People Protest at Ohio’s Capitol the State’s Handling of the Coronavirus Pandemic, Call on Acton to Resign

People gathered in front of the Ohio state capitol to protest the way the state has handled the coronavirus pandemic.

Currently, Ohio is under a “Shelter-at-Home” order until May 1, which it has been under since March 23.

Around 100 people came to Ohio’s capital Columbus Thursday to protest, according to Tom Bosco, an ABC6 journalist. On their way to the building, Bosco said people were chanting “Open Ohio.”

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Ohio Department of Education Sets New Graduation Guidelines for High School This Year

The Ohio Department of Education (ODOE) announced on Monday new guidelines for students set to graduate this year.

Schools in Ohio have been closed since March 17 after Gov. Mike DeWine canceled them due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, schools remain empty as Ohio extended its “stay-at-home” measure until May 1.  

DeWine has not decided if schools will open after May 1, but the governor said in March that schools could be closed for the rest of the academic year. 

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Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 Forecast Was Off by 850 Cases Monday, Actual Cases Just One-Third of ‘Mitigated’ Projections

Ohio health officials and Gov. Mike DeWine continue to reference a coronavirus model that hasn’t been updated since March 28.

The Ohio Star still hasn’t been provided with any information on the identities of the Ohio State University researchers behind the controversial model.

The Ohio Department of Health (OHD) claims on its website for the forecast model that it was “created based on current data” and becomes “more precise as more information is available.”

However, the model still predicts that the coronavirus pandemic will reach its peak in Ohio on April 25 when the state is projected to have 9,689 new cases. But that number is based on the information that was available as of March 28 and hasn’t been updated since.

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Gov. DeWine Lengthens Ohio’s Stay-at-Home Order Until May 1

  Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday he will extended – both in duration and scope – Ohio’s “Stay-at-Home” Order until May 1. The original order was set to expire on Monday, April 6.. Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton signed the updated order on Thursday. The new stay-at-home measure will take effect midnight on Monday. “We understand that this is tough – it is very difficult. But, I would not be making these decisions if it wasn’t a matter of life and death,” said Governor DeWine. “We have to keep this monster down. It’s not dead – it’s very much alive.”  Ohio is one of 38 states that are currently on a stay-at-home order, according to The Hill.  DeWine has been one of the most aggressive governors in combating the Chinese virus. In March, the governor closed down schools, banned mass gatherings, shut down restaurants and delayed Ohio’s presidential primary.  With the stay-at-home order extension, unemployment numbers will likely increase during April. In the last two weeks, 468,414 Ohioans have filed for unemployment benefits, which is more than all of the 364,603 jobless claims that happened in 2019. To help Ohioans through the coronavirus pandemic, DeWine created an economic…

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272,117 New Unemployment Claims This Week in Ohio, One of Worst States in Nation

  Unemployment numbers in Ohio continue to surge as the coronavirus pandemic causes another 272,117 people to claim unemployment benefits, according to Fox19. Last week, 196,297 people filed for unemployment benefits. This means that in the last two weeks 468,414 Ohioans have filed for government assistance, which is more than all of the 364,603 jobless claims that happened in 2019. Last week, 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits for the week of March 25. This beat the previous record of 3.3 million people that was set the prior week, according to the Bureau of Labor statistics. Previously, the two highest weeks for unemployment claims came in 1982 with 695,000 and in March 2009 at 665,000, CNBC reports.  Of these almost 10 million jobless claims, Ohioans make up almost five percent.  To put this into perspective, Ohio had a total of 13,951 unemployment claims from March 1 to March 14. Yet these last two weeks, the Buckeye State saw the third biggest jump in total number of these claims, according to PBS. This was a 3,347 percent increase. The number of Ohioans who will be laid off because of COVID-19 is likely to increase as Gov. Mike DeWine said this…

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Model Cited by White House Officials Projects Ohio Hospitals Have Enough Capacity to Handle State’s Upcoming Coronavirus Peak

  A new epidemiological model cited by White House officials shows that Ohio hospitals have sufficient regular hospital bed and ICU hospital bed capacity for when the peak of the coronavirus hits the state in the upcoming weeks. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) model, Ohio is projected to see its resources peak on April 20. The model shows that the Buckeye State will need 5,609 beds; however, the state presently has 14,290 beds available, according to the study. Furthermore, Ohio is expected to need 854 intensive care unit (ICU) beds by April 20, the date the model projects the pandemic will peak in Ohio, but it already has 12,238 ICU beds ready to go. In terms of deaths, the IHME model predicts Ohio will have 1,672 by August 4. As of Tuesday, Ohio Department of Health (ODH) numbers show 55 people have died from the coronavirus. Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force adviser, said recently IHME model, which is funded by the University of Washington and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, shows projections very much in line with how the federal government viewed the situation. Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci recently…

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Ohio Extends School Closures Until May 1

The Ohio Department of Health is extending its order to keep schools closed through the end of April, Gov. Mike DeWine announced.

