The Central Ohio Transit Authority announced on Thursday that it will be temporarily suspending fare collection for all trips.
Read the full storyTag: Ohio
Ohio Democratic Party Sues Frank LaRose for Acting Without ‘Legal Authority’ in Setting New Primary Date
The Ohio Democratic Party has filed a lawsuit against Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose over the state’s chaotic postponement of the presidential primary.
Read the full storyOhio to Distribute Temporary Pandemic Child Care Licenses
Ohio will issue temporary pandemic child care licenses to ensure communities have access to safe child care during the spread of the coronavirus, official announced on Wednesday. The temporary licenses are aimed at helping health and safety providers have a safe place for their children while they working to fight COVID-19.
Read the full story‘Chaos and Confusion’ Surround Ohio’s Canceled, Then On Again, Then Off Again Election
While most voters were asleep, the fate of Ohio’s Tuesday primary election was being decided by the Ohio Supreme Court.
Read the full storyOhio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine Recuses Himself from Voting on His Father Gov. Mike DeWine’s Effort to Quash State Primary
When Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine went court shopping to quash the state’s primary Tuesday as a way to fight the coronavirus, one of three Supreme Court justices who abstained from voting in his favor was his eldest son, Justice Pat DeWine.
Read the full storyBreaking: Gov. DeWine Flouts Judge’s Ruling, Declares Health Emergency to Postpone Primary Election
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he wants to postpone Tuesday’s primary election, but he lacks the authority to unilaterally delay an election under the Ohio Constitution.
Read the full storyThe State of Ohio Will Buy Back Excess Liquor from Restaurants and Bars
Ohio is buying excess liquor from restaurants as state leaders continue to roll out measures aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 in the Buckeye State.
Under DeWine’s order, restaurants with take-out and delivery options can still operate, and the state Department of Commerce is offering a “one-time liquor buyback option to support bars and restaurants.” The move is an effort to help restaurants that stockpiled “high-proof liquor” leading up to St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday.
Read the full storyOhio Hides Number of Coronavirus Tests It Is Conducting
Ohio leaders are so busy sending restaurant workers to the unemployment line over fears of the coronavirus they apparently do not have time to actually test for the presence of the virus among their citizens, nor do they want you to know how many they have tested.
As Monday afternoon, Ohio had 50 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, according to The COVID Tracking Project. Out of 551 tests that have been taken, 140 were negative and 361 results are pending.
Read the full storyFour Primaries to Take Place Tuesday Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Tuesday’s upcoming presidential primary contests with a combined 577 delegates up for grabs will move forward as planned despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full storyGovernor 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.
Read the full storyAttorney General Nessel Joins Legal Effort to Block Ohio’s Down Syndrome Abortion Ban
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of attorneys general in opposing an Ohio law that bans abortions from being performed on the basis of a Down syndrome diagnosis.
Read the full storyIllegal Immigrant Sentenced in Columbus Helped Imprisoned Members of MS-13
An illegal immigrant who was helping imprisoned members of MS-13 in Columbus, Ohio was sentenced to 10 months in prison last week.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio said Wednesday that Fabian Posadas-Mejia will receive a year of supervised release after his prison term and will be subject to deportation upon completing his sentence.
Authorities said they first encountered Posadas-Mejia nearly 25 years ago when he was ordered to be removed from the United States. He was then deported twice in 2014 and once in 2017, meaning he illegally reentered the country at least three times.
Read the full storyCleveland Has 3 Cases of Coronavirus, Gov. DeWine Says, While Declaring State of Emergency in Ohio
Ohio’s first three confirmed cases of coronavirus are all in Cuyahoga County, said Gov. Mike DeWine, who announced a state of emergency on Monday.
The three patients in Cuyahoga County had contact with other people who had confirmed cases of COVID-19, DeWine said. The three patients are all in their 50s.
