Prior to Ban, Ohio Ranked Among Top States for Minor Gender Reassignment Procedures

Before a ban on gender reassignment procedures on minors, Ohio was ranked among the top states in the nation for total procedures as well as the number of procedures performed per residents, according to newly released data from a nonprofit.

Earlier this year, the Ohio legislature enacted House Bill 68, which banned the prescription of hormone blockers and hormone replacement therapy, along with gender reassignment surgeries on youth such as mastectomies. The law was first vetoed by Gov. Mike DeWine – which was overridden – and then later upheld in court following a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union.

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Springfield Has Cut Police Radio Access as City Descends into ‘Absolute Turmoil,’ Says Police Chief of Nearby Town

Chad Duncan

An Ohio police chief says his access to Springfield’s police radio frequency was cut off after the beleaguered city became a political lightening rod over its Haitian immigrant crisis.

Tremont City Police Chief Chad Duncan told Blaze News’ Julio Rosas that Springfield has fallen into “absolute turmoil” since being inundated with up to 20,000 Haitian nationals, and said the lawlessness is spreading to nearby towns, including his own. Tremont City is located approximately eight miles north of Springfield.

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Vivek Ramaswamy to Hold Town Hall in Springfield, Ohio

Vivek Speaking

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will hold a town hall event in Springfield, Ohio, to “have open and honest dialogue” as the city struggles with the effects of mass migration.

Ramaswamy said the town hall event will be held on Thursday evening in the Edward Wren Room at the Bushnell Events Center and is open to hearing “diverse voices from the local community, including Haitian immigrants.”

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Shoplifting and Vehicle Thefts Soared as Haitian Migrants Poured into Ohio Town, Police Data Shows

Reports of shoplifting and vehicle theft increased considerably in Springfield, Ohio, following the arrival of thousands of Haitian refugees, according to data obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation through a records request. The town, which had a population of 58,622 in 2020, has taken in between 12,000 and 20,000 Haitian refugees over the past three years, marking a population increase of between 20.4% and 34.1%. From 2021 to 2023, Springfield also saw a 51.5% jump in motor vehicle theft reports and a 112.8% spike in reports of shoplifting, data provided by the Springfield Police Division shows.

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Jack Windsor: Media Ignoring Overarching Problem of an ‘Invasion’ of Haitian Migrants in Springfield, Ohio

Haitian Refugees

Jack Windsor, president and editor-in-chief at The Ohio Press Network, said the mainstream media outlets are too “distracted” by reports of Haitian migrants in the town of Springfield, Ohio, that are allegedly stealing residents’ pets for consumption that the overarching issue of nearly an entire U.S. town being “invaded” by Haitians is being ignored.

“Springfield has been invaded by Haitian immigrants, and right now, mainstream outlets are really distracted by this idea that the Haitians may be eating cats or geese. But, it’s about more than eating cats and geese. It’s really about the cultural divide and the fast and explosive migrant growth in Springfield,” Windsor explained on Wednesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.

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DeWine Issues Memo to Schools Following Georgia Shooting

Mike DeWine

In the wake of a Georgia high school shooting that killed four and injured nine, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued a memo to school superintendents across the state reminding them of safety options.

The state started the Ohio School Safety program in 2019, spreading safety support personnel across 16 regions covering all 88 counties. The program helps K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and first responders prevent, prepare for, and respond to threats and acts of violence.

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Ballot Drop Box Battles: States, Municipalities Seek to Ban Them as November Election Nears

Drop Box Sign

Two months out from Election Day and less than two weeks before early voting begins, states and municipalities are fighting over whether to implement ballot drop boxes, amid election integrity and practical concerns.

Ballot drop boxes, a method of voting that became more widespread during the 2020 presidential election as COVID-19 lockdowns continued, are facing a pushback in several municipalities and states ahead of the November election.

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Ohio Legislature Approves Bill to Secure Biden’s Spot on the November Ballot

Joe Biden Ohio

The Ohio legislature on Friday approved legislation to ensure that President Joe Biden will appear on the state’s general election ballot this November.

“I don’t think anybody on this side of the aisle really feels like they’re going to be voting for President Biden, but at the same time, Ohioans deserve a choice in this election, and that’s what we’re seeking to give them today,” GOP state Sen. Rob McColley said, according to NBC News.

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Ohio House Sends Biden Ballot, Foreign Campaign Money Bills to Senate

Joe Biden Ohio

The Ohio House approved in special session Thursday what it said was a compromise between House and Senate Republicans that would prohibit foreign contributions to any political campaign and create a legislative fix to allow President Joe Biden on the November ballot.

The two bills come despite the Democratic National Committee saying Tuesday it would hold a roll call vote ahead of the planned late-August convention to officially nominate Biden and beat Ohio’s Aug. 7 deadline to make the general election.

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Ohio Governor Calls Special Session to Pass Measure Allowing Biden on November Ballot

Joe Biden and Mike DeWine

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said Thursday that he is calling a special session of the General Assembly to pass legislation next week to ensure President Biden is on the November ballot for the general election.

“Ohio is running out of time to get Joe Biden, the sitting President of the United States, on the ballot this fall. Failing to do so is simply unacceptable. This is ridiculous. This is (an) absurd situation,” DeWine said, according to the Associated Press.

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Ohio Governor Signs Bill Requiring Schools to Implement Official Policy Limiting Use of Cellphones by Students

Cellphones students

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 250 on Wednesday, requiring schools to implement official policy governing students’ use of cellphones during school hours.

The bill aims to “minimize student use of cellphones in K-12 schools” by requiring school districts to create a policy that reduces cellphone-related distractions in classroom settings.

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Intel Issues First Ohio Progress Report on $1.5 Billion Facilities

Intel’s first required progress report shows a $1.5 billion expenditure and another $3 billion committed to what Ohio officials call the largest single private-sector investment in state history.

The report, submitted to the Ohio Department of Development, is part of $2 billion in incentives for the two planned microchip manufacturing facilities in Licking County, including taxpayer-funded grants and tax incentives.

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Sen. JD Vance Says East Palestine Ohio ‘May Have Been Poisoned to Facilitate the Rapid Movement of Freight’ After NTSB Chair Confirms 2023 Controlled Chemical Explosion Was ‘Unnecessary’

JD Vance

U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) questioned National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy on the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine last year during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing entitled, “National Transportation Safety Board Investigations Report” on Wednesday.

On February 3, 2023, 50 train carriages, 10 of which were carrying hazardous materials, derailed in East Palestine. Hundreds of residents evacuated as a result of a controlled burn of noxious vinyl chloride that Norfolk Southern carried out on February 6 to stop an explosion.

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Judge Blocks Ohio’s Social Media Parental Notification Act from Being Enforced

Kids on Phone

Chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio Algenon L. Marbley granted NetChoice’s request for a preliminary injunction that stops the state’s Social Media Parental Notification Act from being enforced on Monday.

Last month, NetChoice sued Ohio to block the Social Media Parental Notification Act from taking effect.

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Ohio Spending $150 Million to Develop Affordable Housing

The state of Ohio wants local governments to buy, rehabilitate, or build residential properties to improve affordable access.

The state will give local landbanks $100 million over the next 16 months to create housing for income-eligible Ohioans. It is also establishing another $50 million in nonrefundable tax credits to landbanks and developers for rehabs and new construction when the property is sold.

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