Friday, July 26, 2024

AGRICULTURE

A program originally launched nearly 40 years ago to help Ohio's farm operators save money on operating costs has now saved Ohio's farmers, agribusinesses and agricultural cooperatives nearly $10 million in the first half of 2024, putting it on pace to break its own record set just last year, Treasurer of State Robert Sprague announced. Ag-LINK has helped farmers in Ohio get better financing rates for upfront costs of farming equipment since its original launch in 1986. After 134-HB440 (Swearingen-White) revamped the program by raising the cap on the loan amounts eligible for financing and allowing applications to the program year-round, Ag-LINK is continuing to grow after saving Ohio's agricultural industry a record amount of over $14 million in 2023.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODAg) added 198 acres of the Tooill family farm in Fairfield County to the Farmland Preservation Program. The Tooill farm was sponsored by the Fairfield County Board of Commissioners in partnership with ODAg in securing the agreement. The program statewide allows landowners to enter into an agreement with ODAg to perpetually maintain the land for agricultural use in exchange for either compensation or eligibility for a tax deduction. This announcement marks the 10th farm the Farmland Preservation Program has added in 2024, following other announcements earlier this summer in Auglaize, Ross and Logan counties. Since the Office of Farmland Preservation began in 1998, 719 farms in Ohio have entered into agreements to preserve more than 106,000 acres.

ARTS, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) Thursday announced it has awarded 935 grants totaling $22,704,702 -- "the largest single round of grant awards ... in the agency's history -- to support Ohio artists, nonprofits, arts and cultural organizations, students and education and public arts programming." These grants were made possible, according to OAC, by a "record high state appropriation of nearly $51.1 million for the OAC over the two-year [budget] period" that was approved as part of HB33 (Edwards).

ATTORNEY GENERAL

The son of convicted former Columbus Zoo and Aquarium CFO Greg Bell becomes the Ohio Attorney General and Ohio Auditor of State's latest – and last -- target in the apparent $2.29 million shell game. Attorney General Dave Yost has filed a bill of information in Delaware County Common Pleas Court against former zoo Purchasing Assistant Grant Bell on one count of theft, a fifth-degree felony.

BALLOT ISSUES

Campaigners in support of another redistricting amendment to the Ohio Constitution easily cleared the signature threshold for making the November ballot, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Tuesday. The Citizens Not Politicians campaign, which is behind the amendment, turned in 731,306 signatures earlier this month. LaRose's office reported that county boards of elections determined 535,005 of them were valid, well beyond the required 413,487 -- a threshold equal to 10 percent of the votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election. The amendment campaign also gathered signatures totaling at least 5 percent of votes cast in 58 of Ohio's 88 counties, exceeding the requirement to do so in 44 counties. The next step in the initiated constitutional amendment process is for the Ohio Ballot Board to determine the official title and ballot language for the amendment.

Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would end qualified immunity for certain government employees in cases that allege a civil rights violation have again taken Attorney General Dave Yost to court after he rejected their proposed submission again for the ninth time. This time it was on the basis that it lacked a title. Backers of the amendment filed a new lawsuit against Yost on Friday with the Ohio Supreme Court, saying the attorney general has repeatedly prevented them from circulating their proposed amendment for signatures. They said Yost rejected each of their submissions, offering a variety of "shifting reasons for his rejections. Despite the fact that relators have amended their summary each time in response to [Yost's] criticisms, he continues to reject the revised submissions, citing new reasons each time." They said they had deleted the title from their previous submission "out of an abundance of caution" in order to assuage Yost's concerns about the accuracy of the title.

FY26-27 BUDGET

Detailed planning can begin in earnest for the upcoming biennial budget cycle after the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) published official guidance for FY26-27. As with the FY24-25 guidance issued in 2022, OBM's FY26-27 guidance asks agencies to focus on results to justify spending proposals. OBM is also rolling out a new portal for language requests agencies hope to see included in the executive proposal. The guidance asks agencies to couch their requests in terms of their relationships to the budget, given the Ohio Constitution's single subject rule. Agencies are also to use the language portal during deliberations on the FY26-27 budget next year to propose any necessary amendments as the legislative process progresses. A schedule for submission of requests is as follows:

- Friday, Sept. 13, Group 1 (licensing boards and commissions)

- Friday, Sept. 27, Group 2 (small- to mid-size agencies)

- Monday, Oct. 21, Group 3 (cabinet agencies and other executive agencies)

- Friday, Nov. 1, Group 4 (legislative, judicial and statewide elected agencies)

CITIES

The mayors of Ohio's three largest cities Wednesday addressed how they're managing growth and housing challenges in their cities, innovative approaches to fighting crime and other issues at a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum. Mayor Justin Bibb of Cleveland, Mayor Andrew Ginther of Columbus and Mayor Aftab Pureval of Cincinnati addressed questions from 10TV news anchor Yolanda Harris during the forum. Harris asked the mayors how they're addressing challenges with their cities' school systems, which generally did not earn high ratings in the state's 5-star report card system. Bibb noted he alone among the three exercised direct, mayoral control of his school system, but Pureval added, "When you're mayor, nothing is not your fault, even if it's not your responsibility."

CORRECTIONS

Prosecutors have downgraded charges against the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) commander placed on leave following Lt. Rodney "Ozzie" Oborne's accidental shooting death at the state's Correctional Training Academy in April. The Pickaway Prosecutor's Office had investigated 19-year DRC veteran Cmdr. David Pearson for reckless homicide, but the county grand jury reduced the charge to one count of negligent homicide for the April 9 incident during a Special Tactics and Response (STAR) Academy course. Recklessness requires the state to prove "knowing disregard" for another's safety, while negligence refers to a "failure to exercise reasonable care."

