An Ohio Democrat claimed last week that current House Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) and his two predecessors “ignored requests dating back several years” to address “a hostile work environment in the Ohio House.”
Read the full storyTag: Ohio
DeWine Opines on ‘Fast Reopening’, Walks With His Dog in Exclusive Dispatch Interview
What’s a newspaper to do when given an exclusive interview with the governor during a pandemic that has ravaged the state’s economy and rioting that has ravaged the capital city? Would you push against answers that are not true?
If you’re The Columbus Dispatch, you allow Gov. Mike DeWine to talk about the “quick” reopening of the state, his walks with his dog Dolly and how he social distances with his grandkids.
Read the full storyDeWine Signs Student Religious Liberties Act Into Law
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed the Student Religious Liberties Act into law Friday, a bill that protects prayer and religious expression in public schools.
“No student should have to hide their faith just because they enter a public school. The Student Religious Liberties Act is carefully crafted to ensure school administrators can’t unfairly penalize students of all faiths, or no faith,” said Aaron Baer, president of Citizens for Community Values, one of twelve groups that testified in support of the bill.
Read the full storyCitizens for Community Values Pushes Back Against Hit Piece in The Columbus Dispatch
Citizens for Community Values is pushing back against a “blatantly biased” story in The Columbus Dispatch newspaper attacking them for working with the state to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CCV says it is “Ohio’s Family Policy Council” and “We endeavor to create an Ohio where God’s blessings of life, family, and religious freedom are treasured, respected, and protected.”
Read the full storyOhio GOP Central Committee Censures Former Chairman Matt Borges for Supporting Biden
Matt Borges has been censured by the Ohio Republican Central Committee for working to defeat President Donald Trump and ensure Joe Biden wins the election.
Borges is the former chairman of the Ohio Republican Party. However, he has been running the Right Side PAC to support Biden, The Plain Dealer reported. The party said they took the action as well due to an FEC violation and Borges’ continued criticism of Trump. They also stripped his “chairman emeritus” status.
Read the full storyOhio Democrats Ask Gov. DeWine to Ban Police Use of Tear Gas
Ohio Democrats asked Gov. Mike DeWine to indefinitely ban the use of tear gas by all county, municipal, and township police departments in a letter sent last week.
According to the letter, law enforcement agencies across Ohio used tear gas, pepper spray, and mace on peaceful protesters during recent demonstrations.
Read the full storyOhio Dems Call for Banning Sale of Confederate Memorabilia at All Fairs
Ohio House Democrats unsuccessfully attempted last week to ban the sale, display, possession, or distribution of Confederate flags at county and independent fairs.
During a Thursday night debate on House Bill 665, a bill related to agricultural societies and public safety, Democrats introduced two amendments in an effort to crack down on Confederate memorabilia.
Read the full storyFranklin County Democratic Party Tells Local FOP Lodge Its Candidates Do Not Want Police Endorsements
The Franklin County Democratic Party has decided that the local Fraternal Order of Police does not need to endorse any of its candidates.
Party Chairman Michael Sexton informed the FOP Capital City Lodge #9 of the decision in a letter, available on the Democratic chapter’s Facebook page here from a Friday post.
Read the full storyLorain County Commission Candidate Sues to Overturn Primary Results, Saying Thousands of Republican Voters Were Disenfranchised
A Lorain County commission candidate who lost his race is suing to have the results from Dr. Amy Acton’s delayed primary election set aside, citing about 90 violations of state election law and the Ohio Constitution.
The candidate, Gerald W. Phillips, filed the election contest complaint in the Court of Common Pleas for Lorain County.
Read the full storyOhio House Dems Call for Additional Security After Threats on Black Lawmakers
Ohio House Democrats called on Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) to publicly condemn the threats of violence made against their leader and provide “additional security measures” for lawmakers.
“As Speaker and in recognition of your leadership role in the Ohio House of Representatives, you are granted additional security while in the statehouse,” House Democrats said in a letter to Householder last week.
Read the full storyEight Bars, Restaurants Sue Acton, DeWine Over ‘Constitutionally Vague’ Restrictions
A lawsuit has been filed against Ohio Health Director Dr. Amy Acton and Gov. Mike DeWine in Lake County Common Pleas Court over “constitutionally vague” restrictions on restaurants and bars, The News-Herald reported.
