Legal sports betting is still more than six months away, but more than two-thirds of Ohio adults say they don’t plan to place any wagers when it becomes legal, according to a new survey.
Legal sports wagers can be placed Jan. 1, but the survey by BetOhio.com shows 21% of Ohio adults are very or somewhat likely to bet. The survey also showed potential preferred brands for those who expect to wager.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, in a letter to school superintendents around the state, called arming teachers in classrooms a serious local decision that remains optional after he signed a new law that reduces training needed for guns in schools.
DeWine, who recently signed House Bill 99, also told school leaders he would rather districts use school resource officers than armed teachers.
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The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia announced on Thursday that The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) has aided the undercover law enforcement effort, dubbed “Operation United Front,” in the indictment of a third person that was involved in narcotics distribution and the illegal possession of weapons.
“Addressing violent crime in Middle Georgia means utilizing every asset at our disposal, including high-level ballistics technology like ATF’s NIBIN,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary.
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At a visit to Springfield this week, Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) announced his authorization of nearly $4 million in grants to 16 police and sheriff departments across the Buckeye State.
The allotments come as the third round of DeWine’s Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program. Springfield’s police department itself gets a grant of $305,206.94. Those funds will go toward video-recording systems and automated license-plate readers to gather intelligence pertaining to gun-related violations.
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Working late into the night this week, the Ohio General Assembly passed its traditional capital budget, spending billions on statewide initiatives, business and industry incentives and pet projects for lawmakers.
House Bill 687 included money for state parks and the incentives for Intel’s planned $20 billion investment in two chip-making plants in central Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine called the bill an historic investment.
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A new poll from Suffolk University and the USA Today Network showed incumbent Governor Mike DeWine with a large lead over his Democratic challenger Nan Whaley.
According to the survey, DeWine secured 45 percent of the vote, compared to Whaley’s 30 percent. Independent candidate Neil Petersen collected 15 percent.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called Ohio State University’s decision to raise tuition unwise as inflation continues to rise around the country.
OSU’s board voted earlier this week to impose a 4.6% increase for incoming in-state freshmen and to guarantee that rate for the next four years. It amounts to a $549 annual jump from the current tuition rate.
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Republican members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission say they did everything the state Supreme Court ordered them to do. Still, they say independent map makers ran out of time, leaving tweaks to a previously unconstitutional GOP plan as the only option for new state legislative districts.
The responses from Gov. Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, State Auditor Keith Faber, Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, and House Speaker Robert Cupp, R-Lima, came at the 9 a.m. deadline on Monday the court gave to show cause why the group should not be held in contempt.
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Ohio voters will not be able to decide on candidates for the state Legislature during the May 3 primary after the state Supreme Court struck down new district maps for the third time.
In a letter to House and Senate leadership and Gov. Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said it was no longer logistically possible to include district-specific legislative races on the ballots.
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On Thursday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Executive Order 22-02D which “prohibits the State of Ohio investment or purchasing activity from aiding Russia in violating the rights of the Ukrainian people,” according to a press release by DeWine’s office.
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The Ohio Senate “concurred with changes” Wednesday made to Senate Bill 215 which will allow law abiding adults to carry a concealed handgun without obtaining a permit in areas where concealed carry is currently exercised, according to a press release by the Ohio Senate.
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Jim Renacci, a former congressman and candidate running for Ohio governor, knocked President Joe Biden over his discussion of Intel during his State of the Union address.
In the address, Biden connected future investments made by the company to legislation that would increase funding for semiconductor manufacturing.
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Ohio GOP gubernatorial contender Jim Renacci picked up the endorsement of the Butler County GOP, beating out incumbent Governor Mike DeWine.
The support complements the endorsement of the Clermont County Republican Party, who voted to support Renacci with 77 of the possible 106 committee members’ votes.
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On Friday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Expo Center & State Fair General Manager Virgil Strickler announced that the 2022 Ohio State Fair will run from July 27th to August 7th.