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Fleeing law enforcement in a motor vehicle will soon be a felony in Ohio punishable from six months to five years behind bars and a $1,000-$10,000 fine, depending on whether the police chase follows the commission of a separate felony and/or risks or causes "serious physical harm" to persons or property. HB56 (Plummer-White) was signed by the governor on July 23 and becomes effective in 90 days. Now a first-degree misdemeanor, fleeing police will range from a fourth- to a third-degree felony and potentially result in the loss of Ohio driving privileges for life. The new law further requires that police pursuit policies be written and officers appropriately trained, though lawmakers stepped back from specific requirements on law enforcement agencies.

DISASTERS

Gov. Mike DeWine says the U.S. president is ignoring the relative poverty of Appalachian regions in denying his first request for a disaster declaration following spring flooding, tornadoes and storms in Southeast Ohio. He appealed that determination in a second letter to the Biden administration citing a lack of state and local resources to rebuild roads and other damaged infrastructure. The governor's original, June 3 petition for federal assistance quoted a preliminary estimate of $33.8 million in damages to Belmont, Monroe, Jefferson, Guernsey, Noble, Washington, Morgan and Meigs counties between April 1 - 4. Biden denied the request only three weeks later. DeWine says that figure far exceeds FEMA's disaster threshold of $21.7 million, falls well below local assessments of $50.5 million and more than satisfies the required $4.60 per capita calculation when Appalachia is taken as a distinct economic region.

EAST PALESTINE DERAILMENT

Area residents and first responders affected by the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment near East Palestine welcomed the opening of a new center for holistic support and resiliency services following last year's disaster. The 3,300-square-foot East Palestine Resiliency Center offers free services to residents and others affected in the area, with options ranging from mental health and substance use disorder treatment; individual, family and group counseling; educational sessions; creative and culinary arts therapies; animal therapy; and meditation, yoga and tai chi, among other services.

ECONOMY

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) said Friday that Ohio's unemployment rate had risen to 4.4 percent in June, up from 4.2 percent in May, as nonagricultural wage and salary employment decreased by 2,300 over the month. ODFJS said the number of workers unemployed in Ohio in June was 254,000, up from 243,000 in May. The number of unemployed has increased 60,000 in the past 12 months from 194,000, while the unemployment rate has increased 1.1 percentage points from June 2023, when it was 3.3. percent. In June 2024, the labor force participation rate in Ohio was 62.1 percent, up from 61.9 percent in May 2024 and up from 61.9 percent in June 2023. During the same period, the national labor force participation rate was 62.6 percent, up from 62.5 percent in May 2024 and unchanged from 62.6 percent in June 2023. The U.S. unemployment rate for June 2024 was 4.1 percent, up from 4.0 percent in May 2024 and up from 3.6 percent in June 2023.

EDUCATION

The Ohio STEM Learning Network announced Wednesday the application period for its STEM Classroom Grants will open on Tuesday, July 30, running through 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3. The grants can provide schools with amounts of $2,500 or $5,000 for "creative, new ideas to advance STEM education," according to the announcement. Educators at public, charter and independent STEM schools in grades K-12 are all eligible. Each educator is limited to submitting one grant application per grant cycle, however a school may have multiple educators submit applications. All awarded funds must be spent by June 1, 2025 in the manner outlined in the approved grant application. The Ohio STEM Learning Network is a partnership of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) and Battelle. More details on the grants are available at https://tinyurl.com/es5v5h68.

DEW will again refile a rule on operating standards for identifying and serving gifted students after concerns were raised in Monday's Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) meeting. The rule was previously placed in to-be-refiled status to make changes to the language requested by stakeholders. Abbie Sigmon, executive director of the Ohio Association for Gifted Children (OAGC), testified on the item that included some positive comments about the rule but also some concerns. She had previously urged changes to the rule at a DEW meeting in January.

A new front will open in federal court soon in the legal battle over a Warren County Educational Service Center (ESC) program for students with severe and complex needs, while the pending state court case is moving up to the 12th District after a judge blocked DEW from enforcing corrective action plans for the ESC.

ELECTIONS

A federal judge ruled that a provision of omnibus elections bill 134-HB458 (Hall) that allows only a select few to possess or return a voter's absentee ballot violates the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan Monday said 134-HB458's criminalizing knowingly returning another's absentee ballot unless authorized to do so violates Section 208 of the VRA, which gives disabled voters the right to have assistance from "a person of the voter's choice." The lawsuit was brought against Secretary of State Frank LaRose and others by the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Ohio and Jennifer Kucera, a registered Republican and a disabled Ohioan living with muscular dystrophy. Kucera is unable to travel without assistance and relies on caregivers for daily tasks, according to the court. She has had to rely on her elderly mother to help her with voting, but she would prefer to rely on her caregivers. The lawsuit argued that 134-HB458's limitations on who may possess or return absentee ballots unlawfully affected disabled voters.

The Ohio Elections Commission and its executive director, Phil Richter, talked Thursday about potential approaches to replacing him and allowing an overlap period with potential successors so he can pass on some of his institutional knowledge from decades of leadership. Richter said he is planning to retire in the summer of 2026, and commission members said they'd hope to have new staff on board ahead of that for a successful transition. Commissioners also talked about whether Richter's position should be split between an administrative leader and legal counsel. Richter noted the commission's staff attorney position is unique in that it is empowered to serve as legal counsel for the panel instead of the attorney general. That arises from conversations from the commission's establishment as an independent agency, regarding a need to prevent conflicts of interest with statewide officials whose campaigns might end up before the commission.

ELECTIONS 2024

President Joe Biden will no longer seek reelection in November after he released a letter Sunday saying it is in the best interest of his party and the country for him to "stand down" and "to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term." In light of Biden's announcement, many prominent Democrats are endorsing the prospect of Vice President Kamala Harris' running for the office in his place. That includes the Association of State Democratic Committees, which unanimously voted to endorse Harris during a call of state party chairs on Monday.