The case has been assigned to Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge John P. O’Donnell. The plaintiffs are eight bars and restaurants, all but one being located in Northeast Ohio.
Read the full storyTwo Pennsylvania Men Charged After Driving to Cleveland to Riot
Two Pennsylvania men were arrested Friday for traveling to Cleveland, Ohio on May 30 to participate in riots in response to the death of George Floyd, whose alleged murder by a Minneapolis police officer sparked unrest across the nation.
Read the full story70 Percent of COVID-19 Deaths in Ohio Are From Nursing Homes, Far Higher than National Average
In Ohio, 70 percent of COVID-19 deaths have happened in long-term care facilities, far above the national average of 42 percent, data show.
Read the full storyOhio Black Caucus Introduces Bill to Declare Racism ‘Public Health Crisis’
The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus announced Friday that it plans to introduce legislation to declare racism a “public health crisis.”
“Our citizens of color have been subjected to the effects of racism since the founding of the State of Ohio in 1803. Since that time, Ohioans of color have endured unequal education, unsafe work conditions, inadequate health care services, subpar housing and an unjust criminal justice system, based on policies that were rooted in a belief that people of color are not worthy of the American Dream,” said a statement from the caucus sent to every member of the Ohio General Assembly.
Read the full storyBlack Cincinnati Councilman Calls Out Violent Protests: ‘This Is Cincinnati Police. This is Not Minneapolis Police’
WLWT captured Cincinnati Councilman Jeff Pastor, who is black, on video delivering an emotional dressing down of the violent protesters in his city’s downtown.
The riots are in protest of the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.
Read the full story20-Year-Old Ohioan Charged in Plot to Kidnap and Kill Police Officers Wanted to Start ‘Uprising’
A 20-year-old Cleveland, Ohio man was charged Thursday by a federal grand jury for his attempted plot to ambush, kidnap, and kill law enforcement officers.
Read the full storyOhio Dems ‘Outraged’ by Gov. DeWine’s Plan to Address COVID-19 Racial Disparities: ‘Too Little, Too Late’
Ohio Democrats said they were “outraged” by Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposal for addressing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Ohio’s black population.
African Americans make up 14 percent of Ohio’s population, but represent 26 percent of positive COVID-19 cases, 31 percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations, and 17 percent of COVID-19 deaths.
Read the full storyFoundation Says Breach of Unemployment Claimants’ Data Causes Loss of Public Trust in Ohio Government
With the data breach exposing the information of unemployed Ohioans, one foundation is saying that the government’s failure to address known flaws with the benefits system means the public has lost trust in the state.
Deloitte Consulting is handling pandemic unemployment assistance claims for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. At least 130,000 independent contractors who filed 1099 forms but have not yet received benefits had their information, including addresses and social security numbers exposed on the Deloitte system, WLWT reported.
Read the full storyOhio Judge Castigates DeWine, Acton Over Their ‘Oppressive’ Shutdown of Gyms
The 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, working on behalf of 35 independent gyms, struck a significant win for their right to exist by persuading a court to rule against Gov. Mike DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton’s “oppressive” shutdown of their businesses.
The Ohio Court of Common Pleas in Lake County on Wednesday handed down a decision that castigated DeWine and the health department director and granted a preliminary injunction to prevent the gym owners from being prosecuted for opening while awaiting a court trial. The ruling is available in its entirety here.
Read the full storyOhio Lifts Stay-at-Home Order, Issues Urgent Health Advisory Instead
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine lifted the state’s stay-at-home order on Tuesday, changing it instead to an “urgent health advisory.”
Saying that Ohio had been successful in flattening the curve and that the rates of infection are down, DeWine cut short the stay-at-home order, instead shifting it to “strong recommendations.”
Read the full storyOhio Health Czar Acton Extends Dining Provisions Until July 1, Gov. DeWine Assembles Restaurant Police Force to Threaten Removal of Liquor Licenses
Between Health Director Dr. Amy Acton sneaking in an extension of her dining orders until July 1 and Governor Mike DeWine assembling a restaurant police force, one may wonder if Ohio is really reopening.
Late last Thursday, following the final press conference of the week, Acton issued the “Director’s Dine Safe Ohio Order,” which is available here. The order allowed outside restaurant dining as of last Friday.
