Tag: Ohio House

Ohio House Lawmakers Re-Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Require Employers to Provide Workers with Pay Stubs

Hannah Poling

Two Ohio House Representatives have re-introduced Bipartisan legislation to require employers to provide their employees access to their pay statements.

House Bill (HB) 106, known as the Pay Stub Protection Act, sponsored by State Representatives Scott Lipps (R-Franklin) and Dontavious Jarrells (D-Youngstown) aims to make Ohio an access state requiring employers to provide either a written, printed, or electronic pay stub (or access to the electronic pay stub) to their employees.

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Ohio House Republicans Introduce Legislation to Update School Social Studies Standards

Hannah Poling

Two Republican Ohio House Representatives have introduced legislation to create new social studies standards through a task force of appointed state officials.

House Bill (HB) 103, sponsored by State Representatives Don Jones (R-Freeport) and Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville), tries to create the Ohio State Social Studies Task Force to craft social studies standards to replace the existing standards in Ohio.

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Ohio House Committee Passes Legislation Preserving the Integrity of Women’s Sports

Hannah Poling

The Ohio House Higher Education Committee has passed the “Save Women’s Sports Act” that ensures that biological males cannot compete in female-only sports statewide propelling the legislation forward towards a full House vote.

The Ohio House Higher Education Committee passed the legislation by an 8-6 vote with all five Democrats on the committee and State Representative Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) voting against the bill.

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Ohio House Republican Introduces Legislation Aiming to Protect Healthcare Workers and Patients from Exposure to Surgical Smoke

Hannah Poling

A Republican Ohio House Representative has introduced legislation aimed at protecting healthcare workers and patients from harmful surgical smoke exposure.

House Bill (HB) 104 sponsored by state Representative Monica Robb Blasdel (R-Columbiana County) aims to require Ohio’s hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to adopt and implement a policy designed to prevent human exposure to surgical smoke.

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Two New Members Sworn In to Vacant Ohio House Seats

Hannah Poling

Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) swore in two new members to the Ohio House to fill the vacant seats left due to the passing of State Representative Kris Jordan (R-Ostrander) and the resignation of State Representative Brian Baldridge (R- Winchester) to take a job as state agriculture director.

After the untimely passing of Jordan, Delaware County Republican Brian Lorenz (R-Powell) has been chosen to fill the remaining term for the 60th House District seat.

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Ohio Businesses Vocalize Support for Amendment to Increase Threshold for Initiative Petitions

Hannah Poling

Four Ohio business organizations have come out in support of the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment, Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 2, which aims to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments.

On Wednesday, the Ohio House of Representatives approved the amendment that would mandate a 60 percent approval percentage for any future constitutional amendments, call for signatures from all 88 counties, and do away with the opportunity to “cure” petitions by collecting additional signatures if necessary sending it to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose for approval and to make preparations for an August special election to vote on it.

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Democratic-Backed Group Releases Advertisement Praising Speaker Stephens for Lack of Vote on Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment

Hannah Poling

A Democratic-backed group that opposes the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment released an advertisement praising House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) for the lack of a House floor vote on the resolution.

The group One Person One Vote praises Stephens in its advertisement for the lack of a House floor vote on the resolution and the August special election for voters to decide on it.

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Ohio Republican State Central Committee Unanimously Votes Raise the Threshold to Amend the State Constitution, Special August Election

Hannah Poling

The Ohio Republican State Central Committee has unanimously voted to support a resolution and implore lawmakers to pass the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment which aims to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments and to allow for a special August election to vote on the amendment.

The Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment, Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 2 would mandate a 60 percent approval percentage for any future constitutional amendments, call for signatures from all 88 counties, and do away with the opportunity to “cure” petitions by collecting additional signatures if necessary.

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Bipartisan Ohio State Lawmakers Introduce Adoption Reform Legislation

Hannah Poling

A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers introduced a bill to modernize and streamline the adoption process across the state.

House Bill (HB) 5, known as The Adoption Modernization Act, sponsored by State Representatives Sharon Ray (R-Wadsworth) and Rachel Baker (D-Cincinnati), aims to provide financial support for expecting mothers, expedite kinship care, and clarify Ohio law to help streamline the adoption process.