As long as Democrats pick a ballot replacement for President Joe Biden by the end of August, that candidate will appear on Ohio's ballot, according to the secretary of state's office. Biden withdrew from running for re-election less than a month before Democrats were set to officially nominate him at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, The convention is scheduled for the week of Aug. 19. A spokesman for Secretary of State Frank LaRose referred to LaRose's comments on social media earlier in the month as calls for Biden to step aside increased in the wake of his debate performance on June 27. LaRose had pointed to the passage of HB1 (Dobos) earlier this year, the special session legislation that delayed the deadline for national parties to submit the names of their presidential and vice presidential candidates from 90 days before the Nov. 5 election to 65 days.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose wrote a letter Thursday to Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Jaime Harrison to criticize him for using Ohio's ballot access deadline as justification for a virtual nomination process ahead of the official convention, noting lawmakers had authorized a temporary delay in the access deadline for this year's election from Wednesday, Aug. 7 to Sunday, Sept. 1, preventing the late-August timing of the Democrats' national convention from creating an access issue. In the leadup to that legislative action, however, the DNC had proposed a virtual roll-call ahead of the previous deadline. "As the state's chief elections officer, I've confirmed with our state's attorney general that Ohio law does not require the DNC to conduct a 'virtual roll call' prior to your scheduled August convention dates," LaRose wrote. "I'm confident that your attorneys are well-aware of this fact, and I suspect your current rhetorical posturing is part of a plan to replace the incumbent president without a contested convention or any kind of democratic process. It's clever, if not completely antithetical to your party's relentless finger wagging about threats to democracy, but I ask that you stop using Ohio to justify your course of action."

State Sen. George Lang (R-West Chester) apologized for remarks he made before U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance's speech at a Middletown rally. During those remarks, he reportedly said that if "we lose this one, it's going to take a civil war to save the country, and it will be saved." Lang later posted on social media, saying the remarks "do not accurately reflect my views. I regret the divisive remarks I made in the excitement of the moment on stage. Especially in light of the assassination attempt on President Trump …, we should all be mindful of what is said at political events, myself included," Lang wrote.

Ohio's delegation to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) Monday evening voted to pledge their votes to Vice President Kamala Harris a day after President Joe Biden announced he was ending his re-election bid and endorsing Harris. Harris reportedly has now earned enough pledged delegates to win the Democratic nomination for president when the convention meets Monday, Aug. 19 through Thursday, Aug. 22 in Chicago. Delegates could also meet and vote for her nomination virtually before then.

If Democrats want to narrow the Republican supermajority in the 136th General Assembly, they will likely do so in the suburban areas of some of the state's larger counties. Working under new maps passed by the Ohio Redistricting Commission last fall, four seats in the Senate are considered competitive enough that they change hands under the current partisan indexes, while a little more than a dozen in the House could be in play. The most likely pickup for Democrats in the House will be to flip one of the two Republican-held seats in Lucas County. With Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Maumee) term-limited, map-drawers made Rep. Josh Williams (R-Oregon) a little safer, putting his new district at about a 54.48 percent Republican index, according to indexes used by the Redistricting Commission, while the new 41st District became more blue with a 60 percent Democratic index. In that district, labor leader and Democrat Erika White faces graduate student Josiah Leinbach.

The Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio (FOP) this week announced its endorsements for the November general election, issuing no endorsement in the U.S. Senate race between U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Republican nominee Bernie Moreno, and endorsing only one incumbent Ohio Supreme Court justice. The FOP said the endorsements were voted on during its annual conference. In the Ohio Supreme Court races, the FOP endorsed Republicans Megan Shanahan and Dan Hawkins, as well as Justice Melody Stewart. Stewart is facing fellow Justice Joe Deters, a former Hamilton County prosecutor.

The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) Wednesday released an open letter saying it has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president. OLBC said that they honor and appreciate President Joe Biden's service to the country, and said Harris has "demonstrated unwavering commitment, strength, and compassion throughout her career. Her leadership as vice president has been pivotal in advancing policies that benefit all Americans, particularly in marginalized and underserved communities."

Proponents of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown's (D-OH) reelection bid discussed reasons for their support in a virtual press conference organized by his campaign Thursday, while also criticizing Republican challenger Bernie Moreno for his stances on abortion and labor issues. Brown Campaign Manager Rachel Petri noted the press conference was held ahead of Sunday marking 100 days until the Nov. 5 general election, and said "the stakes have never been higher for Ohioans on the issues that are most important in their lives." Joining her were Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon); Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga; Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) President Melissa Cropper; U.S. Air Force veteran Melissa Rodriguez, co-chair of Veterans for Sherrod; and SEIU Local 1199 member Lynn Radcliffe.

ENVIRONMENT

A pair of state grants are helping local efforts in Ohio to properly dispose of the shrink wrap placed around boats in marinas for their storage during the winter months. As part of the Ohio Clean Marinas Program in the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the Ohio Boat Shrink Wrap Recycling Program has recovered more than 2.3 million pounds of boat shrink wrap since the program's start in 2006. So far in 2024, nearly 50,000 pounds of additional shrink wrap have been collected. Shrink wrapping a 25-foot boat for protection during wintertime can use the plastic equivalent of over two thousand grocery shopping bags.

