after justices clarify whether their August decision striking down PUCO's decades-old rehearing process applies only prospectively or also retroactively -- the latter effectively if not directly denying due process to various parties now before the commission. Commissioners unanimously rejected Retail Energy Supply Association (RESA) and Interstate Gas Supply's (IGS) request that they rehear their Sept. 4 order dismissing applications for rehearing by three utilities and several retail energy suppliers. The commission said it has no power to "discern" whether the Court opinion In re Application of Moraine Wind LLC, et al. applies to PUCO cases filed both before and after the Aug. 28 decision. "The Supreme Court of Ohio has emphasized that 'the general rule is that an Ohio court decision applies retrospectively unless a party has contract rights or vested rights under [a] prior decision," commissioners said, citing the Court in DiCenzo v. A-Best Products Co., Inc. (2008). "The majority opinion in Moraine Wind remains silent as to whether the decision should be applied retroactively or prospectively; consequently, the commission issued its Sept. 4, 2024 entry with the understanding that the general rule applied."

The Office of Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) could be headed for a high court battle over the Ohio Manufacturers' Association (OMA) and OCC's claims that PUCO staff curated an otherwise independent audit of American Electric Power's (AEP) stake in a pair of aging coal plants operated by the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC). The dispute between OMA and OCC on one side and PUCO on the other is now well known to observers of the fight over OVEC subsidies -- the last major provision of 133-HB6 (Callender-Wilkin) not repealed by the General Assembly. London Economics International (LEI), the accounting company hired by PUCO to perform an independent review of $74.5 million in AEP/OVEC charges for 2018 and 2019 -- before HB6 enshrined the legacy coal plant charge in statute -- reached the following conclusion in its 2020 draft audit of coal plant revenues: "Keeping the plants running does not seem to be in the best interests of the ratepayers," concluded LEI's top auditor, Chief Economist Marie Fagan. "The OVEC plants cost customers more than the cost of energy and capacity that could be bought on the PJM wholesale markets."

ENVIRONMENT

The Ohio Department of Development (DOD) is providing $52.3 million to demolish buildings and remediate brownfields across the state, Gov. Mike DeWine's office announced Tuesday. This is the sixth round of funding for the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program and the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program, the governor's office said. The Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program grants announced Tuesday totaled more than $29 million to clean up and redevelop 36 hazardous brownfield sites in 23 counties, including nearly $10 million in funding for the remediation and redevelopment of the former Terrace Plaza Hotel, a historically significant part of Cincinnati's Central Business District. Since the launch of the program, DOD has awarded more than $490 million to support 462 projects in 84 counties.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) recently announced the U.S. Department of Energy was entering into a partnership with companies Leidos and The Conductive Group to develop a new facility to recycle surface contaminated nickel in Piketon, creating jobs in the area. The project has multiple phases and will take place at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) site. Approximately 6,400 tons of nickel are located there, and the metal is critical for battery technology that Brown's office called "foundational" to the national economic future.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

Reps. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton), Derek Merrin (R-Maumee) and Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville) this week appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court a 10th District Court of Appeals decision that found their fight with House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) over control of the Ohio House Republican Alliance (OHRA), is nonjusticiable. The three representatives asked courts earlier this year to give Plummer control of the campaign caucus fund after Plummer was elected chair of OHRA during a meeting where a majority of the caucus attended. Stephens has argued that he controls the fund because he is the House speaker. A Franklin County judge ruled that Plummer is in control of the fund and enjoined Stephens from using it, but a unanimous three-judge panel of the 10th District Court of Appeals said it was not a question for the courts, noting that the statute is "entirely neutral" when there is a dispute over who controls a legislative caucus fund. In appealing the case to the Supreme Court, the legislators argue that the case "presents significant questions involving a court's ability to interpret statutes of the Ohio Revised Code."