The previous order was to expire on April 3, but the new directive extends the closure through May 1.

The decision is the latest action to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Ohio, where there are 1,933 confirmed cases and 39 deaths.

“There is the real possibility that our schools could stay closed longer than this, but we want to give parents and teachers as much notice and flexibility as we can,” DeWine said in a news release. “Schools should continue to do what they’re doing now – providing the best remote learning that they can, serving meals to students in new ways, and planning for what the rest of the year may look like.”

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Gov. DeWine’s Claim Ohio Will Reach Peak of 10,000 Coronavirus Cases Per Day Based on Modeling Sleight of Hand, Questionable Evidence, and Unidentified Researchers

  Gov. Mike DeWine claimed in a Friday press conference that projections based on a controversial model introduced earlier this month by Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton show hospitals in Ohio will be hit hard by the coronavirus in the upcoming weeks. While the daily increase of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ohio is undeniable, neither DeWine nor Acton have provided much in the way of factual details related to the methodology of the model, the assumptions and data used in it, or the specific identities of the researchers who have created it. And some of the claims made by Acton and DeWine about the model’s predictions stretch credulity. “This is another take on our curves and our graphs,” Acton said at the press conference (at about the 42:43min mark), pointing to a chart on a screen behind her, which is identical to the chart shown below.   “But you can see a shadow – this our unmitigated curve – meaning that if we’d done nothing – if we did not take aggressive, decisive action, but we did, and we’ve made a difference, and we’ve shifted over to the model that we’ve wanted to see,” Acton said, pointing…

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Governor DeWine’s Office Insists Ohio Is Complying with CDC Reporting Requirements Despite Failing to Report Negative Coronavirus Test Results

Governor Mike DeWine’s press secretary Daniel Tierney said that Ohio “is in and has been in full compliance” with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) reporting standards, even though the state altered it’s reporting of COVID-19 test result on March 15 to exclude negative test results.

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Ohio Dems Call Attorney General ‘Opportunistic’ and ‘Despicable’ for Telling Abortion Clinics to Close

Ohio Democrats called Attorney General Dave Yost “opportunistic” for urging abortion clinics to close during the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health issued an executive order Tuesday that required health providers to cancel all non-essential or elective surgeries that utilize personal protective equipment (PPE).

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Ohio Department of Health Defies CDC, Refuses to Require Labs to Report Both Positive and Negative Results from Coronavirus Tests

  Ohio is one of only two states in the union that are refusing to cooperate with requests from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to provide accurate data on the total number of positive and negative tests of coronavirus tests conducted in the state. (Maryland is the other state, as reported in the COVID Tracking Project.) “Having data on negatives, as well as positives, helps us understand the burden of disease. Having that data also gives us insight on the amount of testing being done overall,” a spokesman for the CDC told The Ohio Star on Friday. Earlier this week the CDC, through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, told states they need to send it aggregated data of coronavirus testing. Section 1702 of that law makes it absolutely clear that states are required to provide “aggregated data on testing and results from State and local public health departments.” Aggregated data means complete and comprehensive test results, including both positive and negative results: States and local governments receiving funds or assistance pursuant to this division shall ensure the respective State Emergency Operations Center receives regular and real-time reporting on  aggregated data on testing and results from State and local…

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DeWine to Business Owners: ‘The Reckless Behavior Must Stop’

Gov. Mike DeWine, during Friday’s press conference on the coronavirus, told business owners that if they don’t follow social distance rules and keep their employees safe there could be consequences.

“Let me make it very clear: I will err on the side of protecting people,” DeWine said at the press conference. “The bad behavior, the reckless behavior, must stop. The protection of life is the most important obligation that I have.”

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Is the Ohio Department of Health Refusing to Release Coronavirus Test Data to Conceal Lower Than National Average Percentage of Positive Tests?

