In a marathon session before its summer recess, the Ohio General Assembly passed a series of bills aimed at school safety, including one that makes it easier for local school boards to arm teachers.
Gov. Mike DeWine said he would sign them all.
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Former businessman, congressman and gubernatorial candidate Jim Renacci blasted Ohio’s Lieutenant Governor in a press release after it was reported Monday that Lt. Gov. John Husted took a paid position on the board of Heartland BancCorp.
“Ohio taxpayers are struggling everyday to make ends meet. With rising food prices and costs increasing at the gasoline pumps this move by a public official is unacceptable, a conflict of interest, but even worse unethical,” Renacci said. “No legal opinion can make any Ohioan believe that there are not conflicts between the sitting Lt. Governor and him being paid to be on a community bank board in Ohio. As a Board Member on several public companies and once on a bank board this should never be allowed to occur. Maybe the Lt. Governor can also fill one of the positions on the First Energy board? This is why Republicans have lost faith in their Republican leadership. We deserve better.”
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Communities throughout Ohio’s Appalachian region could receive millions of dollars earmarked to revitalize downtowns and help rebuild economies if funding comes through for a $500 million plan from Gov. Mike DeWine.
The three-part proposal is expected to focus on revitalizing historic downtown districts, improving community health and rebuilding the local work force, according to a news release from the governor.
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In what was called the first big test of former President Donald Trump’s political influence, J.D. Vance rode his late endorsement to a U.S. Senate primary win in Ohio on Tuesday.
Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy, received the former president’s endorsement in late April and was the projected winner by The Associated Press over a large field that included businessman Mike Gibbons, State Sen. Matt Dolan, former State Treasurer Josh Mandel and former head of the state GOP Jane Timken.
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Democrats on the Ohio Redistricting Commission invited the five Republican members to a commission meeting Monday morning after contacting members several times over the past week asking for the group to reconvene.
When House Minority leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, and Sen. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, showed up to the committee meeting room at the Ohio Statehouse, the doors were locked and no Republican showed up.
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Ohio’s Governor, who is in the midst of a heated battle for reelection, Tuesday released an ad targeting the Biden Administration’s economic policies.
“There’s Joe Biden’s way,” the ad says. “Higher taxes. Wasteful spending. And with Biden’s inflation everything costs you more.”
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Ohio businesses will not have to pay employees overtime for some tasks, and high-volume online marketplace sellers will have to be identified after Gov. Mike DeWine signed two bills into law.
Senate Bill 47, which spent more than a year in the General Assembly, was one of the laws created with DeWine’s signature. Its changes to overtime pay requirements were a result of adjustments to employee workdays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also followed changes to federal overtime rules.
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After President Joe Biden declared April “Second Chance Awareness Month” for felons, Ohio’s Gov. Mike DeWine (R) bragged Thursday about his initiative to expedite the pardon process for convicted felons.
“April is Second Chance Awareness Month in Ohio. I believe that those who’ve lived upstanding post-conviction lives deserve a second chance for better opportunities, which is why I created the Ohio Governor’s Expedited Pardon Project,” DeWine said on Twitter.
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In a Wednesday press release, a former U.S. Congressman and current gubernatorial candidate slammed incumbent Gov. Mike DeWine (R) for allegedly turning a blind eye to warning signs regarding the former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) who was part of the FirstEnergy corruption scandal.
“Why did Mike DeWine ignore a 200-page warning about Sam Randazzo’s unethical behavior and appoint him to lead the Public Utilities Commission anyway?” said Jim Renacci in the release. “What else did DeWine know about FirstEnergy’s scandalous corruption? There are still several unanswered questions about this scheme that frauded Ohio taxpayers. With every new court filing, news report, or resignation, the FirstEnergy noose keeps tightening around Mike DeWine. Enough is enough: conservatives have a chance next month to vote for real accountable conservative leadership and put an end to Mike DeWine’s 40-year corrupt establishment career.”