Read the full storyFederal Court Deals Blow to Ohio Laws Barring Driver’s Licenses to Children of Suspected Illegal Aliens
Up to 4,000 illegal aliens and refugees in Ohio without green cards may qualify for driver’s licenses thanks to a federal court striking down two state laws.
U.S. District Court Judge Edmund Sargus, for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in Columbus, overturned two State of Ohio policies blocking up to 4,000 illegal aliens — mostly teens — from receiving driver’s licenses, Yahoo News reported.
Read the full storyOhio Prioritizes Coronavirus Testing for Hospitalized Patients
Ohio has a new protocol to check for the coronavirus now that in-state testing is available for high-priority cases for hospitalized patients.
“As the COVID-19 situation evolves, the Ohio Department of Health, working in conjunction with hospitals, primary care providers, and other health care experts, has a plan to maximize our testing resources,” Gov. Mike DeWine said Saturday in a press release. “We are prioritizing the patients who are the most vulnerable to be tested in the Department of Health’s State Laboratory, while ensuring those that need COVID-19 testing will be able to be tested.”
Read the full storyOhio Democrats Use Coronavirus to Advocate for Paid Family and Medical Leave
Ohio House Democrats are using the coronavirus outbreak in the United States to advocate for paid family and medical leave.
Read the full story2019 Was the Slowest Year for New Jobs in Ohio in a Decade, Economist Says
An economic expert says Ohio’s latest unemployment data show 2019 was the slowest year for new jobs in a decade — and the state lagged behind the nation in creating new jobs.
Read the full storyOhio Gov. DeWine Overcomes ‘The Governator’ Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forces Arnold Sports Festival to Bar Spectators Except for Parents
A bodybuilding competition sponsored by Arnold Schwarzenegger turned into a battle of wills with the governor of Ohio, who expressed concerns about potentially exposing crowds to the coronavirus.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther sent the former California governor/actor and his partner a letter stating they reached an agreement Tuesday to go forward with the event provided there were no spectators. Event organizers, however, moved forward with issuing tickets, passes and other admittences to the The Arnold Sports Festival, which began Thursday and runs through Sunday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Read the full storyReport Claims Superdelegates Want to Nominate Sherrod Brown at Brokered Convention
A recent report from The New York Times claimed that high-ranking Democrats are floating Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) as the party’s nominee in the event of a brokered convention.
The Times interviewed 93 superdelegates and found “overwhelming opposition to handing the Vermont senator [Sen. Bernie Sanders] the nomination if he arrived with the most delegates but fell short of a majority.”
Read the full storyFracking Ban Would Cost Ohio 500,000 Jobs, Report Claims
A report released last week claims that a federal ban on fracking would cost the Ohio economy an estimated 500,000 jobs in a single year.
Read the full storyOhio Department of Education Lowers the Bar for High School Graduation Requirements
Despite having a budget of more than $11 million for the Department of Education, Ohio Superintendent Paolo DeMaria decided high school graduates only need to know barely more than the basics in order to graduate.
Read the full storyRecreational Marijuana Could Be on Ohio Ballot in 2020
Ohioans might get another opportunity to vote on legalizing recreational marijuana this year.
Read the full storyJohn Kasich Joining John Kerry for ‘World War Zero’ Climate Town Halls
Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich is partnering with former Secretary of State John Kerry for “World War Zero” climate conversations.
Read the full storyAllow Public Money to Follow Students to Their Chosen Education Provider, Researcher Tells Ohio Legislature
Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, testified Wednesday before Ohio legislators looking at solutions to the problems facing Ohio’s EdChoice program.
Read the full storyTrump Activists Mobbed on Ohio University Campus While Officers Watched
Two conservative activists were mobbed and harassed Monday on Ohio University’s Athens campus while multiple police officers watched.
Read the full storyJudge Dismisses Lawsuit of Ohio Professor Who Refuses to Use Transgender Pronouns
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit last week filed against Shawnee State University by a professor who claims he was retaliated against for refusing to address a transgender student by the student’s preferred pronouns.
