A wide spectrum of Ohioans could catch a break when it comes to state taxes after the Ohio House passed a bill Wednesday that brings state tax rules in line with federal rules.
The bill, which already passed the Senate and now awaits Gov. Mike DeWine’s signature, increases the child and dependent care credit, provides tax breaks for student loan payments and eliminates taxes on the first $10,200 in unemployment compensation.
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The Ohio Department of Taxation announced on Thursday that it would be extending the deadline to file and pay taxes in the state from April 15 to May 17.
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As President Joe Biden made his first visit to Ohio since taking office Tuesday, he was criticized for what one policy group called unnecessary spending.
Biden, in Columbus to tout his administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the recently passed American Rescue Plan, visited the James Cancer Hospital at The Ohio State University late Tuesday afternoon.
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Although the Ohio Department of Health published mostly accurate coronavirus data over the past year of the pandemic, the department could have done better with the specificity of that data and disseminating it to the state’s residents, according to an audit by the Ohio Auditor of the State released this week.
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Gov. Mike DeWine signed a law last week that modifies student requirements to provide relief for end-of-year assessments for Ohio students.
The law, which aims at providing students with relief during the pandemic, will apply for a single school year. It was co-sponsored by state Reps. Adam Bird (R-66-New Richmond) and Kyle Koehler (R-79-Springfield).
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A group of red states sued President Biden and members of his administration on Wednesday over his decision to revoke a key permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline, The Hill reported.
The lawsuit is led by Montana and Texas, and backed by 19 other states, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
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Ohio will be experimenting with a walk-in vaccination clinic that does not require an appointment, Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine announced on Thursday.
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Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost continues to receive support and criticism from groups throughout Ohio a day after announcing a lawsuit challenging requirements in the federal American Rescue Plan.
Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit progressive think tank, called Yost’s decision to seek an injunction to stop the state’s obligation to not cut taxes if it accepts more than $5 billion off base.
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A Columbus lobbyist facing charges in a $60 million bribery scheme to pass a bill in the Ohio legislature was found dead earlier this week.
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Vaccinations will soon become available to those older than 16 in Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Tuesday.
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Ohio has administered at least the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine to more than 20 percent of its population, crossing the threshold over the weekend, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health.
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Ohio had the slowest weekly unemployment claims recovery in the nation last week, based on a new report from the personal finance website WalletHub.
The report compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia over three metrics: changes in claims during the latest week compared with 2019 and 2020 and changes in claims filed from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic versus the previous year.
Based on the data, Ohio ranked 51st out of 51 in recovery over the latest week and 37th since the pandemic began. Ohio ranked behind Colorado, West Virginia, Mississippi and Virginia in weekly recovery.
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Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost claims in lawsuit filed Thursday a health care giant raised prices for taxpayer-funded care to maximize company profits.
Yost said Ohio sued Centene Corp. in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, alleging its subsidiary, Buckeye Health Plan, used a web of subcontractors for the provision of pharmacy benefits to be able to misrepresent pharmacy costs. That, Yost said, resulted in millions of dollars of overpayments by the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
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Former White House Communications Director Kayleigh McEnany will be the keynote speaker for an April gala at the Center for Christian Values in Ohio, according to an invitation circulating for the gala.
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As legitimate and fraudulent unemployment claims rose over the past year, and with additional federal jobless assistance most likely on the way, Ohio lawmakers have introduced legislation they hope cracks down on system abuse.
If the bill passes and is signed into law, Ohioans would be required to provide proof of identification at a local employment office before state or pandemic unemployment assistances would be paid.
Senate Bill 116 outlines proof as either a driver’s license or any of the two documents required to obtain an Ohio driver’s license that contain the applicants name and address, including a birth certificate, Social Security card and proof of Ohio residency, legal presence or name change.
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Last summer, millions of dollars in taxpayer money were spent in response to protests that turned violent throughout Ohio. A bill proposed in the Ohio Senate looks to make sure those responsible will pay for it.
Senate Bill 41, currently being discussed by the Senate Judiciary Committee, calls for restitution from those who are convicted of property damage during riots, including vandalism. The restitution would pay the expenses of police and emergency crews who have to respond to riots. The bill also allows the government to take possession of any property left behind by those who end up convicted.
State Senator Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, is sponsoring the bill. Lou Tobin, the Executive Director of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, offered his support before the committee recently.
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Rep. Larry Householder (R-72-Glenford) accepted campaign contributions over the legal limit in 2019 and 2020, according to an examination of campaign finance reports, said Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Friday.
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Ohio State Representative Larry Householder (R-2-Glenford) introduced two bills on Thursday that would allow the state and individual counties to overturn executive and health order.
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One of the nation’s leading economic development publications ranked Ohio as No. 1 in its state economic and business attraction rankings for bringing more corporate facility projects per capita than any other state.
Ohio also ranked second for total projects.
Site Selection, a corporate real estate economic development magazine, recently announced its rankings as part of its 2020 Governor’s Cup.
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The Ohio Department of Health Director Stephanie McCloud signed two orders on Tuesday, changing coronavirus guidance for events like wedding receptions and funerals, as well as sports and entertainment venues.
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The next phase of distribution for the COVID-19 vaccine in Ohio will begin this week and include increased eligibility, according to an announcement from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday.
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The cruel fortunes of politics mean that David M. DeVillers stopped being the top federal law enforcement official for Southern Ohio on Sunday. But the attorney who last July announced the arrest of then-House Speaker Larry Householder, last week said the investigation that led to the arrest isn’t going anywhere.