  During the coronavirus pandemic, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Amy Acton have taken a number of actions, some controversial, designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Just in the last ten days, DeWine has closed bars and schools, postponed primaries and banned mass gatherings. Even more controversially, on Monday Acton defied the order of an Ohio court and ordered the cancellation of the Ohio primary election, a usurpation of the Ohio General Assembly’s constitutional authority to set election dates. Gov. DeWine clearly orchestrated this controversial decision. Despite these dramatic and controversial actions by DeWine and Acton, Ohio has lagged behind every other state in the country in reporting the number of negative coronavirus tests in the state. It stopped releasing that data on Monday. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) said Thursday that every state must report aggregated data of coronavirus testing to it. Currently, ODH only shows the number of confirmed cases, number of counties in Ohio with a case and the number of hospitalizations. This causes concern because last week, Acton and DeWine said they were operating as if 100,000 Ohioans had the virus. “Just the fact of community spread says at…

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Gov. DeWine Deploys Ohio National Guard to Help Food Banks

Gov. Mike DeWine called in the Ohio National Guard Wednesday to help food banks distribute food during the state’s coronavirus relief efforts.

Three hundred personnel members will deploy to 12 food bank warehouses, which helps provide food to all 88 counties in the state. The National Guard members will help pack and sort food into boxes, distribute food through “no touch” methods, and assist with logistical needs to help protect the public, according to the Ohio Association of Food Banks (OAFB)’s press release.

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Governor DeWine Says Ohio Schools Could Remain Closed for Rest of Academic Year, Orders All Restaurants to Close

Gov. Mike DeWine said Sunday morning that Ohio’s public schools could remain closed for the rest of the academic year.

DeWine ordered all K-12 public schools to close for three weeks beginning at the end of the day Monday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, said that closing for eight weeks or more would have a greater impact on mitigating the spread of the virus.

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Bill Proposal Would Let Ohio Police Pull Over Drivers for Distracted Driving

  Ohio State Rep. Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville) introduced a bill Monday that would let police pull over people who are using their phones or electronic devices while operating a vehicle. Currently, police can’t pull over people they see using their phones because it is a secondary offense. However, this bill would change that to a primary offense which would allow law enforcement to pull people over for distracted driving. “The number of drivers I see using their smartphones while driving continues to concern me, especially as they tend to drive erratically. This legislation will address the significant danger caused by drivers who drive under the influence of their electronic devices,” Rep. Lightbody said in a statement. Lightbody said constituent Sharon Montgomery approached her about this issue after Montgomery was in a “tragic” accident caused by distracted driving. Montgomery served on Governor Mike DeWine’s recent Task Force on Distracted Driving after becoming an expert on this topic. “More and more drivers are focused on electronic devices instead of traffic and vehicle operation, which puts us all at risk,” Montgomery said. “Representative Lightbody’s legislation will reduce that risk, and I am relieved that with her leadership, Ohio would join 37 other states…

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With Budget Deadline Approaching, Ohio Senate GOP Expects a Compromise Vote

by Tyler Arnold   Ohio Senate Republicans expect a budget bill compromise to be reached for a vote by Wednesday’s deadline, according to spokesperson John Fortney. “We are very close, and we expect the budget to be ready for a vote before the interim period ends,” Fortney told The Center Square via email. Republicans currently hold the leadership in both chambers of the state legislature, but feuds over what should be done with the budget surplus funds caused the legislature to miss a July 1 budget deadline. The two sides pushed through a temporary spending bill to keep the government open until Wednesday (July 17) so they could have more time to craft a bill that both chambers could support. The specifics surrounding this potential compromise have yet to be released, but both chambers previously passed bills that cut the state’s personal income tax and increased spending for environmental and educational wrap-around programs. One of the main points of contention between House and Senate leadership has been the small business tax credit. Gov. Mike DeWine and Senate Republicans want to maintain the current credit, but House Republicans want to scale it back. Current law provides a tax exemption on 75…

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Judge Temporarily Blocks Ohio Heartbeat Bill

by Margaret Mary Olohan   A judge temporarily blocked an Ohio bill that bans abortions after a baby’s heartbeat can be detected. Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday temporarily preventing the heartbeat bill from going into effect, according to Cleveland.com. The heartbeat bill, S.B. 23, was originally signed by Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on April 11 and banned abortions after detection of a baby’s heartbeat. Physicians could face fines of up to $20,000 in fines if they violate the law. Barrett said in the ruling that the heartbeat bill placed an undue burden on women and their right to abortion. “This Court concludes that S.B. 23 places an ‘undue burden’ on a woman’s right to choose a pre-viability abortion, and, under Casey, Plaintiffs are certain to succeed on the merits of their claim,” Barrett wrote, according to Cleveland.com, referencing the 1992 U.S. Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The ruling temporarily halts the bill pending further court rulings. “All Defendants, their officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys, and those persons in active concert or participation with them who receive actual notice of this Order, are preliminarily enjoined from enforcing or complying with S.B.…