Read the full storyCincinnati Police Officer Who Was Brutally Beaten by Suspect Forced to Defend Himself to Civilian Board
Cincinnati police officer Doug Utecht, who was beaten and left bloodied after trying to de-escalate a situation last June, was forced to defend himself to a civilian oversight board last Thursday, Fox 19 reported.
Read the full storyU.S. Attorney’s Office in Cleveland Expresses Intent to Continue to Prosecute Illegal Alien Reentry Cases
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, in Cleveland, has expressed its intent to continue to prosecute illegal alien reentry cases, which account for the majority of immigration offenses.
Read the full storyFormer Ohio Congressman, Jim Renacci Joins Leahy to Discuss Ohio as a Battleground State for Election 2020
During a live recording on Friday’s Battleground State Report – a one-hour radio show from Star News Digital Media in the early stages of national weekend syndication roll out – host Leahy was joined on the line by Jim Renacci former (R) U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 16th district in 2011-2019.
During the show, Renacci weighed in on how he saw Ohio moving in the direction for the 2020 Presidential election predicting at this time voters would again side with Trump. However, he did mention that politics is a 30-40 day cycle where things could change. Renacci added that the policies embedded in Ohio’s politics were not the President’s politics making things difficult for citizens by holding high taxes and heavy regulation on businesses.
Read the full storyDark Money Group Promoting DeWine’s Gun Control Platform Has Connections to Governor
A recent report found that a dark money group promoting Gov. Mike DeWine’s gun control platform has connections to the governor himself.
Read the full storyICE Arrests 75 in Enforcement Operation in Michigan and Ohio, Most with Criminal Convictions
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced this week that it arrested 75 illegal immigrants during ongoing enforcement efforts in Michigan and Ohio.
Read the full storyOhio Republican Party Withdraws Its Endorsement of Joe Dills After Vowing Not to Endorse Primary Candidates
State representative candidate Joe Dills may have been unendorsed by the Ohio Republican Party — but the question on many people’s minds is why he was endorsed in the first place, when the state party leader once said she would steer clear of making endorsements in primaries and that she wanted to unite the party.
Read the full storyACLU Calls Ohio ‘Crazy Territory’ in Announcing ‘Abortion Is Still Legal’ Billboard Campaign
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio recently erected ten billboards across the state to inform residents that “abortion is still legal in Ohio.”
Read the full storyPending Senate Bill Would Amend Ohio Constitution to Require Supermajority Vote to Raise Income Taxes
A bill that is pending in the State Senate Ways and Means Committee would make it more difficult for the Ohio General Assembly to raise taxpayers’ income taxes.
Read the full storyBuckeye Institute Fights for Lawyers’ Rights to Not Join Bar Associations that Lobby
The Buckeye Institute announced on Monday it filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to support lawyers’ First Amendment rights — by ensuring they are not compelled to join bar associations that lobby for political and ideological issues that they oppose.
Read the full storyReps. Rashida Tlaib, Tim Ryan Walked Out of State of the Union Address
A handful of Democrats walked out of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night and then boasted about it on Twitter.
Read the full storyOhio Grants Police Drug Task Forces More Than $2M to Combat Trafficking
The State of Ohio on Monday awarded 27 law enforcement task forces more than $2 million in grants to disrupt the drug trade and promote awareness, prevention and recovery. Gov. Mike DeWine held a presentation at the Ohio Statehouse for the announcement of the RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund, according to a press release. DeWine tweeted, “Ohio’s drug task forces work day & night to investigate drug traffickers who are fueling addiction. Today I announced that $2M in extra funding will be going to 27 #Ohio drug task forces thanks to the new #RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund that was part of the #OHBudget.” Ohio’s drug task forces work day & night to investigate drug traffickers who are fueling addiction. Today I announced that $2M in extra funding will be going to 27 #Ohio drug task forces thanks to the new #RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund that was part of the #OHBudget. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/TbUZa5GnSF — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) February 3, 2020 DeWine in March 2019 released the RecoveryOhio Advisory Council’s Initial Report that makes recommendations on how to address the public health crisis – mental health and substance use. The RecoveryOhio Council issued more than 70 recommendations in the areas of…
Read the full storyRep. Jim Jordan Raised $1.4 Million in Fourth Quarter After Taking Role in Trump’s Defense
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) significantly outraised many of his colleagues in Ohio’s congressional delegation during the final quarter of 2019, including both of the state’s U.S. senators.