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Ohio police officers, firefighters and other first responders could soon have more protection while doing their jobs if a bill in Ohio Senate aimed at increasing penalties for crimes committed against emergency responders doing their jobs passes.
Senate Bill 16 also allows emergency responders to pursue civil action in certain circumstances, including false complaints made against them.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said on Thursday that sporting and entertainment venues will be allowed to reopen with limited capacity.
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Gov. Mike DeWine has proposed raising registration fees and other vehicle fees to fund the Ohio Highway Patrol, but one state representative thinks it’s the wrong time to increase any fees.
Rep. Diane Grendell, R-Chesterland, has introduced amendments that eliminates DeWine’s planned increases from the transportation budget.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is encouraging nursing homes in the states to open for compassionate care visits for residents who have been struggling during the pandemic.
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The biggest-ever bipartisan coalition on Thursday announced a renewed effort to repeal the death penalty in Ohio.
State Sen. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, and Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, hosted a virtual press conference to announce that they and three other Republican and four Democratic senators so far have said they will co-sponsor the repeal legislation. The measure also has bipartisan support in the House.
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An Ohio school has walked back an order requiring teachers to read a script and play a video for students encouraging them to lobby their city council in support of a Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity ordinance.
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The Buckeye Institute recently released a report advocating for the implementation of Education Savings Accounts for Ohio’s students, something it says could help school districts and educators put students first.
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While President Joe Biden’s administration continues a push to increase the national minimum wage and an Ohio proposal does the same, a statewide business group says an increase would mean higher prices, reduced hours and job cuts.
Biden’s plan for a $15 national minimum wage continues to be one of the sticking points in negotiations over another COVID-19 relief package. In Ohio, House Bill 69 would increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said on Tuesday that he would veto a bill aiming to curb emergency health orders if it made it to his desk.
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The state of Ohio has published a list of medical conditions that qualify residents to receive the coronavirus vaccination in the most recent phase of eligibility.
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Ohio will be adding roughly 4,000 deaths to the state toll after the Ohio Department of Health announced it had discovered a reconciliation error in the state’s reporting system.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said on Tuesday that the next group of Ohioans to be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine will under the age of 65, although he did not say exactly who will be included in the next phase.
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Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has agreed to a settlement of nearly $25 million in a case with McKinsey & Co. for the company’s role in fueling and profiting from the opioid crisis in the state.
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Former Columbus Police Officer Adam Coy has been indicted on murder charges following the death of Andre Hill, the Ohio attorney general’s office announced on Wednesday.
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A Democrat member of Congress from Ohio admitted in an interview published Tuesday that her party is out of touch with working class Americans.
“They just can’t understand,” Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09) told The Hill. “They can’t understand a family that sticks together because that’s what they have. Their loved ones are what they have, their little town, their home, as humble as it is — that’s what they have. Respect it. It was so insensitive.”
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At the end of January, Cleveland.com praised Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) for a “record fundraising haul,” but buried an important part of the story in the process.
“As of Friday, DeWine’s campaign reported having more than $3.6 million in the bank after receiving more than $1.6 million since July 9, 2020, according to a filing with the Ohio secretary of state’s office,” the site said in a January 29 report, which was updated on January 31.
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Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine and First Lady Fran DeWine received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday as eligibility continues to open up to various groups in the state.
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Two Ohio state representatives are looking to create a state holiday in honor of former President Donald Trump.
State Reps. Reggie Stoltzfus (R-40-Paris Township) and Jon Cross (R-83-Kenton) plan to introduce a bill that would make June 14, Trump’s birthday, a state holiday known as “President Donald J. Trump Day.”
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The Buckeye Institute has slammed the newly released Ohio budget for excess spending, saying that while it commends the governor for balancing the budget, the state missed an opportunity for reform.
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U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-4) has said that he will not seek election for the Senate seat that will soon be vacated by Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH).
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The Ohio Department of Health has published a list of school districts whose staff will be eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine starting next week.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said on social media on Tuesday that he would lift the curfew in the state if hospitalizations dropped below a certain threshold.
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Among many executive actions signed on Inauguration Day to sweep Trump policies out the door along with the man himself, President Biden rescinded approval for the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Keystone XL, according to Biden’s top climate policy adviser Gina McCarthy, “was not consistent with addressing the climate crisis to the depth and scope that we are planning to address it.”
Keystone XL has now played the role of political football for a full decade, and Americans can be forgiven for having forgotten the project’s details.
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Ohio’s latest jobless numbers show signs of concern despite a falling unemployment rate, according to an independent think tank.
Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, said the December jobs report showed weakness and signs of unease.
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One of President Joe Biden’s first executive orders drew concerns from U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who said it will cost jobs and hurt the economy.
On Wednesday, Biden signed an order rescinding the presidential permit that allowed for construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Before the order, Canadian company TC Energy Corp. announced it had suspended work on the 1,700-mile pipeline.
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Nearly all of Ohio’s schools have committed to returning to some form of in-person learning by March 1, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said on Tuesday.
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Ohio residents ages 80-years-old and older will be eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccination starting on Tuesday, January 19 as Phase 1B of the Ohio Department of Health’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program begins.
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Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost took another swing Thursday at stopping provisions from controversial nuclear bailout House Bill 6 from impacting the state’s energy customers.
Late last year, Yost sued to stop ratepayer fees from being implemented that would have provided $150 million in money to Energy Harbor. Thursday, he filed a motion to stop FirstEnergy from executing another rate hike allowed in the legislation.
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