FEDERAL

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Wednesday unveiled legislation that would ban Internet-connected vehicles produced in China and in other countries adversarial to the United States from operating near U.S. military bases and other federal installations. Brown said the sensitive data collected by Internet-connected cars is a national security threat in the hands of the Chinese government. Brown said his legislation, the Countering Adversary Reconnaissance (CAR) Act of 2024, would "cover most of the land of the U.S." The goal of the bill is "to make it impractical and unprofitable to import these vehicles in the first place. This is about stopping Chinese-made connected cars before they become widespread in the U.S. This is down the road certainly a jobs issue, but it's first and foremost an issue now about national security," he said.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

The 10th District Court of Appeals Monday stayed a lower court ruling that took control of the Ohio House Republican Alliance (OHRA) campaign fund away from House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) and scheduled an oral argument. Stephens had appealed Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Mark Serrott's ruling that handed control of the legislative campaign fund to Rep. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton), whom a majority of the members of the caucus elected to serve as chair during a special meeting called on April 10. Among his arguments, Stephens said Serrott's ruling "wrongly interfered into the inner workings of a political caucus by adopting rules for the caucus and then agreeing to enforce such rules." The oral argument for the appeal is set for 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14. It will be heard by Judges Betsy Luper Schuster, Carly Edelstein, and David Leland.

GOVERNOR

Gov. Mike DeWine signed health care omnibus measure SB144 (Romanchuk) into law Thursday but struck provisions that would have dissolved the Ohio Medical Quality Foundation (OMQF), following a request from the foundation board that he use his line-item veto power to block the dissolution. Under SB144, lawmakers proposed to dissolve the foundation and send its assets to the Ohio Professional Health Program (OhioPHP), which provides a confidential monitoring program for State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) licensees, monitors doctors on probation with impairment concerns and oversees monitoring of treatment providers used by doctors. SMBO told Hannah News last week it had not requested the legislative change.

Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday his list of candidates to replace U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) after the junior senator's vice presidential nomination is not long and will focus on "someone who will stay awhile." DeWine alluded to several individuals who have contacted his office about the U.S. Senate appointment should the Trump-Vance ticket be successful in November. On Vance's replacement, the governor shared what he believes it takes to be "effective" in Congress' upper chamber. "The Senate is an institution of seniority," he said, having himself served two six-year terms as a U.S. senator for Ohio. Though the candidate list is not long, it also is not short, DeWine said. On Wednesday, he expanded on replacing Vance, stressing that "[former President Donald] Trump has to be elected president before any of that will take place." DeWine said he would want someone who can win in both the primary and general elections to come, rather than being a "placeholder" choice, and that he would want them to be productive as well. Asked about the role of foreign policy views to that choice, DeWine said he has made it clear he sees support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Ukraine as "very important" to U.S. national security.

Regarding the discussion around age and fitness for public office at the national level, DeWine said every case and each person is different. "I think people have to be guided by what the facts are and what they perceive the facts to be," DeWine added. He also described how his career has benefitted from the experience and wisdom gained over time, with DeWine adding he knew more about how to be governor when he took office in 2019 than when he ran briefly for the 1990 gubernatorial primary. At his age he can still make decisions "pretty quick" even if his ability to remember "every name" was probably better 10 years ago than it is now, DeWine told reporters. He also said he doesn't think there should be any automatic rules on age and public office and considers it "absurd" that judges can't serve beyond the age of 70 in Ohio. Some people should stop serving as judges at 70 but that is what elections are for and making generalizations is hard, DeWine continued.

Speaking to reporters after opening the Ohio State Fair Wednesday, Gov. DeWine said he will have a statement on the Citizens Not Politicians proposed redistricting amendment "in the next few days." The amendment qualified for the November ballot Tuesday. DeWine also said he has spent a lot of time looking at that and trying to understand what it would do, as well as what other states have done. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted further told reporters he was going through the same process as DeWine in regard to the proposed amendment.

Gov. Mike DeWine this week signed HB47 (Brown-Bird) which requires automated external defibrillators (AED) in all public and private schools and local sports and recreation facilities in municipalities and townships of 5,000 residents or more. It was signed at a gathering of students, coaches and teachers at Worthington Kilbourne High School.

The governor signed the following bills:

- SB28 (Roegner) which enters Ohio into the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact, revises the law governing the certification and practice of medication aides, and removes residency conditions related to limited license to practice veterinary medicine. Eff. 90 days.

- SB29 (Huffman) regarding education records and student data privacy. Eff. 90 days.

- SB40 (Roegner) which enters Ohio into the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact and prevents health insurers from setting fees on non-covered dental services. Eff. 90 days. Ohio Dental Association Executive Director David Owsiany praised the signing in a statement, saying the compact will streamline the process of licensing dentists and dental hygienists to practice in multiple states while preserving appropriate oversight by the Ohio State Dental Board. He added that "the non-covered services portion of the bill will protect dentist-patient relationships from unnecessary interference by dental insurance companies."

- SB94 (Brenner-Landis) to make various changes regarding recorded instruments, powers of attorney, judgment liens, mortgage subrogation, law enforcement towing laws, state stock banks, liquor control laws, motor vehicle sales and leases, designation of public depositories, community reinvestment areas, motor vehicle certificates of title, and higher education cost and aid disclosure forms; to provide for the electronic filing of pleadings or documents in courts of common pleas except a probate or juvenile court; in municipal courts, and in county courts, to permit an elected clerk to disburse funds for the computerization of the clerk's office without the court's authorization; to permit municipal and county courts to increase the maximum amount of their additional fees from $10 to $20 to cover the computerization of the clerk's office; to enact the "CAMPUS" Act regarding the prevention of harassment and intimidation at institutions of higher education; to establish campus safety and community programs; to provide additional funding to support responsibilities of the chancellor of higher education related to educator preparation programs and the science of reading; and to make appropriations. Eff. Immediately.

- SB98 (Rulli) addressing fraudulent business filings, deceptive mailings, reinstatement of cancelled business entities, and addresses of statutory agents, and to make changes regarding property taxation, fire investigator firearms, acting or assigned judge reimbursements, common pleas clerk of court duties, recreational vehicle park and camp operation licenses, and state ballot numbering. Eff. 90 days.