The comments came on the heels of a news story published in The Ohio Capital Journal claiming that DeWine was in possession of a 198-page dossier “alleging Sam Randazzo – a lawyer and lobbyist who represented gas companies and industrial scale electricity buyers – used businesses registered in his name to ‘funnel’ money from FirstEnergy to buy real estate.”
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Ohio’s governor Tuesday released a campaign ad bragging about his toughness.
“He’s not afraid of the tough fights – Governor Mike DeWine,” the ad says. “When big city unions refused to open our schools, he took them head on and got our kids back in the classroom. As China cheats with unfair trade tactics, DeWine fought bring manufacturing jobs back to Ohio. While radicals pushed to defund our police, DeWine increased funding for law enforcement to keep us safe.”
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Wednesday the state of the state is strong but challenged the General Assembly to do more for mental health, addiction issues, state parks, children, highway safety, law enforcement and violent crime.
DeWine also asked lawmakers to invest more for economic development, addiction treatment and downtown redevelopment in the state’s 32-county Appalachian region.
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Ohio’s governor Monday marked a milestone for gun rights in the state, signing into law a bill colloquially called “Constitutional Carry.”
SB 215 became law Monday evening, to the applause of conservative groups in the state and nationwide.
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Ohio’s House Democratic Caucus sent a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine, urging him to veto a bill that would loosen gun laws in the state.
“On behalf of the House Democratic Caucus, representatives of law enforcement agencies and local officials across Ohio, and the majority of Ohioans who favor commonsense gun safety measures, we urge you to use your executive powers to veto Senate Bill (SB) 215,” said a letter signed by House Minority Leader Allison Russo (District 24) and three other House Democrats.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) this week signed into law a bill aimed at cutting state regulations.
“If, upon reviewing a proposed rule or revised proposed rule, the joint committee on agency rule review makes any of the following findings with regard to the proposed rule or revised proposed rule, the joint committee may recommend to the senate and house of representatives the adoption of a concurrent resolution to invalidate the proposed rule or revised proposed rule or a part thereof,” the text of SB 9 says.
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Ohio is offering $10 million in grants to livestock and poultry producers across the state to help farmers increase capacity and ease growing stress on supply chains, Gov. Mike DeWine announced.
The plan is to offer 40 Ohio producers grants of up to $25,000, with half the money provided before projects start and the other half awarded after companies show the money was spent on eligible costs.
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Two governors who serve as co-chairs of the bipartisan, presidentially-appointed Council of Governors – meant to give advice and opinions to the United States President’s Office along with heads of executive branch agencies like the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Friday denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin. Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) said the United States must stand with Ukraine because the two countries share the same values. “At the direction of President Vladimir Putin, Russian forces have invaded Ukraine in violation of international law. This is unacceptable, and all freedom-loving people should stand against this unprovoked invasion,” DeWine said in the release. “Ukraine has been a sovereign and independent state since the collapse of the former Soviet Union in the 1990s. The United States and Ukraine share common values including freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people.” Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) appeared to be more worried that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was somehow a threat to America’s national security. “We stand with Ukraine and condemn Russia for these unprovoked and unlawful attacks,” he said in the release. “We stand ready to…
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Attorney General Dave Yost (R) is holding a series of forums to spread awareness about elder abuse in the state.
In a press release announcing the next event in the series of forums, called “Responding to Financial Exploitation, Scams and Fraud in Facility Settings,” Yost told the following story of an Ohio senior who was bilked out of his own money:
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A new poll of 626 likely Republican primary voters conducted by Public Policy Polling, and commissioned by the Democratic Governors Association, has brutal implications for Ohio Gov. R. Michael “Mike” DeWine, showing his Favorable/Unfavorable rating six points underwater.
The poll shows Republican primary voters are divided over DeWine’s job performance, with 40 percent approving of the job he is doing and 41 percent disapproving,” wrote Minami Yoshizawa, a PPP polling associate, in her analysis memorandum for the DGA.