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Bipartisan Ohio State Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Prohibit Intimate Exams Without Patient Consent

Hannah Poling

A bipartisan group of Ohio Lawmakers introduced a bill prohibiting intimate examinations on anesthetized and unconscious patients without their consent.

House Bill (HB) 89, sponsored by state Representatives Brett Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville) and Munira Abdullahi (D-Columbus), aims to require specific consent from patients before doctors, nurses, and medical providers-in-training perform intimate pelvic, prostate, or rectal exams as part of their training while patients are unconscious for an unrelated procedure.

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House Speaker Jason Stephens Delays Vote on Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment

Hannah Poling

On Tuesday, moderate Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) once again delayed a floor vote on the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment, House Joint Resolution (HJR) 1, which aims to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments.

The measure, if approved, would mandate a 60 percent approval percentage for any future constitutional amendments, call for signatures from all 88 counties, and do away with the opportunity to “cure” petitions by collecting additional signatures if necessary.

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Political Action Committee Pushes for Vote on Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment

Hannah Poling

A newly formed political action committee (PAC) has been set up to push House Republicans to vote on the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment which aims to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments

Save Our Constitution PAC is urging lawmakers to set an August election for Ohio voters to decide on the proposed amendment. The measure, if approved, would mandate a 60 percent approval percentage for any future constitutional amendments, call for signatures from all 88 counties, and do away with the opportunity to “cure” petitions by collecting additional signatures if necessary.

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Ohio Senate Unanimously Passes Legislation to Preserve Student’s Religious Expression

Hannah Poling

The Ohio Senate has unanimously passed legislation that aims to require local boards of education to draft “non-exhaustive” lists of religious holidays and excuse students for up to three days each academic year.

Senate Bill (SB) 49 known as the “Religious Expression Days” (R.E.D.) Act sponsored by State Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) would require schools to accommodate “any missed assignments including tests” and teachers would have to accept these absences “without question” while maintaining “alternative accommodation requests confidential.”

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Ohio Republican Political Candidate Brandon Lape Announces Exploratory Campaign for House District 98 in 2024

Hannah Poling

Former two-time candidate for U.S. Congress Brandon Lape announced on Monday that he is exploring a run for Ohio House District 98 in 2024. State Representative Darrell Kick (R-Loudonville), who is currently in that seat, will not be able to run again because of term limits which, in theory, would create an open seat, but new districts will have to be drawn again.

Lape, from Loudonville, ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Ohio’s 7th Congressional District against Incumbent Bob Gibbs (R-OH-07) and Democrat Quentin Potter in the November 2020 General Election. He lost to Gibbs and gained 3.3 percent of the vote.

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Bipartisan Ohio State Lawmakers Re-Introduce Bill to Prohibit Installing Tracking Devices Without Consent

Hannah Poling

A Bipartisan group of Ohio Lawmakers has re-introduced a bill to generally prohibit the installation of an electronic tracking device on someone else’s property without the other person’s consent.

Senate Bill (SB) 100, sponsored by State Senators Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) and Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood), aims to establish the use of tracking devices for menacing or stalking purposes as its own offense under Ohio law – a move that the bill’s sponsors say closes a loophole in current state statutes.

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Ohio State Senators Re-Introduce Legislation to Protect Second Amendment Rights

Hannah Poling

Two Ohio Republican state senators have re-introduced legislation that aims to prohibit fees and insurance requirements from owning a gun.

Senate Bill (SB) 58, sponsored by State Senators Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) and Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), tries to protect Ohio’s Second Amendment rights by ensuring that no Ohioan will be required to possess or purchase firearm liability insurance or pay a fee for the possession of a firearm, parts, components, ammunition, or a knife.

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Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment Supporters Say They Have the Necessary Votes to Pass Legislation on House Floor

Hannah Poling

Supporters of legislation that aims to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments have told Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) that they have the support of at least 59 House Republicans who want a floor vote on the resolution.

It will take a three-fifths majority of the 99-member House to pass the resolution to put before voters House Joint Resolution (HJR) 1 requiring 60 percent voter approval for future constitutional amendments.

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Ohio House Speaker Stephens Denies Debate or Amendments on State Operating Budget

Hannah Poling

The Ohio House passed its version of a two-year operating budget on Wednesday despite objections from Republican lawmakers that no amendments were allowed to be made. The state operating budget includes a $1 billion tax cut, higher income limits for school vouchers, and a ban on TikTok from government devices.