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz temporarily renamed three Ohio State Parks to honor current and past players of the Super-Bowl-bound Cincinnati Bengals.
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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.
“While the staff will be concentrated in the places where they are most needed, the entire state will feel relief as the arrangement supports the coordination of patient care that has been happening really since the beginning of this pandemic,” DeWine said at a news conference.
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Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Renacci on Tuesday backed a measure by Ohio lawmakers to block vaccine mandates in the state.
House Bill 218, which was approved by the House of Representatives earlier this month, would provide broad exemptions to any vaccine mandate.
For example, individuals would not have to receive the coronavirus because of religious beliefs, medical conditions, or if they have natural immunity. Schools and employers would also be prohibited from requiring a student or employee to receive a vaccine if it has not been granted full approval by the FDA.
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A retired partner from Ernst and Young, one of the Big Four international accounting firms, sent a November 24 letter to Republican Ohio Gov. R. Michael DeWine requesting the governor pressure Ohio Republican Party (ORP) Chairman Robert A. Paduchik to resign for his failure to respond to Ohio Republican State Central Committee member questions regarding missing funds from the party’s balance sheet.
“As a follow-up to my letter to you of November 8, 2021, enclosed is a letter I sent to members of the Ohio Republican State Central Committee related to unexplained ORP Net Worth Decrease of $270,600 in 2021,” wrote Mark A. Banbridge, who left Ernst and Young in 2009, before establishing his business advisory firm in Columbus.
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The Ohio Supreme Court has agreed to take up the appeal of Governor Michael DeWine’s decision to cut off the $300 bonus unemployment checks funded by the federal government.
The court announced it will take up the case from the 10 District Court of Appeals but has yet to schedule a hearing date or indicate if the appeal warrants oral arguments.
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A dozen new economic development projects are expected to create nearly 2,500 new jobs across Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday.
The largest is a new distribution center in Springfield for West Virginia-based Gabriel Brothers. The company expects to start construction later this month on 114 acres of land. The facility should create 833 new jobs and mean $27.8 million in annual payroll.
Gabe’s is a discount department store chain that sells clothes, shoes, home décor, kitchen items and other goods.
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Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona are hosting nine governors in Mission, Texas, Wednesday to denounce President Joe Biden’s policies leading to a surge in illegal immigration at the southern border.
“Texas and Arizona have stepped up to secure the border in the federal government’s absence, and now the Emergency Management Assistance Compact gives your state a chance to stand strong with us,” Ducey and Abbott said in a joint statement this summer. Both governors issued disaster and emergency declarations in their states earlier this year, citing increased crime and financial strains on county governments and law enforcement because of the surge in illegal immigration due to Biden’s policies.
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Ohio businesses should profit as the state completes paying off nearly a $1.5 billion loan it needed to cover unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Mike DeWine said.
DeWine announced Ohio began the process of repaying the U.S. Treasury Department using federal money from the American Rescue Plan. The action is expected to be completed Thursday. If the loan is not paid by Monday, the federal government would have charged the state 2.777% interest, which would mean higher unemployment taxes for employers.
“I am not willing to let our employers bear the unemployment debt burden caused by the pandemic,” DeWine said Wednesday. “By repaying this loan in full, we ensure that Ohio businesses won’t see increases in their federal unemployment payroll taxes.”
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The Ohio government-sponsored Diversity and Inclusion Technology Internship Program is looking to help companies hire “diverse, young talent.” The program is sponsored by Ohio’s Department of Development and Tech Ohio, working with Ohio’s Third Frontier, that “works with innovative startup companies across the state, making Ohio the destination for technology entrepreneurs.”
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Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has expanded a civil racketeering lawsuit tied to the federal FirstEnergy Corp. public corruption case to include the former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and two fired executives of the Akron, Ohio-based electric utility.
The addition of energy consultant and attorney Sam Randazzo, former FirstEnergy CEO Charles Jones, and Vice President Michael Dowling comes just a few weeks after the utility cut a deal with federal prosecutors where it admitted its role in the scandal and paid a $230 million fine in a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice.