“His approval rating when it comes to handling the Covid-19 pandemic is also underwater by four points, 40-44,” she said of the poll that was conducted Jan. 25 and Jan. 26. The poll carries a 3.9 percent margin of error.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine wants state lawmakers to put the brakes on lowering the state gas tax, saying infrastructure upgrades are needed around the state and those projects create jobs.
A state senator pushing to scale back the tax to pre-2019 levels for at least five years believes now is the right time, however.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a bill into law that creates more options for telehealth patients and more protections for providers.
The law, in the works for nearly a year, drew praise from The American Cancer Society Action Network and The Buckeye Institute, a Columbus-based policy group that has pushed for expanded services since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Computer giant Intel Friday officially announced its intention to build a multi-billion dollar semiconductor factory in Ohio.
“Intel today announced plans for an initial investment of more than $20 billion in the construction of two new leading-edge chip factories in Ohio,” a corporate press release said. “The investment will help boost production to meet the surging demand for advanced semiconductors, powering a new generation of innovative products from Intel and serving the needs of foundry customers as part of the company’s IDM 2.0 strategy. To support the development of the new site, Intel pledged an additional $100 million toward partnerships with educational institutions to build a pipeline of talent and bolster research programs in the region.”
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Ohio Democrats believe an Ohio Supreme Court decision that tossed out the state’s new Senate and House legislative district maps is an opportunity to create fairer districts, while Gov. Mike DeWine said court challenges were not unexpected.
The court gave the Ohio Redistricting Commission 10 days to redraw maps it said did not comply with a 2015 constitutional amendment that requires an attempt to avoid party favoritism. The League of Women Voters, along with other groups, sued and claimed the maps heavily favored state Republicans.
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Some members of the Ohio National Guard, part of a group of 1500 deployed last week to help hospitals handle the Omicron surge of the COVID-19 pandemic will be stationed at Dayton Children’s Hospital’s Springboro campus.
According to several reports, the Guardsmen will be working at a testing site at the hospital, where testing is in high demand.
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In a press release Thursday, Ohio gubernatorial candidate and former congressman Jim Renacci made it clear that he stands with former President Donald J. Trump after President Joe Biden’s disparaging remarks.
“It’s a shame that Joe Biden is using this day to divide Americans, distract from his disastrously failed presidency, and take cheap shots at President Trump. The liberal media may eat it up, but Ohioans, who voted against Joe Biden and for President Trump in the biggest landslide in our state in over thirty years, see right through it,” Renacci said in a press release on the anniversary of the mostly peaceful protests at the Capitol.
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Amid their deployment to assist healthcare professionals during a surge of COVID-19 cases in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) says he’s not happy with the vaccination numbers among the state’s National Guard.
“This is a high-risk operation, you need to be protected,” DeWine said in a Thursday visit with National Guard members. “The best way for you to be protected is to get the vaccination. So, look, we’re not happy with where we are. We’re going to continue to push that with our troops.”
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Ohio State University along with CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society, teamed up to open a new drive-thru COVID-19 testing facility capable of administering 1000 tests per day to students at the school.
“We know that testing is an important tool in our battle against COVID-19,” said Dr. Andrew Thomas, interim co-leader and chief clinical officer at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center said in a press release. “We remain committed to supporting the central Ohio community and to meeting the increased demand for COVID-19 testing. At this point, our focus is testing individuals with COVID-19 symptoms and those with significant exposures to people known to have COVID-19. Knowing your COVID status can help prevent you from spreading this virus to family members, friends and others you come in close contact with.”
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Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s office told The Ohio Star Thursday that it will not address concerns about whether the current protocols in place to end the COVID-19 are actually working.
The Star asked DeWine’s office if, amid the surge of Omicron variant COVID-19 cases, the governor’s office had any plan to implement new measures other than mandating mandates and encouraging vaccines that might help control the pandemic.
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Ohio Republicans argued voters have more competitive congressional districts than before, despite claims in lawsuits the General Assembly gerrymandered new maps to benefit Republican candidates.