A Franklin County Common Pleas magistrate has found that the Ohio House Republican Alliance (OHRA) is responsible for paying a judgment against its predecessor for breach of a lease. LCP Columbus Property Owner, LLC had brought the case against the Ohio House Republican Campaign Committee (OHRCC), the legislative caucus campaign committee under former House Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford). Householder ally Jeff Longstreth had entered into a lease agreement for an entire floor of office space in the Chase Tower building in Columbus, but after Longstreth and Householder were indicted on federal charges, OHRCC distanced itself from both and refused to pay rent or take occupancy under the lease, LCP's lawsuit argued. A magistrate in 2022 sided with LCP, ruling that OHRCC owed nearly $1.67 million, including attorney fees and other costs in connection with the lawsuit. In 2023, LCP filed a motion with the court asking for clarification in language in the lease and the magistrate's ruling passing responsibility on to a successor, arguing that OHRA is a successor to OHRCC and therefore liable for the judgment.

Sen. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield), who was appointed to the Senate this past summer, is hoping to earn a four-year term in the upper chamber on Election Day. In June, he replaced now U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli (R-Salem), who won a special election for the 6th Congressional District to finish out the remaining term of former U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Marietta). Cutrona moved to the Senate from the House, where he had served since May 2020 after being appointed to replace former Rep. Don Manning (R-New Middletown), who died in March 2020. He was elected to a full term in the House later in 2020, and was re-elected in 2022. The 33rd Senate District includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana and Carroll counties. Cutrona is facing a challenge from Democratic candidate Martin Hume, a Mahoning County assistant prosecutor. In an interview with Hannah News, Cutrona said he's excited about representing and campaigning in a much larger district. "I'm loving every bit of it," Cutrona said, noting he has been on the campaign trail often ever since being appointed.

GOVERNOR

Christine Morrison, former budget director and chief of staff in the Ohio House, will become Gov. Mike DeWine's new chief of staff effective Nov. 18, his office announced Friday. Current Chief of Staff Stephanie McCloud will return to lead the Bureau of Workers' Compensation for a third time. Morrison has been deputy chief of staff in DeWine's office. She moved to the governor's staff last year as cabinet affairs director after serving as chief of staff to Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) and budget director for Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford). Before that, she was deputy director and Controlling Board president in the Office of Budget and Management, among other state government experience. BWC Administrator John Logue will revert to his prior position as deputy administrator once McCloud returns to the top job yet again. DeWine has already once before called in McCloud to fill a key staff vacancy then asked her to return to BWC. She was named director of the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) after Dr. Amy Acton's departure a few months into the COVID pandemic, then chief of staff after Michael Hall left that position late in 2022.

Judicial appointment made during the week includes the following:

Gov. Mike DeWine Wednesday announced the appointment of Nathan M. Little to the Clermont County Municipal Court. Little, of Cincinnati, will assume office on Monday, Nov. 11, and will be taking the seat formerly held by Judge Jesse Kramig, who resigned. Little will serve the remainder of the unfinished term and will need to run for election in November 2025 to retain the seat. Little began his law career in 2008 as a law clerk for the Law Offices of Attorney Vincent A. Salinas in Cincinnati, a position he held until 2009. He is now co-owner of Middletown Title Agency, a partner at the Law Firm of Combs, Schaefer, Ball & Little in Middletown, and serves as a magistrate for the Clermont County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

The Ohio Department of Public Safety's (DPS) Division of EMS and the State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire and Transportation Services will host the 2024 EMS Medical Director Conference on Thursday, Nov. 7 in Columbus. In partnership with the American College of Emergency Physicians' (ACEP) Ohio Chapter, the state board and DPS are planning a "fast-moving" day of workshops with numerous speakers, among them "Rescue Task Force and Active Shooter Incidents," "Mental Health Support in EMS: Just Do It!" and a presentation by the National Governors Association's (NGA) Learning Collaborative on "Expanding the Role of EMS to Prevent Overdose," a six-month study by five states including Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, Vermont and Wisconsin. The conference website is https://tinyurl.com/35an33nr.

Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff sent a letter to Ohio health care leaders and stakeholders informing them of the state's coordinated efforts to monitor and respond to a potential intravenous (IV) solution shortage after Hurricane Helene damage to a Baxter International manufacturing plant in North Carolina caused disruptions to the national IV solutions supply chain. In the letter, which can be found at https://tinyurl.com/uape2yuk, Vanderhoff called it a "fast developing situation" and said ODH began immediately and actively working with partners at the regional, state and national levels after it was informed of the potential shortage on Oct. 1.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Ohio State University announced this week that scientist and higher education administrative leader Ravi V. Bellamkonda has been selected as the university's next executive vice president and provost. Bellamkonda is currently provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Emory University, and pending approval by the OSU Board of Trustees, will begin his tenure effective Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. "We couldn't be more pleased to welcome Dr. Bellamkonda and his exemplary record of research, teaching and service to the Ohio State community," said OSU President Ted Carter. "In searching for a chief academic officer, it was critical that we find the exact right individual -- someone who exemplifies our commitment to excellence in academics as well as collaborative leadership." Bellamkonda is an internationally known biomedical researcher whose lab has invented novel approaches to treat pediatric and adult brain tumors, having received a National Institutes of Health Director's Transformative Research Award in 2021 for his work.

The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) Thursday announced approval of approximately $4.5 billion in student debt relief for over 60,000 people now working in public service, bringing the total amount that has been forgiven during the Biden administration to over $175 billion for 4.8 million Americans. That includes $74 billion for over one million borrowers specifically in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. The USDOE attributed this to changes the administration made to PSLF, as around 7,000 people had previously received debt relief through the program. PSLF participants include teachers, social workers, nurses, first responders and military personnel. Once they make the required 120 qualifying monthly payments, their remaining student loan balance is forgiven. State data released by USDOE Thursday showed 44,240 Ohioans have been approved for PSLF and that their outstanding balance was around $3.09 billion as of early October.

HUMAN SERVICES

Gov. Mike DeWine Friday signed Executive Order 2024-07D, directing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program funding to initiatives that will assist struggling families, support children and encourage workforce development. The $10,151,250 in funds for FY25 was part of biennial budget HB33 (Edwards).

JUDICIAL

A member of a majority group should not have to show "background circumstances to support the suspicion that the defendant is that unusual employer who discriminates against the majority," an Ohio state employee is arguing in a case accepted for review by the U.S. Supreme Court. Marlean Ames, an employee at the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS), said she was passed over for a promotion and subsequently demoted because she is a heterosexual woman. According to her petition for writ of certiorari, Ames has worked at DYS since 2004 and eventually became a program administrator.

Results of a survey on the mental health of employees in Crestwood Local Schools met the definition of public records and should have been released upon request, notwithstanding arguments that the results didn't drive any decision-making by the local board, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled recently. Justices ruled in an unsigned, 6-1 opinion joined by Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy and Justices Patrick DeWine, Michael Donnelly, Melody Stewart, Jennifer Brunner and Joe Deters. Justice Patrick Fischer dissented but did not write an opinion elaborating on his reasons. Brian Ames, a resident of the village of Mogadore on the Summit-Portage County border, filed a records request in 2023 with the Portage County district for results of the survey, which was circulated in 2022 by the athletic director with the superintendent's consent. Its purpose was to identify areas of concern, decrease burnout and increase mental wellbeing.

The Supreme Court of Ohio Thursday announced the adoption of increased judicial campaign contribution limits beginning with the 2025 election cycle. While the new limits took effect this week on Tuesday, Oct. 15, they first apply to municipal court candidates who are seeking judicial office in 2025. According to the Court, the adjusted limits correspond to the change in the Consumer Price Index that occurred over the four-year period since the rules last required the director of the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct to compute the percentage change in 2020.

LIBRARIES

Book bans and other forms of censorship are a growing problem in the U.S., American Library Association (ALA) President Cindy Hohl said Monday. "A lot of this seems to be rooted in hate, ignorance, misunderstanding, and the actual perpetuation of misinformation -- as if that would be anything that would help a community stay healthy and strong," Hohl said during a City Club of Cleveland forum. Hohl pointed to a Missouri law that could result in school librarians being fined or incarcerated for allowing a child to check out a book that someone may consider inappropriate. "That is such a slippery slope. When does that end?" Hohl said. "And why would an innocent librarian, who is checking out materials to a reader, be the criminal in any of these scenarios? It does not make sense."