- SB112 (Rulli) requiring school buildings to comply with national life safety standards and to name this act the Ohio Childhood Safety Act. Eff. 90 days.

- SB144 (Romanchuk) regarding immunizations administered by pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and pharmacy technicians; regarding certificates of need and change of operator procedures for nursing homes; regarding the per Medicaid day payment rate for specified ICFs/IID; regarding medication aides and certified nurse aides, including competency evaluation programs and training and competency evaluation programs; regarding nursing home quality improvement projects; regarding conditional employment in homes and adult day care programs; regarding grants provided to adult day care providers, and regarding the Ohio Medical Quality Foundation. Appropriation provision eff. immediately, others eff. 90 days. Provision line-item vetoed preventing elimination of the Ohio Medical Quality Foundation.

- SB156 (Reineke-Hackett) revising the law governing the designation of wild, scenic, and recreational rivers and to revise boating law to encourage boating safety. Eff. 90 days.

- SB168 (Reynolds) regarding primary, secondary, and higher education reform and notice requirements for certain reemployed retirants, to transfer cash from the General Revenue Fund to the High School Financial Literacy Fund. Eff. 90 days.

- SB175 (Lang) regarding insurance regulations and taxes. Eff. 90 days.

- SB214 (Kunze) allowing a victim of human trafficking to expunge certain criminal records. Eff. 90 days.

- SB225 (Roegner) designating Sept. 22 as Veterans Suicide Awareness and Prevention Day. Eff. 90 days.

- HB47 (Brown-Bird) requiring the placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in each public and chartered nonpublic school and each public recreational facility and to require the Ohio Department of Health to develop a model emergency action plan for the use of AEDs, to provide hospital relief payments, and to make an appropriation. Eff. 7/23/24.

- HB56 (Plummer-White) prohibiting causing the death of or serious physical harm to another while operating a utility vehicle or mini-truck, to require law enforcement entities to train officers related to the pursuit of a motor vehicle, to increase penalties for fleeing from law enforcement and forms of stunt driving, and to make changes to the distribution of certain driving-related fees. Eff. 90 days.

- HB147 (Fowler Arthur-A. Miller) making changes to the education law regarding teacher licensure, hiring, conduct, professional development stipends, interscholastic athletics, school-event ticket pricing, school funding calculations, special needs scholarship program service providers, background checks for private before and after school care program staff, and the High School Financial Literacy Fund. Eff. 90 days.

- HB158 (Roemer-M. Miller) making changes to the law governing the regulation of cosmetologists and barbers, to enter into the Cosmetology Licensure Compact, and to revise the law governing hospital police officer commissions. Eff. 90 days.

- HB179 (Mathews-Stewart), relative to vicarious liability in tort actions and to provide that the tolling of the limitations period during the defendant's absence or concealment does not apply to statutes of repose. Eff. 90 days.

- HB202 (Thomas) designating a portion of U.S. Route 62 in Canton as the "Specialist Dennis Alan Combs Memorial Highway." Eff. 90 days.

- HB226 (Robb Blasdel-Jarrells) permitting water-works companies to bear the costs for replacing certain customer-owned water service lines. Eff. 90 days.

- HB251 (Pavliga) designating a portion of State Route 88 in Portage County as the "Patrolman James R. Wert Memorial Highway" and to update the name of an organization receiving contributions for the "ALS Awareness" license plate. Eff. 90 days.

- HB253 (Upchurch-Holmes) designating portions of United States Routes 42, 68, and 62 as the "Brigadier General Charles Young Memorial Historical Corridor.”

- HB301 (Swearingen) amending the Nonprofit Corporation Law, the law governing dissolving corporations, and the law governing the repair or replacement of a mausoleum or columbarium; to replace two part-time judgeships in the Ashtabula County County Court with one full-time judge, and to include the village of North Kingsville and Kingsville, Monroe, and Sheffield townships within the territorial jurisdiction of the Conneaut Municipal Court; to expand the authority of a board of trustees of a political subdivision soldiers' memorial; to modify the law governing public depositories; to establish a standing juvenile committee within the state criminal sentencing commission; to allow an immediate appeal of a court order restricting enforcement of state law; to allow a court to order parents to undergo conciliation with a magistrate in a custody proceeding; and to reiterate the effective date of judicial release and transitional control provisions enacted in 134-SB288 (Manning). Eff. 90 days.

- HB466 (Schmidt-Brennan) requiring a written agency agreement for a licensed broker to represent a buyer or seller in a real estate transaction. Eff. 90 days.

GUNS

Violent crime in Ohio's cities has fallen in the past two years following significant investments in public safety, according to a letter sent Tuesday to Gov. Mike DeWine. But members of the Ohio Mayors Alliance (OMA) are asking for the governor's help in addressing what they call a "troubling spasm" of gun violence in their communities since the beginning of this summer. Specifically, the mayors expressed "continued concerns about the persistent challenge of gun violence and easy access to firearms among far too many young people in Ohio." The mayors' letter cites the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) saying firearms are now the leading cause of death for children both in Ohio and nationally. The letter also adds that young people with access to firearms are two to three times more likely to successfully complete a suicide attempt.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Both the plaintiffs and the state have rested their cases in the preliminary injunction hearing/merits trial on the constitutionality of minor gender-affirming care ban HB68 (Click), Ohio Attorney General's Office spokesperson Bethany McCorkle told Hannah News on Friday. Simultaneous written closing arguments were due to the court by 5 p.m. on Monday, July 22, and simultaneous written responses were due to the court by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24, McCorkle said. The law remains blocked by a temporary restraining order (TRO).

Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday that Ohio is joining a handful of other states at the forefront of screening newborns for future health conditions. He and Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff informed the Newborn Screening Advisory Council (NSAC) that the screenings will expand to test for rare mutations of cystic fibrosis. Established last year in HB33 (Edwards), NSAC was directed to screen newborns and children for conditions including cystic fibrosis, Krabbe disease, spinal muscular atrophy and other disorders included within the federal recommended uniform screening panel. In April 2024, DeWine added Duchenne muscular dystrophy to that list, making Ohio the first state to begin screening all newborns for that condition.

Data reported by ODH Friday showed there have been no human cases of West Nile virus this year, though the number of mosquito pools which have tested positive for West Nile during the year now stands at 86. ODH and local officials have tested 194,968 mosquitos during the year in 54 counties, pooled into 5,721 samples. Franklin County currently has the highest number of positive-testing pools at 27, followed by Clark County, 14; Stark County, 13; and Summit County, nine.

With many Ohio students returning to school next month, Vanderhoff urged parents Tuesday to make sure their children are up to date on their childhood vaccines, noting decreased rates of vaccination and increased rates of diseases such as measles. "Sometimes, we may feel like these vaccines are for diseases of the past, diseases that are no longer relevant today," Vanderhoff said in an online press conference Tuesday morning. "Far too often, we're encountering proof this simply isn't true. We continue to see tragic cases of these preventable illnesses popping up right here in Ohio." He said there have been seven cases of measles this year, and the state is not far removed from a substantial measles outbreak that occurred in 2022. He also said there have been outbreaks of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, meningococcal disease, and mumps. According to Vanderhoff, statewide childhood vaccination rates fell slightly in the 2023-24 school year, with the percentage of kindergarten students up-to-date on all of their vaccines slipping from 86.5 percent in the 2022-23 school year to 86.2 percent last school year.

HIGHER EDUCATION

The University of Toledo (UT) College of Law and Adrian College announced plans for a joint degree agreement, creating a pathway for students to simultaneously earn a juris doctor from UT and a master of arts in criminal justice from Adrian College. Students who enroll in the joint degree program can earn both degrees with the same number of credit hours needed to earn a law degree at UT. The program will begin enrolling students as early as this fall.

Joylynn Brown, a longtime leader of Wright State University athletics and a former coach and student-athlete, has been named the director of athletics after serving in an interim role since April. "Joylynn has provided steady leadership and ensured a seamless transition in Raider Athletics. She brings a wealth of experience and a steadfast passion for the success of Wright State athletics and its student-athletes," said Wright State University President Sue Edwards. Brown is the fourth director of athletics in Wright State history and the first woman named to the role.

HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS

June home sales data from Ohio Realtors show sales activity dropping 10.3 percent year-over-year, with 11,972 sales last month versus 13,345 a year earlier. But the average price rose 5.8 percent, from $291,397 to $308,375. Home sales activity for the first half of 2024 is slightly ahead of the comparable period a year earlier, up 0.3 percent, with sales of 62,384 compared to 62,224 in the first six months of 2023. The average price for the period is up 7.5 percent, from $265,457 to $285,487.

JUDICIAL

Things worsened Wednesday for embattled East Cleveland when the Ohio Supreme Court ordered the city -- long in fiscal emergency -- to pay a complainant more than $30 million for beating and arresting him without cause after a traffic stop and incarcerating him for four days in a locked storage room teaming with cockroaches and lacking a sink or toilet. The concise opinion in Black v. E. Cleveland follows a separate grant of $11 million-plus in judgment, interest and legal fees last year to a driver and passenger struck by an East Cleveland officer during a high-speed pursuit in Hunt v. E. Cleveland. After a Cuyahoga County jury awarded Arnold Black $20 million in compensatory damages and $5.2 million in pre-judgment interest in 2019, the city, police chief and detective at the scene appealed and lost in the 8th District and failed to persuade the Supreme Court to accept the case. The nation's highest court also refused certiorari. Wednesday's unanimous decision follows East Cleveland's failure to pay Black's original judgment or to respond to his certified demand letter in 2021. The Ohio Supreme Court has added another $10 million to his compensatory damages and post-judgment interest until the city pays the award, though justices did not address $30 million in punitive damages originally granted by the jury.

A magistrate recommended last week that a Franklin County judge not block new science of reading mandates for Ohio schools enacted as part of the biennial budget, HB33 (Edwards). The Reading Recovery Council of North America filed a lawsuit in October over new requirements that schools adopt new literacy instruction methods and cease using certain techniques, including so-called three-cueing. The lawsuit, pending before Judge Karen Phipps, argued the law was too vaguely written to be properly followed. It also invoked challenges to lawmakers' authority to take much policy setting power away from the State Board of Education -- an argument Phipps rejected in a separate case but which is now continuing on appeal -- as well as the Ohio Constitution's single subject rule. Magistrate Jennifer Hunt also rejected the plaintiffs' assertion the bill is vague.

The Ohio Supreme Court will decide the extent to which Senate President Matt Huffman's (R-Lima) legislative privilege under the Ohio Constitution shields him from questioning in litigation. Justices decided 4-3 Tuesday to accept Huffman's appeal from the 10th District, with Justices Jennifer Brunner, Michael Donnelly and Melody Stewart in dissent. Judge Jill Flagg Lanzinger of the Ninth District joined the majority vote to accept the appeal, sitting in place of Justice Joe Deters. Huffman's case arises from the pending litigation over the constitutionality of Ohio's EdChoice scholarship program, in which a coalition of school districts and families have sued the state on the basis that the vouchers violate constitutional requirements for a "common" school system and prohibitions on giving control of education funding to religious sects.