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Ohio plans to spend more federal tax dollars to convince more people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Gov. Mike DeWine recently announced the state plans to pay $100 to each state employee for getting the vaccine. Their spouses would receive $25.
For spouses and employees enrolled in the state medical plan, the money will come from funds dedicated to state employee health and wellness, which is funded through state employee payroll deductions and state agency contributions. For those not enrolled, the state will use coronavirus relief funds. That is a small number of employees, according to Molly O’Reilly McGhee, public information officer for the Administrative Support Division.
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MEDINA, Ohio – Republican gubernatorial challenger Jim Renacci has asked for a full investigation of the flow of FirstEnergy Corp.’s political contributions into the 2018 campaign of Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) in the wake of the Akron-based electric utility’s $230 million settlement of public bribery charges with the Department of Justice last week. That probe, he said, should include a full investigation of the financial records of the Ohio Republican Party. Renacci held a press conference early Tuesday afternoon on the public square in Medina to call for DeWine to fully disclose any direct and indirect contributions made to his campaign by FirstEnergy as part of the electric utility’s bid to get the House Bill 6 legislation DeWine signed two years ago. That legislation, now mostly rescinded, would have charged electric utility customers statewide for the upkeep of the Davis-Besse and Perry nuclear power plants along the Lake Erie shoreline owned by a former FirstEnergy subsidiary. Renacci charged DeWine’s campaign coffers may have benefitted as much as $5 million from FirstEnergy, which was named as the central player in the $60 million bribery case still under investigation. “DeWine has contributed to a culture of corruption where sweetheart deals and…
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Saying he does not believe he has the authority to mandate masks in Ohio public schools, Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday turned that decision over to local school boards and parents.
DeWine, along with other state health officials and physicians, almost pleaded with parents to either have their children vaccinated or wear masks as the beginning of the school year draws near and a new COVID-19 variant is causing increased infections.
“I do not believe I have the ability today to mandate [masks in schools]. There is not the appetite in this state for that kind of a mandate,” DeWine said. “We are at a point in the pandemic where information is out there but these decisions must be left to the local community and must be left to the parents.”
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Local communities in Ohio got a little more power regarding renewable energy projects after Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill into law that addresses wind and solar projects.
DeWine made Senate Bill 52 law and gave power to county boards on whether to allow or prevent certification of wind and solar projects. The legislation also establishes decommissioning requirements for certain wind and solar facilities.
“One of the most important things we can do as state legislators is to listen to the input of our fellow constituents,” Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery, said Monday after DeWine signed the bill. “I can confidently tell you that Ohioans within Seneca County vehemently spoke out against a wind project being built within their communities – Senate Bill 52 being signed into law solidifies their right to local control over these types of projects.”
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A pro-life group has accused an Ohio abortion facility of throwing a dismembered, aborted baby away in a dumpster.
Ohio Right to Life said Wednesday it found the remains of an aborted baby at about 17 weeks gestation discarded in dumpster behind Ohio Women’s Center (NEOWC) abortion clinic. The clinic, which has not responded to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation, denied that it improperly disposed of fetal remains.
“Ohio Right to Life is heartbroken and appalled by the abortion industry’s utter disregard for human life,” Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life, said in a statement. “This child suffered doubly at the hands of the abortion industry: first, by being subjected to a brutal death by dismemberment and second by the degradation of his or her broken body being dumped into the trash like garbage.”
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Giving away millions of federal tax dollars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in college scholarships did nothing to improve Ohio’s COVID-19 vaccination rate, a recent study concluded.
Those results have Democratic leaders saying the state needs to do more to address vaccine hesitancy and deal with what they call root causes of Ohio’s stagnant vaccination rate.
The study, conducted by the Boston University School of Medicine using information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concluded reports that the state’s Vax-a-Million lottery program increased rates failed to factor in vaccinations expanded to ages 12-15.
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Former U.S. Representative and GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Renacci called on Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to “come clean” to voters on his knowledge of and potential involvement in corruption allegations that have become national news.