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and Thomas B. Fordham Institute announced Thursday that Lt. Gov. Jon Husted has received the national organization's "Champion for Charter Schools Award." The award is for state policymakers who create an "exceptional difference" for charter school families and communities, according to the Fordham Institute. "Educational freedom is an American aspiration. No school can serve the unique needs of every child, and no child should have the educational options limited by their zip code or financial circumstances," Husted said.

LIQUOR/ALCOHOL

The Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) Division of Liquor Control (DLC) has developed an online guide to help the public understand alcohol-related questions on the ballot, DOC announced Wednesday. "When Ohioans go to cast their vote on Nov. 5, they may see more than political contests on the ballot. Voters in various Ohio communities may also see items related to local option election laws. These issues can determine a number of alcohol-related items, including whether a particular business is able to sell a certain type of alcohol at a specific location, whether they can engage in regular (Monday through Saturday) sales, or whether they can sell alcohol on Sundays," DOC said. The Local Option Election Guide is available at com.ohio.gov/LocalOptionGuide.

MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM

The Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee (JMOC) on Thursday approved Medicaid growth rates of 3.8 percent for FY26 and 3.7 percent for FY27. Rep. Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) was the only member of the committee to vote against the growth rates. JMOC set the rates following a presentation from actuary CBIZ Optumas, which included the Ohio Department of Medicaid's (ODM) projections for the upcoming biennium. According to ODM, the growth rates are expected to be 5.3 percent in FY26 and 5 percent in FY27. Dan Skinner of CBIZ Optumas said the largest single driver of the per-member, per-month increase is pharmacy costs, accounting for roughly 33 percent of the total increase. He said the higher costs are due to a number of factors, including increased unit prices and increased utilization of drugs.

MENTAL HEALTH

On average, five Ohioans lose their lives to suicide each day. Men account for 80 percent of suicide deaths in the state, with the highest rate occurring among men aged 75 and older. However, suicide affects much younger Ohioans, too, as the second-leading cause of death among 10-19 year olds. The troubling trends in suicide deaths have been a focus of the DeWine administration in Ohio, but those trends don't stop at the state's borders. Nationally, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched in July 2022, and as of this summer, the service now averages more than 14,000 contacts per month in Ohio alone via phone, text or chat. But even as the 988 Lifeline service has grown in its two years of operation in Ohio and nationally, increasing the service's scope and effectiveness are very much a priority at the federal level, as well. Dr. Richard McKeon, senior advisor in the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 988 and Crisis Office, spoke to the Midwest Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Summit in Columbus on Thursday about the 988 Lifeline and this year's most recent iteration of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP).

PENSIONS

Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) Director Steve Dackin recently changed who sits on the board of the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) in his stead. Dackin is a statutory member of the STRS Board of Trustees, as was the state superintendent of public instruction before lawmakers remade the former Ohio Department of Education into DEW and carved off the State Board of Education and superintendent's office as a separate entity. In recent practice, those statutory members have appointed a designee to sit in their place. In a letter dated Thursday, Oct. 10, Dackin wrote that he was naming Caroline Everidge-Frey, chief of the Advancing Professional Supports Section of DEW, as his designee. Frey replaces Scott Hunt, deputy chief for field relations at DEW.

The Governance Committee of the STRS Board of Trustees recommended and the full board adopted a new funding policy, with a goal of safeguarding member benefits in the long term and an objective of taking steps to "adjust benefits to the level prior to the adoption of measures from 2012 to 2017" while also "preserving the fiscal integrity of the system as determined by the board's actuary." In addition, on a motion from Board Chair Rudy Fichtenbaum, the board agreed to hire Global Governance Advisors (GGA) as the next governance consultant after the prior firm quit its contract early. At the end of Wednesday's session, the board voted to initiate the search for an interim successor to Acting Executive Director Lynn Hoover with the assistance of search firm Korn Ferry. Members also debated the best way to gather and direct a coalition to win lawmakers' support for an employer contribution rate increase.