Attorney Phillip Strach, who represents Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, told the Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday the state’s new congressional district map contains seven competitive districts, at least as many as any other plan offered.
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The Ohio Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday, relating to the constitutionality of new congressional maps that were recently signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine.
The new map, passed earlier this year by the state legislature, established new boundaries for federal and state representation following new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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Gov. Mike DeWine officially made sports betting legal in Ohio with his signature, but it will likely be more than a year before the first legal bet can be placed in the Buckeye State.
DeWine signed House Bill 29 into law late Wednesday, creating online, retail and kiosk legal sports gaming throughout the state, but officials believe it could be January 2023 before legal betting begins.
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More than 1,000 Ohio National Guard members began working in hospitals across the state Monday to help combat what Gov. Mike DeWine called a growing strain caused by the rising number of COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The Ohio Department of Health also has begun working with a staffing company to bring more nurses and other providers from out of state to help ease pressure on current hospital staffs as the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has reached its highest level of the year.
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The Ohio Supreme Court has turned away a challenge to Gov. Mike DeWine’s first COVID-19 vaccination incentive lottery without ruling on the merits of the program.
The court rejected the lawsuit, saying the group – Stand Up Ohio! – failed to meet the requirements to sue in the Supreme Court. The ruling said the group failed to prove how it or any of its members were personally harmed by the state’s Vax-A-Million lottery program.
The court did not decide on the merits of the case, only the group lacked standing to sue.
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The need for Ohio businesses to fill job openings stretches beyond entry-level or relatively low-paying positions and more employers have turned to a state-run database created two years ago to help.
More than 13% more Ohio employers included needs on TopJobs.Ohio.gov than the state’s previous response rate. The website reflects current workforce needs for in-demand and critical jobs across the state, according to Gov. Mike DeWine.
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After signing a bill earlier this year that banned Ohio’s public schools and universities from mandating vaccines that have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Gov. Mike DeWine (R) will reportedly veto a similar bill if it passed by the state Senate.
“A school, private college, or state institution of higher education shall not require a student to receive any of the following utilizing messenger ribonucleic acid, deoxyribonucleic acid, or any other genetic vaccine technology and for which the United States food and drug administration has not issued a biologics license or otherwise granted full approval,” HB 218 says.
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The Ohio General Assembly has given the go-ahead to spend more than $4 billion of federal COVID-19 relief money despite calls from Democrats for Gov. Mike DeWine to veto parts of the plan.
DeWine praised the passage of House Bill 169, calling the funds critical to the state’s ongoing recovery from the pandemic.
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A Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives confirmed Friday that he will not run against Gov. Mike DeWine (R) for Ohio’s top office.
“It is far better in Ohio than in D.C.,” Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH-08) reportedly said. “The biggest impact I can have is in Congress being the representative for Ohio’s 8th District.”
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Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill into law Wednesday that supporters say eliminates the double standard for different Ohio businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health emergencies.
The Business Fairness Act addresses issues from DeWine’s initial stay-at-home orders that many said allowed large, national stores to remain open while mom-and-pop small businesses were forced to close.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted joined a growing list of officials increasing the pressure on President Joe Biden and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to keep open a pipeline that affects fuel supplies across Ohio, along with 20,000 jobs.
DeWine and Husted sent a letter to Biden seeking to keep the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline operating, saying a closure would cause significant issues in supply chains, unemployment and fuel costs.
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In a rare showing of complete bipartisanship, a bill that would allow families to monitor activities inside loved ones’ nursing home rooms with cameras and other electronic equipment, passed through the Ohio Legislature unanimously.
Senate Bill 58, known as Esther’s Law, has been in the works since 2011, when an activist named Steven Piskor used a hidden camera to catch employees at a nursing home facility run by MetroHealth Medical Center abusing his mother, Esther.
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A bill passed in the Ohio House would help the state prepare for a future with electric vehicles.