“What did DeWine know about the nuclear plant bailout scheme, and when did he know it?” Renacci questioned in his opinion piece published in The Columbus Dispatch.
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order on Monday that will allow college athletes within Ohio to profit off their name, image and likeness.
The executive order comes in response to a bill in the state legislature stalling after the Ohio House of Representatives added an amendment to the bill that would ban transgender athletes from joining female teams in both high school and college sports.
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Ohio has ended its drive to encourage residents to receive the coronavirus vaccine — awarding $1 million prizes to 5 different individuals and additional college scholarships to teenagers.
The lottery-style giveaway used taxpayer funds to award the prizes and paved the way for many states to follow its example.
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GOP primary challenger Jim Renacci released a new ad on Wednesday labeling Ohio Governor Mike DeWine as the “ultimate Never-Trumper.”
“Mike DeWine is not only the ultimate corrupt political insider, but he’s also the ultimate Never Trumper with a record of undermining President Trump’s America First policies,” Renacci claimed in a statement.
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Jim Renacci, former U.S. Representative and GOP gubernatorial candidate, released an ad on Tuesday, accusing Governor Mike DeWine of defending violent protestors and placing them ahead of small businesses throughout Ohio.
“While mobs and violent protesters were burning our state down, Mike DeWine defended them and did nothing to protect us from their looting and destruction. Instead, he implemented Andrew Cuomo’s playbook and put the mob first at the expense of Ohioans who were being terrorized,” Renacci said in a statement detailing the new ad.
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Millions of dollars, college scholarships and other cash and prize incentives may not be enough to encourage more people around the country to get the COVID-19 vaccination, at least if numbers in Ohio are any indication.
The Associated Press reported the number of new Ohioans receiving at least the first dose of a vaccine fell by nearly half after the state announced its first $1 million and college scholarship winners. After Gov. Mike DeWine’s announcement of the vaccine lottery in early May, the report said vaccination numbers increased by 43% over the previous week.
The report said the number of people receiving the vaccine from May 27 through June 2 dropped about 43%. March and April were the state’s highest months for the number of vaccines, according to The AP.
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Jim Renacci, former Congressman and successful Ohio businessman, officially launched his campaign for Governor of Ohio in what promises to be a bruising 2022 GOP primary battle against incumbent Mike DeWine.
“This election, we have a choice to make. Do we want to become an economic powerhouse again and attract jobs and opportunity? Or do we keep going down the devastating DeWine route?” Renacci asked in a video explaining his motivation for launching the campaign.
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Jim Renacci is calling for a change in Ohio policies that are currently in place, which he argues are leading the state in the wrong direction.
The former Congressman released his own detailed plan to “put Ohio first” and reverse the current policies trends overtaking the state.
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Ohio State Representative Jenna Powell (R-Arcanum) is drafting legislation to introduce which would ban any type of “vaccine lottery” in the state.
Normal bills that pass the legislature have a 3-month period in which they are enacted. However, Powell is set to include an emergency clause to allow the law to go into effect immediately, if enacted.
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Former U.S. Representative Jim Renacci blasted Governor Mike DeWine’s vaccine initiative to giveaway $1 million to 5 random, vaccinated Ohioans.
Renacci’s criticism was fueled by the announcement that New York’s controversial Governor Andrew Cuomo will be following DeWine’s trend. In New York, people who receive a dose of one of the available coronavirus vaccines will be given a free, scratch off lottery ticket. Individuals can win money ranging from $20 to $5 million.
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Governor Mike DeWine’s office is experiencing a shake up in his staff. DeWine’s chief of staff, Laurel Dawson is stepping down to assume a different role within his administration.
The sudden move has prompted Michael Hall, DeWine’s current policy director, to be promoted to the head position.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s plan to encourage more people to get the COVID-19 vaccine by offering millions of taxpayer dollars and college scholarships through a raffle program appears to be legal, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said.
Yost tweeted the opinion, but he stopped short of saying he believed DeWine’s plan was a was a good idea.