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Both Parties Seek to Delay Abortion Lawsuit in Ohio

by Tyler Arnold   In a joint filing, both sides of the Ohio abortion lawsuit have requested that the U.S. district court delay information gathering until after a similar case in Kentucky is settled. Both Kentucky and Ohio passed legislation to prohibit abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as five and a half weeks into the pregnancy. After a lawsuit was brought by abortion rights advocates, a federal court struck down Kentucky’s legislation. The state has appealed the ruling. A district court has also blocked some of the Ohio law from going into effect. The government cannot charge doctors under this legislation until the judge issues a ruling. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed this legislation in April. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin signed his state’s legislation back in March. Under the Ohio law, a doctor who conducts an abortion after the fetal heartbeat could face up to a year in prison with a fifth degree felony. The State Medical Board could also take further disciplinary action, which could include up to $20,000 in fines. Although there is no rape or incest exception, the bill does provide an exception if the mother’s life is at…

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Trump Issues Disaster Declaration for 10 Ohio Counties

by Todd DeFeo   President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a disaster declaration for 10 counties in Ohio affected by severe weather last month. The declaration “will help those working to rebuild their homes and their lives,” Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. It also opens the door for state officials to determine how much federal aid Ohioans may need. The action applies to 10 counties hit by severe storms, including tornadoes, on May 27 and May 28. The weather killed one and injured at least 385. “When I spoke with President Trump after these tornadoes, he vowed to provide any assistance he could, and I am grateful that he followed through today on that promise to help those impacted by these storms,” said DeWine. The governor sent a letter to Trump last week asking the president to issue the declaration. The action opens up several federal programs for residents, including low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). With the declaration, the state can apply to the federal government for crisis counseling assistance, disaster unemployment assistance and disaster case management help. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has not released a total amount of how much federal…

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Ohio Gov. DeWine Declares State of Emergency in Three Counties Amid Tornado Wreckage

by Tyler Arnold   Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency in three counties in the western half of the state after a swarm of tornadoes killed at least one person and injured at least 130 others late Sunday in Ohio and Indiana. The deceased has been identified as 81-year-old Melvin Dale Hannah of Celina, Ohio. He was killed when tornado winds blew a parked car into his home. The state of emergency declaration allows “agencies to provide resources and support beyond their normal authority, under the direction of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (EMA),” according to a news release. It also allows the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to suspend normal purchasing requirements to allow necessary spending for recovery efforts and resources, such as water or generators. The three Ohio counties included in the state of emergency are Greene, Mercer and Montgomery. The City of Dayton in Montgomery County sustained heavy damage. Dan Tierney, a spokesman for DeWine’s office, told The Center Square that the cost estimate for the damage will come in about a week or so, and that it is far too early to estimate. Although reports are still coming in, dozens of buildings have…

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State Senator Says Cutting Tax Breaks for Small Businesses Would Be ‘a Mistake’ for Ohio

  State Sen. Lou Terhar (R-Cincinnati) said it would be “a mistake” for the Ohio Senate to support a decrease to the tax breaks small businesses receive in the state. “There are a range of issues with the House budget that concern us in the Senate. The first would be the cut of the small business tax, which we believe is a mistake,” Terhar said. “Once we take a position on how small businesses should be treated, we should stick with that position,” he added. Terhar said that if “you’re going to encourage small businesses” by giving them a tax cut “and then take that away,” it will make business owners wonder if they “really want to invest in Ohio.” Under the House’s version of the budget bill, Ohio’s Business Investment Income Deduction would be lowered to $100,000. As of now, small businesses don’t pay taxes on the first $250,000 of income, but that figure would drop down to $100,000 under House Bill 166. Terhar’s comments came during a recent forum on the state budget hosted by Ohio’s Future Foundation and its chairman, former Congressman Jim Renacci. “One of the concerns is we still do not have a state that’s…

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Anti-Smoking Groups Actually Testified Against Ohio Gov. DeWine’s Proposal to Raise Minimum Age to 21

  Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has called for raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21, a proposal that’s included in Ohio’s biennial budget bill. But anti-smoking groups in the state have actually testified against the proposal. These groups believe that the proposal would mostly punish youth for underage sales but would do little to punish retailers for illegal sales. “Those of us who work on this issue every day in venues around the country recognize this bill as unacceptable by today’s standards,” said Wendy Hyde of the Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation. “Simply changing ‘18’ to ‘21’ without changing the structure of licensure and enforcement would be meaningless.” During a May 5 testimony on House Bill 166, Hyde said that “penalties for illegal sales to persons under age 21 should be placed on the retail owner who makes a profit from illegally selling harmful and deadly products rather than on the clerk or the youth.” “Penalties for repeated violations must result in meaningful fines and be followed up with license suspension for those few retailers who refuse to comply. Penalizing youth is not an an effective strategy for reducing youth smoking,” she said. She went on to…