Most STRS retirees will get a one-time supplemental benefit check in December after system trustees voted Thursday to allocate a part of their expected budget for benefit improvements to the extra checks. Trustees asked system staff to start looking into the supplemental payout option in May. The mechanism hasn't been used for more than two decades. Payment will be based on a retiree's number of "units," with each year they worked and each year they've spent in retirement counting as one unit. The payment formula is $40 times the number of units; the average gross payout will be $1,720, based on an average number of units of 43. "It doesn't mean that everybody is getting $1,720. That, in fact, is the average, based on the average units," said Fichtenbaum. The payments will come separately from the regular December benefit check and will be subject to a 22 percent withholding rate for tax purposes, according to system staff. To be eligible, a retiree must have been receiving benefits every month of the calendar year, so those who retired during 2024 will not receive the payment.

PEOPLE

Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) Assistant Director Josh Hahn, who has worked for Gov. Mike DeWine in various capacities for more than two decades, died this week at the age of 47. "We are just devastated -- our family is. I've heard from grandkids, I've heard from our kids. He was really a part of our family -- our personal family as well as our office family," Gov. Mike DeWine told Hannah News.

The Ohio Attorney General and Ohio Auditor of State's offices announced Monday that the mastermind of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium's $2.3 million rip-off of Franklin County taxpayers, donors and patrons has been sentenced to a seven-year prison term, $315,572 in criminal restitution and $10,000 in fines, in addition to $400,000 in restitution already paid for his role in the conspiracy. Attorney General Dave Yost and Auditor Keith Faber say one-time CEO Tom Stalf -- the "toxic leader" not only of the zoo but also the plot to defraud it, according to prosecutors -- and former zoo executives including CFO Greg Bell and Marketing Director Pete Fingerhut manipulated credit card and check authorization forms for more than a decade and used the money for personal vacations, cars, concerts, sporting events, golf memberships, meals, alcohol and other illegal perks between 2011 and 2021.

POVERTY

In too many cases for poor families, the life one will live is determined at birth, according to Philip Cole, executive director of the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA). With that in mind, OACAA's 31st annual report on the state of poverty in Ohio, released Wednesday, focused this year on children in poverty in Ohio. Cole called it a true tragedy to hear statistics so often about those living in poverty that people become numb to it. This year's report also sees the return of OACAA's Ohio's Well-Being Dashboard, which looks at county-level data in the state including poverty rate, unemployment rate, percentage of students receiving free and reduced-price lunches from schools and four-year high school graduation rates. The dashboard also sorts counties into levels by how they compare to other counties in those metrics. The report shows that the childhood poverty rate in Ohio stands at 17.7 percent, compared to the overall poverty rate in Ohio of 13.4 percent. That overall poverty rate in Ohio remained the same in 2022 from the previous year, while the national poverty rate fell from 12.8 percent in 2021 to 12.6 percent in 2022. Ohio has the 12th highest poverty rate among U.S. states.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Ohio Task Force 1 (OH-TF1) announced late Sunday that they had officially been demobilized, ending close to three weeks of work in Florida and North Caroline responding to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. OH-TF1 initially deployed to Orlando, FL ahead of Hurricane Helene though team members shifted focus to multiple counties around Asheville, NC given the damage there which included "days of rain and mudslides that would isolate communities." OH-TF1 activities included searching for missing persons with boats, K-9s and specialized equipment, at times going house to house. On Oct. 7, they were requested to go back to Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton, though some team members had to return to Ohio and were replaced. The team was fully staffed by Tuesday, Oct. 8 and waited for the second hurricane's landfall in Orlando again.

The Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) recently announced the certification of Akron Children's Hospital Police Department for meeting state standards established by the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board. In addition, another 13 agencies were recertified. Agencies completing the certification process have adopted and implemented the initial two standards regarding use of force and hiring and recruitment while the recertification process takes place on a revolving, three- to four-year cycle.