“About the $1M [vaccination] lottery: I heard about it yesterday. It doesn’t appear to violate state law, though it depends on how it’s designed,” Yost’s tweet read. “Just because a thing may be legally done does not mean it should be. The wisdom of it is a question for the Governor and the General Assembly.”
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For the first time in months, not one state reported a dramatic weekly increase in coronavirus cases.
While average daily cases fell by less than 10% in 11 states, 37 states saw cases fall by over 10% and just two states had cases marginally increase, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The United States also averaged fewer than 40,000 daily cases last week, a 21% drop from the week prior and the lowest total since September.
Death and hospitalization rates have also plummeted nationwide. The U.S. has averaged 600 deaths per day, the lowest point in approximately 10 months. If the number continues to fall the nation could soon hit its lowest point of the entire pandemic, according to the Associated Press.
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In a state-wide address, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced on Wednesday that individuals who get vaccinated will be entered for a chance to win a drawing of $1 million — 5 different winners will be selected.
DeWine noted that the money to be given away comes from federal Coronavirus Relief funds.
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Brad Parscale, President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, is currently advising former Representative Jim Renacci on a potential primary challenge to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, according to a report from NBC News and confirmed by Parscale.
Parscale said he is serving Renacci in an unpaid role.
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Ohio Democrats continue to criticize the state’s new stand your ground law and unveiled a package of gun control legislation Monday that goes further than a proposal from Gov. Mike DeWine that has seen no movement in nearly two years.
Monday’s call comes 20 months since a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, and less than a week after another one in Indianapolis. It also comes nearly two weeks after a law that removes the duty to retreat from Ohioans to defend themselves with deadly force went into effect.
“Ohioans have spoken loudly and clearly that we need to do something to end gun violence. Democrats are listening to you, the people of Ohio who overwhelmingly support commonsense solutions to keep our kids and communities safe,” House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes, D-Akron, said Monday at a news conference. “In the 20 months since Dayton, shootings have gone up, not down. We need reform now to ensure the promise of safety and security for all Ohioans.”
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A little more than eight months after the billion-dollar government bailout of the state’s nuclear energy industry led the arrest of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, Gov. Mike DeWine officially put it to rest.
DeWine signed House Bill 128 into law late Wednesday. It repeals the nuclear provisions of the infamous House Bill 6.
Gone is the bailout for the Perry and Davis-Besse nuclear power plants in northern Ohio. Also eliminated was the ability for FirstEnergy to have its revenue levels relatively the same even during years when energy consumption decreases. HB 128 directed refunds of money already collected under the guarantee.
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More than 500 agencies in Ohio have adopted the state’s new law enforcement minimum standards to be state certified, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Wednesday.
Ohio changed its standards after the death of George Floyd in Minnesota last spring and the subsequent protests.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety’s 2021 Law Enforcement Certification Report showed 529 Ohio agencies have adopted fully the primary standards, which include new ones created last year. Eleven agencies are in the process of adopting and being certified.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine praised the $8.3 billion state transportation budget he signed into law despite it missing the increased vehicle fees and massive cuts for public transportation he proposed.
The two-year budget, House Bill 74, provides money for road and bridge construction and maintenance, as well as other transportation priorities established by the committees in the House and Senate, along with DeWine.
“The budget ensures that we can continue to maintain and invest in Ohio’s roadways,” DeWine said Wednesday. “Ohio’s transportation system continues to be a critical part of our economy, moving materials and people safely across our state. This budget advances our commitment to invest in state and locally-maintained roadways.”
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It’s been over seven months since the FBI announced a criminal complaint stemming from Ohio House Bill 6 (HB6). Arrests were made for what feds call a bribery and racketeering plan bankrolled by First Energy Solutions to elect state representatives and a House Speaker that would ensure the bill passed (and stopped efforts to repeal it) – giving a $1.3 billion bailout to two Ohio nuclear energy plants.
A new report lays out the $1M relationship between First Energy companies and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s campaign.