MARIJUANA/HEMP

Four cultivators and six processors have received certificates of operation to participate in the state's adult-use marijuana industry, Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) spokesperson Jamie Crawford told Hannah News on Friday. No dispensaries have received dual-use certificates of operation yet, so sales to consumers have not started. According to the DOC eLicense portal, the following businesses received dual-use certificates of operation:

- FN Group Holdings in Portage County (processor)

- Riviera Creek Holdings in Mahoning County (processor)

- AT-CPC of Ohio in Summit County (cultivator and processor)

- Pure Ohio Wellness in Clark County (cultivator and processor)

- Farkas Farms in Lorain County (cultivator)

- GTI Ohio in Lucas County (cultivator and processor)

- One Orijin in Franklin County (processor)

MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM

Attorney General Dave Yost says his larger efforts to protect Ohio Medicaid has led to the sentencing of one individual and the indictments of three others. Dorreetha Irby, owner of home health care agency Loving Hearts LLC in Columbus, had contracted with the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) to provide in-home care to Medicaid recipients with developmental disabilities. An investigation by Yost's Ohio Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) found she had created false time sheets and routinely billed for maximum allotted care hours, whether or not services were provided. Irby was found guilty of Medicaid fraud and forgery -- both fifth-degree felonies -- and has been sentenced to a suspended 10-year prison term, five years' probation and $13,261.06 in restitution in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. "Facilitating fraud under the guise of a business named 'Loving Hearts' is a sick and twisted irony," Yost said in a statement.

MENTAL HEALTH

Gov. Mike DeWine's Work Group on Competency Restoration and Diversion moved toward final recommendations Wednesday to expand access to state psychiatric hospitals for Ohioans not engaged in the justice system and treatment for mental health and substance disorders both inside and outside criminal detention. Members, who have been meeting since spring to improve behavioral health and jail diversion for people in crisis, followed up discussions earlier in July on six categories of focus for their final report, including residential treatment, court competency dockets, jail-based programs, liaisons between courts and providers, pre-trial diversion, and larger recommendations for the mental health (MH) system.

NATURAL RESOURCES

New cadets from throughout Ohio and beyond are among the newest class of officers in training with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Parks and Watercraft. A five-month training program at the Ohio State Highway Patrol Peace Officer Basic Training Academy lies ahead for 14 accepted applicants from a pool of nearly 600. Upon the program's completion, cadets will have specialized field training, focused on essential skills like water rescues, ATV operation, close-quarters boat navigation and natural resources law.

ODNR announced the winners of its 2024 Parks Photo Contest. They were selected by a panel of ODNR employees with an additional People's Choice winner chosen by park enthusiasts. The top three finishers include the following:

- First: "Sunrise on the Reservoir," taken by Andrew Grimm at Buck Creek State Park.

- Second: "Stairway to Heaven," taken by Stacia Waddle at Hocking Hills State Park.

- Third: "Staring into the Sunset," taken by Tony Everhardt at Maumee Bay State Park.

OHIO HISTORY

Gov. Mike DeWine Monday signed HB253 (Upchurch-Holmes), designating 85 miles of Ohio roadway from Greene County to Brown County as the "Brig. Gen. Charles Young Memorial Historical Corridor," in front of the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Wilberforce, OH, where the newly designated corridor starts along U.S. 42 in Greene County. The corridor then follows U.S. 68 into Clinton County to U.S. 62 in Brown County, ending at the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge near Ripley, where Young spent most of his childhood. Young, who was posthumously promoted to brigadier general in 2021, was the third African American man to graduate from West Point, and he served with the famed Buffalo Soldiers as a second lieutenant in the Ninth Cavalry. He later served as a distinguished professor at Wilberforce University in Greene County and was the first African American superintendent of a national park. At the time of his death in 1922, he was the highest-ranking African American officer in the Army.

OHIO STATE FAIR

Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and first-year Ohio State Fair Executive Director Adam Heffron all took part in opening this year's event Wednesday morning, noting the importance of the fair for younger Ohioans and what is being done to improve the fairgrounds in the next two years. DeWine added that he and the Legislature have decided to provide the necessary funds for additional fairgrounds improvements in the next two years, including a new entrance that will be complete before the 2025 fair. In 2026, he said, the fair will be "significantly new" in terms of the grounds.

OLYMPICS

Current and former students will represent Ohio at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The Ohio State University Department of Athletics will have 24 current, former and incoming student-athletes competing at the 2024 Olympics. The Buckeyes will represent 10 countries and nine sports at the XXXIII Olympiad. For the second consecutive Summer Olympics, Ohio State will have more than 20 student-athletes competing. This contingent of 24 Buckeyes is the second largest at a single Olympic Games following the school record of 26 who competed in 2021 in Tokyo.

PENSIONS

Nearly a month after the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) Board voted not to approve performance benefit incentives (PBI) for eligible investment staff, the board held a special meeting Friday where it approved its bonus policy for the fiscal year but tweaked it for top investment staff. On Friday, Board Chair Rudy Fichtenbaum questioned what would happen if the board were to either change or discontinue the PBI policy. STRS fiduciary counsel George Vincent told the board that not approving any compensation structure would put members in violation of their fiduciary duty. He said that while fiduciary law is not typically black or white, there is a circumstances test that should be looked at. He noted that 69 STRS staff members are currently participating in the PBI program, and 50 to 95 percent of their salary are bonuses based on performance.

PEOPLE

The former chief executive officer of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium entered a plea of guilty ahead of his trial date, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Tuesday. Tom Stalf pleaded guilty in Delaware County Common Pleas Court to 15 felonies: 1 count of aggravated theft (F2); 1 count of conspiracy (F2); 1 count of telecommunications fraud (F3); and 12 counts of tampering with records (F4, F5).