Gov. Mike DeWine and members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) Wednesday updated the state on distracted driving numbers one year after Ohio's oft-misunderstood law took effect. The governor announced that traffic accidents in Ohio have "significantly decreased" since OSHP and local law enforcement began enforcing R.C. 4511.204 in October 2023 after a six-month grace period triggered by 134-SB288's (Manning) effective date. Preliminary data shows 1,112 fewer distracted driving crashes in Ohio between Oct. 5, 2023 and Oct. 4, 2024 versus the prior 12 months, with fatal accidents dropping 19.4 percent.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety's (DPS) Office of Criminal Justice Services opened the application period Thursday for $5 million in budget appropriations supporting the fourth round of the Ohio Body-Worn Camera Grant Program. The program assists local law enforcement agencies with costs associated with camera equipment, video storage, editing software, public record management and maintenance, among other items. "Law enforcement agencies are increasingly using body-worn cameras to serve a multitude of functions: to improve evidence collection, to train officers, to strengthen officer performance and accountability, to enhance agency transparency, and to document and investigate encounters between police and the public," the Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) says.

REDISTRICTING/REAPPORTIONMENT

After voters in Michigan approved a constitutional amendment in 2018 with redistricting reforms on which Ohio's Issue 1 is now based, Rebecca Szetela, former chair of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC), says Michigan's commission adopted an attitude of "we're not accountable, and we decide." Szetela said MICRC was made up of people with "no experience whatsoever" being put in charge of redrawing Michigan's legislative maps. Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-Columbus) expressed concerns for a similar outcome in Ohio were Issue 1 to pass in this year's general election while addressing media on Tuesday. "Be careful what you vote for," Reynolds warned potential Issue 1 supporters in Ohio. Reynolds said the decline in the number of Black legislators in Michigan after 2018 was tied to how Detroit's legislative districts were redrawn by the state's independent redistricting commission. Reynolds said Issue 1's attempt to "level the playing field" in Ohio will come at the expense of minority communities, especially Black communities.

The Citizens Not Politicians ballot proposal is the "gold standard" for redistricting policy, former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor said Wednesday. "When Ohio voters pass Issue 1, we will have the best system," O'Connor said during a Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC) forum on gerrymandering, responding to an audience question about which state has the best redistricting process. O'Connor was joined on the panel by Auditor of State Keith Faber, Capital University law professor Bradley Smith and Brennan Center for Justice Vice President Kareem Crayton. The forum was moderated by Jessie Balmert, a reporter with the Columbus Dispatch. Faber, who served on the Ohio Redistricting Commission when O'Connor, a Republican, and the three Democratic members of the Court struck down the commission's proposed maps seven times, said he agreed that the current redistricting system could be improved, but argued Issue 1 would make the situation worse. O'Connor said Ohio's proposal is better than Michigan's system.

The Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM) estimates that one year of expenses for the new Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission would cost the state $5.7 million if Issue 1 is adopted by voters in November. The constitutional amendment would require a redraw of the current General Assembly and congressional maps in 2025 if adopted by voters. It establishes a 15-member commission, but OBM also accounts for other potential expenses including staff, equipment, and litigation. Most of the expense would come from a commission staff, which OBM estimates to cost $1.5 million for 12 employees, and litigation before the Ohio Supreme Court, which is estimated at $2.6 million. Under Issue 1, the General Assembly is required to appropriate not less than $7 million for the 2025 redistricting cycle, and adjust that number for inflation for each cycle thereafter. It also specifies that lawmakers must appropriate additional funds for the commission's expenses for any related litigation.

TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE

Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) recently announced more than $23 million for Ohio's Urban Transit Program. According to ODOT, the $23.1 million will be distributed among Ohio's 26 urban transit agencies. Funding will be used for a variety of purposes such as transit fleet expansion, replacement vehicles, preventive maintenance, facility upgrades, new equipment and technology, and operating assistance. ODOT's Office of Transit is administering the awards, which are funded through Ohio's General Revenue Fund. A list of grantees can be found at https://tinyurl.com/2mhsh237.