House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) advanced the budget to a vote without allowing for any debate or amendments. There were 24 amendment proposals to the budget that Republicans say should have been debated prior to the vote.

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Ohio House Panel Passes More than $86 Billion State Operating Budget

Hannah Poling

An Ohio House Panel has passed the state operating budget including a $1 billion tax cut, higher income limits for school vouchers, and a ban on TikTok from government devices.

On Tuesday, the plan to spend more than $86 billion over the subsequent two fiscal years contained in the 5,300-page proposal known as House Bill (HB) 33 passed the House Finance Committee with bipartisan support.

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Governor DeWine Says He Would Sign Bill Allowing an August Election to Decide on the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment

Hannah Poling

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said on Monday that he would sign a bill allowing an August special election to decide whether to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments if both chambers of the state legislature pass it.

The proposed August election would decide whether the voter threshold for initiative petitions should be raised to a 60 percent approval percentage for any future constitutional amendments, call for signatures from all 88 counties, and do away with the opportunity to “cure” petitions by collecting additional signatures if necessary.

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Ohio State Representative Introduces Legislation Aiming to Protect Patients from Denied Emergency Service Claims

Hannah Poling

An Ohio Republican state representative introduced legislation to protect patients from insurance companies denying or reducing reimbursement for emergency service claims.

House Bill (HB) 99, sponsored by State Representative Susan Manchester (R-Waynesfield), will require insurers to conduct an emergency physician review of a claim before denying or reducing reimbursement for an emergency services claim and prohibit insurers from denying coverage of emergency claim based solely on the final diagnosis of the patient.

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Ohio State Representatives Introduce Legislation Aiming to Ease Financial Burden of Raising Children

Hannah Poling

Two Ohio Republican state representatives have introduced legislation to ease the financial burden on Ohio families raising children.

House Bill (HB) 118, known as the Baby Products Tax Exemption Bill, sponsored by State Representatives Nick Santucci (R-Howland Twp.) and Melanie Miller (R-City of Ashland), aims to exempt certain baby products from the sales and use tax.

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Ohio Republican Leader Scott Pullins Announces Exploratory Campaign for House District 98 in 2024

Hannah Poling

Longtime Ohio conservative Republican leader Scott Pullins announced on Thursday he is exploring a second run for Ohio House District 98 in 2024. State Representative Darrell Kick (R-Loudonville), who is currently in that seat, will not be able to run again because of term limits which, in theory, would create an open seat, but new districts will have to be drawn again.

Pullins, from Knox County, ran for election to the Ohio House District 98, which includes all of Knox County and parts of Morrow and Holmes counties, against Kick in the August 2022 Republican primary. He lost to Kick but gained 43 percent of the vote.

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Ohio Republican Lawmaker Introduces State Budget Amendment to Retain March Primary for the 2024 Election

Hannah Poling

As a bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers push to move Ohio’s presidential primary elections from March to May, a Republican state Representative has introduced an amendment to the state budget to retain Ohio’s March primary for the 2024 election.

Every four years, during the presidential election season, Ohio’s holds their primary election in March. The state generally holds other statewide primaries in May but in 1996, the Ohio Legislature changed the presidential primary to March.

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Ohio to Award Nearly $50 Million for Jail Improvements Across the State

Hannah Poling

Governor Mike DeWine announced on Thursday that Ohio is providing nearly $50 million in new grants to local governments to support construction, renovation, and security improvement projects at nearly a dozen local jails across the state.

According to DeWine, “the funds will help these jails better meet the demands of our modern criminal justice system and keep both staff and inmates safe.”

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Republican Lawmakers Advance Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment Towards August Election

Hannah Poling

The Ohio Senate advanced a Republican-led resolution on Wednesday that tries to alter how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments and a bill to allow for special elections to be held in August for certain purposes.

Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 2 and Senate Bill (SB) 92 passed along party lines. The resolution passed 26 to 7. The bill passed 25 to 8, with State Senator Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) voting with the Democrats.