MetroHealth System CEO Airica Steed is taking temporary medical leave with plans to return by mid-August, Will Dube, vice president of communications at MetroHealth, confirmed to Hannah News. Derrick Hollings, executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) of MetroHealth, will be taking over day-to-day operations in Steed's absence.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds announced Thursday the appointment of Brian Harman as senior vice president of external affairs. In the role, Harman will provide strategic leadership and guidance for the organization's marketing, communications, events and promotions, philanthropy, corporate partnerships, community engagement and governmental relations teams. Harman is noted for having expertise in developing and managing large-scale budgets and leading diverse teams. He was most recently president and CEO of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. Prior to that position, Harman held leadership positions at Nationwide Children's Hospital, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and the American Cancer Society. He holds a bachelor's degree in political communication from Ohio University and has more than 22 years of experience in strategic nonprofit management.

PUBLIC SAFETY

A new offering from the Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) hopes to make Ohio's roads safer while making the training of young drivers a little easier. OTSO is now offering AAA's "How to Drive" driver training curriculum to driver training schools in Ohio free of charge. The curriculum is designed to provide both students and instructors at driver training schools with high quality, turn-key educational content. The "How to Drive" Novice Driver Training Program is designed specifically to address the causal factors in young driver crashes. An overview of OTSO's Driver Training Programs can be found at https://tinyurl.com/3mf9jpd6.

SECRETARY OF STATE

Secretary of State (SOS) Frank LaRose announced Tuesday that former Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof has joined his staff as chief legal counsel and deputy assistant secretary of state. "Larry is both an experienced litigator and an accomplished legislator with a well-deserved reputation that transcends partisan politics. I've relied on his counsel many times over the years, and it's an honor to have him step back into public service on behalf of the citizens of our state," said LaRose. A summa cum laude graduate of Ohio State University and a graduate of Yale Law School, Obhof is, according to the release, "an accomplished trial and appellate litigator and a widely respected constitutional law expert." He served for nearly a decade as a member of the Ohio Senate, where he was Senate president from 2017-2020.

STATE GOVERNMENT

"The global Microsoft CrowdStrike software outage [Friday] morning is impacting some state services -- teams are working to restore them." Internet users the world over may have seen a message similar to this one found at the top of the homepage for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) shortly after noon Friday. The disruption of services of cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday night affected industries including air travel, financial services, doctors' offices, broadcasters and some states' 911 services among many others globally. The company says the outage was a result of a faulty technical update sent to Windows computers and not a cyberattack. A release late Friday morning from Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Director Kathleen C. Madden said, "The worldwide CrowdStrike software outage this morning is impacting some state of Ohio IT services, and the Department of Administrative Services IT engineering teams are working with state agencies to restore outages.”

Real estate brokers and salespersons would be required to enter into written representation agreements with their clients for certain transactions once HB466 (Schmidt-Brennan) takes effect. The bill was signed Wednesday by the governor. The bill's requirement specifically applies to sale and purchase agreements regarding residential real property with one to four dwelling units and leases of residential premises exceeding 18 months. Such agreements, which are currently optional under Ohio law, would have to include "a statement that the broker or salesperson is appointed as an agent of the client, whether the agency relationship is exclusive or nonexclusive, and the terms by which the broker or salesperson is compensated," according to the Legislative Service Commission (LSC) fiscal note for the bill as passed by the Senate.

STUDIES/POLLS

A new analysis released recently by the Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) explores the causes of and proposes solutions to the trend in the increasing death rates of working age Ohioans since 2007. Data included in HPIO's report show the number of working-age (15-64 years old) Ohioans who died each year has grown by 32 percent from 2007 to 2022, the last year for which the report has complete data. The number of deaths in the age group only didn't increase when it was relatively flat from 2018-2019 and then in 2022 when the number of deaths fell after a spike during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. By far, the three leading causes of death in working-age Ohioans are unintentional injuries, cancer and heart disease, with unintentional injuries representing the most deaths of those three causes. Included in the unintentional injuries category is unintentional drug overdoses, which as a subset represent more deaths than any other cause for working-age Ohioans other than cancer and heart disease.

TAXATION

While Ohio has a "competitive" state tax system, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation released a study Tuesday finding the local tax systems were the second-most burdensome among peer states and that business costs to comply with the local income tax are high, particularly due to remote and hybrid work trends which have continued since the pandemic. Ohio Chamber President and CEO Steve Stivers told Hannah News there needs to be a "comprehensive look" at local income and property taxes but they are not suggesting taking actions that would hurt local governments and schools which depend on that revenue. Instead, the review should be whether there is a "more efficient way to get those revenues and a more consistent way to administer that." He also said the tax study is part of an effort to find potential solutions and identify which are "politically achievable." Changes to the municipal tax process could save local governments money currently spent on administering the taxes, according to Stivers and Tom Zaino, a former Ohio tax commissioner and founder of Zaino, Hall & Farrin LLC.

TECHNOLOGY/AEROSPACE

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced Monday that over 100,000 credentials have now been awarded since the TechCred program began in late 2019, a "milestone" figure which includes credentials in the May round. The first round of the program closed on Oct. 31, 2019, with its results announced in December that year.

The Ohio Third Frontier Commission announced Tuesday it had approved nearly $1.8 million in grants to help with commercializing health, science and military technology as part of the Technology Validation and Start-up Fund (TVSF). The grants support activities such as market research and further prototyping so companies can raise funds and get the technology to the marketplace more quickly.

TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE

In what Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) Executive Director Matt Dietrich called the first official action on passenger rail in the state, the commission approved the initial evaluation for planning work on two separate rail corridors using two Federal Rail Administration (FRA) grants. Dietrich called this step "the plan for the plan." In the first step of the project approved Thursday, HDR Engineering will develop the scope of work, schedule and budget for step two, which will provide much of the information needed to evaluate the viability of rail on the proposed Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati (3C&D) and Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit (CTD) corridors. HDR will track the costs for each corridor separately. The FRA will provide full reimbursement funding for each corridor up to $500,000, and no state match will be required.