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Ohio House Democrats Unveil Package of Gun-Control Laws

  Ohio House Democrats announced their plans Wednesday to introduce a package of gun-control laws in response to the so-called constitutional carry bill making its way through the committee process. As The Ohio Star previously reported, Republicans introduced a bill in March to bring constitutional carry to the Buckeye state, which would allow gun owners to carry concealed weapons without obtaining a permit. “Gun owners are law abiding citizens who follow the rules, and we need to let them be able to protect themselves,” Rep. Tom Brinkman (R-Mt. Lookout), a cosponsor of the bill, said at the time. Democrats called the bill a “solution in search of a problem,” and revealed their plans to introduce a number of equally controversial gun-control laws. “The answer to gun violence is not simply more guns. The answer is responsible gun ownership with laws that protect the gun owner and non-gun owner alike,” Rep. Adam Miller (D-Columbus) said in a press release. “If HB 178 passes it will be easier to own a concealed weapon than it is to register to vote. Our children and our law enforcement community deserve better.” The package of bills includes the Child Safety Protection Act, which would require…

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Ohio Cities Partake in Pro-Abortion ‘Stop the Bans’ Protests

  Pro-abortion activists across the country organized “Stop the Bans” rallies on Tuesday, several of which occurred in Ohio. In Columbus, protesters lined the streets outside of Gov. Mike DeWine’s office, chanting: “Keep abortions safe and legal!” Several protesting outside the governor’s office for the ‘Stop the Ban’ protest pic.twitter.com/kda5faqQpl — Alexis Moberger (@alexis_moberger) May 21, 2019 The crowd later made its way to the Ohio Statehouse, where not too long ago a controversial “heartbeat bill” threw Ohio into the national conversation surrounding abortion. Crowd continues to grow! Protest has now moved to the statehouse. Dozens here to protest against Ohio’s heartbeat bill. Similar abortion protests happening in several cities across the country pic.twitter.com/pQPBw8RbS3 — Alexis Moberger (@alexis_moberger) May 21, 2019 “It’s really important that women have the freedom to choose what to do with their own bodies,” one protester told ABC 6. “I hope that Governor DeWine is paying attention to this because women are his constituents too and he can’t ignore us.” In Dayton, protesters gathered outside of a Premier Health clinic, which has apparently refused to sign a transfer agreement with a nearby abortion clinic. “We are here today because so far Premier Health has refused to…

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DeWine Opens Up Investigation, Calls for Lifting Statute of Limitations in Response to ‘Monster’ Richard Strauss

  Gov. Mike DeWine called for lifting the statute of limitations in cases of rape and sexual abuse in response to the report surrounding former Ohio State University team doctor Richard Strauss. According to a report released Friday by the university, Strauss, who killed himself in 2005, abused at least 177 male students over his two-decade career at the state’s flagship university, where he worked from 1978 to 1998. The report describes Strauss’ sexual abuse as an “open secret” among coaches, trainers, and other doctors, The Ohio Star reported last week. DeWine was particularly concerned about what the State Medical Board of Ohio knew, when they knew it, and what they did about it. “The question that we are faced with is this: did the State Medical Board of Ohio take appropriate action regarding Richard Strauss? What did they know? When did they know that? What did they do about it?” DeWine said during a Monday press conference. “We should all be disgusted. Every Ohioan should be disgusted and should be angered by what has happened. Not only by the horrific and vile acts perpetrated by Richard Strauss, but also they should be angered that complaints and reports about this…

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Governor Mike DeWine Says He Intends to Take Abortion Bill Lawsuit to Supreme Court

by Tyler Arnold   The Ohio ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging recently signed legislation that would prohibit abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said he intends to take this fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge the abortion law precedent set by Roe V. Wade. “This is an expected development,” Dan Tierney, a spokesperson for DeWine, told The Center Square in an email. “Gov. DeWine has long said that this issue will ultimately be decided by the United States Supreme Court.” The national ACLU and abortion provider Planned Parenthood filed the joint lawsuit with the Ohio ACLU. The lawsuit claims that the legislation violates the precedent in Roe V. Wade, which ruled that abortion is a Constitutionally protected right required to protect a woman’s right to privacy. “This assault on reproductive rights has been anticipated, and we’ve been preparing and perfecting our case,” Freda Levenson, the legal director for the Ohio ACLU, said in a news release. “‘Total ban’ is not inflammatory rhetoric — this is a ban on almost all abortions, and if the court does not block it, it will imperil the freedoms and health of Ohio women,”…

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