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Ohio State Republican Senators Amend Resolution to Protect State Constitution

Hannah Poling

On Tuesday, Ohio State Senators amended a piece of legislation 4-1 that aims to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments.

There are currently two pieces of legislation Republican lawmakers in both the House and Senate are working to put on the ballot in August that would require 60 percent of voters to approve constitutional amendments.

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Ohio Ballot Board Certifies Amendment to Raise the State Minimum Wage

Hannah Poling

On Monday, The Ohio Ballot Board unanimously certified that the proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour called “Raise the Wage Ohio Amendment” incorporates only one constitutional amendment and therefore advances.

The Committee to Represent the Petitioners including Prentiss Haney, Taneisha Latoya Head, Kandiss Bondurant, Mary Jo Ivan, Diane Morgan, and Andrew Ritterman must now gather over 413,000 signatures from registered voters in at least 44 counties, which equals 10 percent of the votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election before July 5th. The number of signatures must equal at least 5 percent of the votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial race in each county.

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Ohio Governor DeWine Calls on Lawmakers to Consider Strengthening ‘Heartbeat Law’ Ahead of Potential Vote on Abortion Amendment

Hannah Poling

In advance of a potential November referendum on an proposed constitutional amendment aiming to legalize abortion throughout the state, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he wants the General Assembly to consider strengthening Ohio’s “heartbeat law.”

According to DeWine, to avoid passage of the abortion amendment, Ohio needs to revisit the heartbeat law and ensure that Ohio has sustainable legislation that voters will not overturn at the polls.

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Environmental Groups Sue to Block Ohio Law to Accept Private Petitions for Oil and Gas Drilling in State Parks

Hannah Poling
Oil Rig

Four environmental groups have filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block a new law requiring Ohio to accept private petitions to drill for oil and gas beneath state parks.

House Bill (HB) 507 which Republicans passed at the end of the 134th General Assembly modified Ohio’s code so that state agencies must lease the properties they hold for oil and gas extraction, as opposed to just allowing them to. The legislation also instructed the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission to create a set of guidelines for applications.

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Ohio House Republicans Introduce Legislation to Ban TikTok from Government Devices

Hannah Poling

Two Republican Ohio House Representatives have introduced legislation that would ban TikTok from government devices.

The introduction of this legislation follows a state executive order issued by Governor Mike DeWine in January 2023, forbidding the use of TikTok or other platforms and applications held by an entity located in China from state devices citing that the Chinese Communist Party employs the apps as an “intelligence gathering mechanism.”

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Ohio Attorney General Yost Accepts Petition to Amend State Constitution Raising Minimum Wage

Hannah Poling

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost accepted a petition on Wednesday which aims to amend a portion of the Ohio Constitution and raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour.

The proposal called “Raise the Wage Ohio Amendment” aims to amend Article II, Section 34a of Ohio’s Constitution in order to raise the minimum wage to $12.75 per hour beginning January 1st, 2025 and then in equal yearly increments until it gets to $15 per hour on January 1st, 2026.

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Ohio State Representative Calls on House Speaker Stephens to Move the Ohio Constitutional Protection Amendment to the House Floor

Hannah Poling

State Representative Scott Wiggam (R- Wayne County) sent a letter on Tuesday to moderate Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) urging him to move the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment to the House floor as soon as it passes out of committee for an August election.

This follows Stephens removing Wiggam from his position as chair of the House Constitutional Resolutions Committee and the committee all together due to Wiggam signing a discharge petition last week to accelerate the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment, also known as House Joint Resolution (HJR) 1, which aims to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments.

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Ohio Governor DeWine Signs $13.5 Billion Transportation Budget Including New Rail Safety Measures

Hannah Poling

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a nearly $13.5 billion state transportation budget on Friday, including rail safety measures that lawmakers added in reaction to the February 3rd train derailment and toxic chemical spill in East Palestine.

With oversight from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), among other provisions, the railway safety measures call for two-person crews for freight trains and requires the installation of wayside detectors at shorter distances, every 10 to 15 miles, to help identify issues. The Federal Railroad Administration currently permits the placement of some wayside devices up to 25 miles apart from one another.