House Bill 292, which was passed in the House on Thursday, establishes the Electric Vehicle Commission, consisting of elected officials and industry leaders, to study electric vehicle production and the steps needed to take to adapt to potential growth in the industry.
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Filing municipal income taxes for businesses might get a little easier if a bill passed unanimously by the Ohio General Assembly gets Gov. Mike DeWine’s signature.
State Rep. Bill Roemer, R-Richfield, said House Bill 228 will reduce unnecessary state and municipality paperwork for Ohio businesses and simplify the tax filing process.
“The way we currently file municipal net profits taxes in Ohio places an unneeded burden on business owners,” Roemer said. “The last thing businesses need is another hoop to jump through. This bill streamlines the filing process so business owners can get back to creating jobs and contributing to their communities. I am very pleased that both the House and Senate have unanimously agreed to send this bill to Governor DeWine.”
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The Ohio General Assembly lit the fuse for legal fireworks for a second time this year after Gov. Mike DeWine extinguished the first attempt with a veto.
The House and Senate passed House Bill 172, allowing for Ohioans to shoot consumer-grade fireworks at certain times of the year. DeWine vetoed a similar bill in July, saying it would make the state one of the least-restrictive fireworks states in the country.
The bill, which passed the Senate, 26-5, and the House, 72-23, on Wednesday, now heads to DeWine, who said in July it was in the public interest to veto legislation that would have legally allowed the discharge of fireworks on 25 holidays during the year.
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An Ohio law banning schools from forcing students to take vaccinations that haven’t been fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took effect Wednesday.
HB 244 says that primary and secondary schools, along with public universities, may not “Discriminate against an individual who has not received a [non-fully approved vaccine], including by requiring the individual to engage in or refrain from engaging in activities or precautions that differ from the activities or precautions of an individual who has received such a vaccine.”
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GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Renacci on Tuesday slammed Governor Mike DeWine for his lack of action against COVID-19 mandates imposed by the federal government.
In the statement, Renacci argued that DeWine, a Republican, has governed the state in a manner that is close to prominent Democratic leaders.
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According to a report in Breitbart News, sources familiar with Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine plans for the state’s redistricting battle include DeWine supporting a map that would help Democrats gain U.S. House seats in 2022.
That report also says that Republican state auditor Keith Faber and Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose are supportive of the new left-leaning map.
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The state of California will no longer sponsor trips to Ohio after the Buckeye State passed what California describes as a discriminatory law against the LGBT community.
A clause in the recently-passed Ohio budget allows medical professionals to opt-out of performing procedures that violate their own moral beliefs. Under the new law, a doctor could, for example, refuse to perform a gender reassignment surgery on moral grounds.
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Former GOP congressman Jim Renacci, who is challenging Governor Mike DeWine in 2022, on Thursday slammed a new vaccine initiative announced by DeWine, dubbed “Ohio Vax-to-School.”
The new program will award dozens of scholarships ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 in a lottery-style giveaway to individuals aged 12-25 who receive the coronavirus vaccine.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he wants to impose a new mask mandate but feared a fight with the General Assembly after legislation that limited his authority to enact public health orders became law.
DeWine spoke Tuesday about the growing number of COVID-19 cases throughout the state at the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association. That group, made up of the six children’s hospitals, has spent the past two weeks pleading for vaccines and masks in schools.
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Jim Renacci, one of the primary challengers taking on Governor Mike DeWine in 2022, knocked the governor’s decision to accept nearly 900 Afghan refugees.
According to Renacci, the decision from DeWine does not prioritize the needs of citizens throughout the state and proves DeWine is not a “true conservative.”
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In a Tuesday press release, former congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Renacci blasted Gov. Mike DeWine (R) over what Renacci sees as a failure to stand up to the Biden Administration and fight COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
“We have seen Mike DeWine promise one thing, yet do another, often at the expense of Ohioans – his tepid response to Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate is no different,” Renacci said in the release. “We simply cannot and must not trust Mike DeWine to lead our fight against Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.”
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