Read the full storyOhio Ranks Third in Nation in Ongoing Hepatitis A Outbreak
As of Jan. 21, the Buckeye State had experienced 3,468 cases of hepatitis A in a statewide community outbreak that officially began Jan. 1, 2018, according to data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sixty-two percent of patients were hospitalized, and 16 died.
Read the full storyACLU Asks Court to Eliminate Ohio Policy Prohibiting Trans People from Changing Birth Certificates
The ACLU has asked an Ohio court to strike down a state policy that prevents transgender people from “correcting” the sex markers on their birth certificates.
Read the full storyJim Jordan Says Impeachment Case Nothing But ‘Presumptions, Assumptions, and Hearsay’
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-04), a member of President Donald Trump’s impeachment defense team, said the Democrats’ case for removing the president from office amounts to nothing more than “presumptions, assumptions, and hearsay.”
Read the full storyOhio House Committee Considers Anti-Sanctuary Cities Act
An anti-sanctuary bill is pending in the Ohio House of Representatives.
Read the full storyFACT CHECK: Ohio GOP Chairwoman Timken Spreads Falsehoods on Refugees in Letter to Party Members
Ohio Republican Party Chairwoman Jane Timken wrote an error-riddled apologetics letter sent by email on Thursday to party members defending Gov. Mike DeWine’s refugee resettlement policy.
Read the full storyRetired Ohio Public Workers Receive Massive Cuts to Health Care Benefits Starting in 2022
Following a year in which stock markets posted healthy gains, the organization running Ohio’s public employee benefits is cutting back — a lot.
Read the full storyPlain Dealer Reporter Calls Out Ohio Legislators for Preventing Local Governments From Regulating Guns While Designating Statehouse as Gun-Free
Three Ohio counties have declared themselves as Second Amendment Sanctuaries, leading one journalist to sarcastically suggest the General Assembly should make the Statehouse a sanctuary too — despite guns being banned from there.
Read the full storyFlashback: 152 Years Ago an Ohio Senator Stood One Vote Away From Becoming President During the Impeachment Trial of Andrew Johnson
U.S. Sen. Benjamin Wade of Ohio, the chamber’s president pro tempore, for a time stood one vote away from becoming president in the Senate’s impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson in the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Read the full storyOhio County Releases Dozens of Illegal Aliens, Including Sex Offender, After Ignoring ICE Detainers
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed Thursday that the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has released 29 criminal aliens, including a sex offender, after ignoring written detainer requests filed by the federal agency.
Read the full storyOhio Gov DeWine’s Office Dodges Question on Resettlement of Refugees Australia Refused to Accept
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s decision on December 24 that would say yes to more refugees in Ohio would allow the federal government to resettle them from any country, including from an estimated 300 to 720 refugees from the Middle East that the government of Australia has refused to accept.
Read the full storyOhio School District Says It Won’t Stop Student Athletes from Kneeling During Anthem
An Ohio school district announced over the weekend that it won’t stop student athletes protesting police brutality from kneeling during the national anthem.
Read the full story‘USMCA is a Win For Ohio,’ U.S. Rep. Wenstrup Says
“USMCA is a win for Ohio,” U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH-02) says.
Wenstrup made the statement in an email newsletter to constituents last week.
“After months of delay, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) finally passed the House, clearing a major hurdle toward adoption,” Wenstrup wrote.
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