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Ohio Representative Removed as Committee Chair for Signing Discharge Petition to Accelerate Amendment to Protect the Ohio Constitution

Hannah Poling

Moderate Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) removed State Representative Scott Wiggam (R-Wayne County) on Thursday from his position as chair of the House Constitutional Resolutions Committee and the committee all together due to Wiggam signing a discharge petition for the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment.

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Ohio House Republicans File Discharge Petition on Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment

Hannah Poling

On Wednesday, a group of Republican lawmakers filed a discharge petition on House Joint Resolution (HJR) 1 which aims to alter the process of how constitutional amendments can be proposed by initiative petitions.

A bill or resolution may be discharged from committee if it wins the support of a simple majority of House members (50 percent + 1). This implies that even if the resolution has not yet been approved out of committee or finished holding hearings, it would automatically advance to the floor for a vote if 50 representatives signed on.

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Ohio State Legislature Revives Cincinnati City Rail Line Sale to Norfolk Southern

Hannah Poling

The State Legislature revived Cincinnati city officials’ attempt to sell a city-owned rail line to Norfolk Southern, the same company that caused the toxic disaster in East Palestine, which stalled last month,

City leaders announced a plan to sell the rail line that runs to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Norfolk Southern at the end of last year for $1.6 billion. However, that deal could not be done without changes to state law.

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Ohio Secretary of State LaRose Supports Prospective August Election to Protect State Constitution

Hannah Poling

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Tuesday supported a prospective August election as a way to change the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments.

Republicans in both the House and Senate have introduced resolutions to raise the initiative petition voting threshold to 60 percent to amend the state Constitution.

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Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment May Get August Vote

Hannah Poling

Although the “Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment” did not pass in the Ohio House and Senate prior to the February 1st deadline to be on May’s primary election ballot, state lawmakers may reinstate an August special election to consider the amendment. 

House Joint Resolution (HJR) 1 sponsored by state Representative Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) aims to alter the process of how constitutional amendments can be proposed by initiative petitions. Currently, issues proposed by initiative petitions need to meet a 50 percent voting threshold to amend the Constitution. Under this proposal, these issues would need to meet a 60 percent threshold.

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Cincinnati Stalls Its Southern Railway Sale to Norfolk Southern

Hannah Poling

Cincinnati city officials have stalled its attempt to sell a city-owned rail line to Norfolk Southern, the same company that caused the toxic disaster in East Palestine last month.

The elements required for the proposed sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway are no longer included in the state’s transportation budget, hence Norfolk Southern cannot currently purchase the city-owned railroad.

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Ohio Senate Bill Seeks to Reduce Police Officer Age Requirement to Address Police Shortage

Hannah Poling

A recently proposed law that is now making its way through the Ohio Statehouse would lower the age requirement for an Ohioan to join the police department.

In Ohio, applicants must currently be 21 years old to become police officers, but Senate Bill (SB) 53 would lower that age limit to 18. Senators Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) and Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) have sponsored the legislation.

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Ohio House Republicans Hit Breaks on Appointment of Norfolk Southern Engineer to Open House Seat

Hannah Poling

On Wednesday, the ongoing conflict among Ohio House Republicans emerged once more when they hastily decided not to schedule a vote on filling a House seat vacancy with a Norfolk Southern train engineer.

A screening committee of the House GOP selected Justin Pizzulli, of Franklin Furnace in Scioto County to represent Ohio House District 90 above seven other candidates. If chosen, Pizzulli would replace former state Representative Brian Baldridge (R-Winchester), who resigned after being designated director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture by Governor Mike DeWine.

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Democrats Request Independent Audit of Ohio Voter Database ‘Purges’

Hannah Poling

Ohio House Democrats are requesting an independent audit of the recent update to the state’s voter registration database, which they claim initially disqualified 16,000 individuals from casting ballots.

State Representatives Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) and Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) criticized the state’s voter “purges” in a letter to Secretary of State Frank LaRose and demanded transparency.

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Ohio Coalition Seeks to End Qualified Immunity for Government Employees

Hannah Poling

A group of Ohioans wants to try again to change the state’s Constitution to permit lawsuits against government employees.

By placing the proposed amendment on the general election ballot for 2024, the Ohio Coalition to Eliminate Qualified Immunity (OCEQI) aims to close what it refers to as a legal loophole – qualified immunity. Similar measures have been rejected twice before for various reasons.

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