Read the full storyOhio House Democrats Call for Statewide Mail-In Voting, Eliminating Application for Absentee Ballot
Ohio House Democrats want to mail a ballot to every voter in the state and skip the “confusing application step,” according to an election proposal put forward Friday.
“Our members have worked intensely over the last several months pushing for improvements in the primary election and now proposing needed fixes to ensure a fall election that goes much more smoothly than the primary,” House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) (pictured above) said in a statement.
Read the full storyGov. DeWine Prepared to Pull Plug on Ohio’s Reopening as His Strict Guidelines Lead to Penalties for Restaurants
Gov. Mike DeWine said he is prepared to “pull back” on Ohio’s reopening.
The governor made the remark Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
”Candidly, we’ve worked with the attorney general … and we’re going to do what we have to do if these things in fact occur across Ohio.”
Read the full storyOhio Antibody Testing Traces History of Coronavirus to January
Dr. Amy Acton claims the Ohio Health Department found five cases in five counties where COVID-19 symptoms were experienced in January.
Acton mentioned serological antibody testing and hinted that contact tracers were involved in investigating the patients’ cases during a press conference Monday, WLWT reported.
Read the full storyConservatives Say Obhof’s Canceling Session Before Acton Vote is ‘Betrayal’
Conservatives are using words like “betrayal” to describe Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof’s late-night move to kill a vote on a bill to curb Dr. Amy Acton’s unrestrained powers in shutting the state down, and suggests he had an ulterior motive.
The Senate will not act this week on Senate Bill One pulling back the Health Department director’s powers, meaning it will likely fail, Fox 19 Now reported. The Senate is only having committee meetings this week and will hold a session next week.
Read the full storyOhio Supreme Court Upholds Law on Takeovers of Underperforming Schools
The Ohio Supreme Court recently upheld a law that changed how the state intervenes with schools that consistently perform poorly. The court ruled on Wednesday in favor of the constitutionality of a law that shifts the operational control of a poorly-performing school from the elected school board to unelected CEOs hired by state-appointed academic distress commissions.
Youngstown, Ohio, argued that the law stripped school boards of its power, according to AP News. The court said the school boards are currently set up in a way that does not require school board to receive any specific power.
Read the full storyBuckeye Institute Supports Businesses Being Immune to COVID-19 Lawsuits
The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony Wednesday to the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee on the policies of Senate Bill 308, which would provide businesses and workers with immunity from COVID-19 related lawsuits.
Read the full storyNewspaper Builds Convoluted Case to Accuse Rep. Vitale of Being Anti-Semitic for Calling Health Department Director ‘Globalist’
Thinking local is racist, according to The Columbus Dispatch, which built a convoluted case to accuse Ohio Rep. Nino Vitale (R-OH-85) of being anti-semitic for using the dirty word “globalist.”
On May 1, the Urban-area Republican posted on Facebook:
While you were sleeping, UNELECTED Acton declared Ohio closed until May 29th.
Read the full story90 Percent of Ohio’s Economy Expected to Reopen This Week
An estimated 90 percent of Ohio’s economy will be reopened by the end of the week under Gov. Mike DeWine’s “Responsible Restart Ohio Plan.”
Since May 1, the healthcare industry has been able to perform all medically necessary procedures that do not require an overnight stay, such as routine check-ups, outpatient surgeries, imaging procedures, and diagnostic tests.
Read the full storyState Rep. Grendell Drafts Bill to Force More Data Transparency from Dr. Amy Acton on COVID-19
State Rep. Diane Grendell (R- Geauga County) wants Ohio Health Department Director Dr. Amy Acton to be more forthcoming about COVID-19 statistics.
Grendell drafted the “Truth in COVID-19 Statistics” bill, the Record-Courier reported. She said the bill will be introduced in the House later this week, and she expects it to gain bipartisan support.
Read the full storyOhio House GOP Members Move to Limit Dr. Acton’s Emergency Declaration Powers
Ohio State House Republicans on Wednesday approved a move to limit the Health Department’s emergency declaration powers.
Read the full storyOhio Governor Updates Coronavirus Testing Priority Categories
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine updated the state’s guidelines for order of priority for coronavirus testing on Tuesday.
Read the full storyDozen Members of DeWine, Husted’s Ohio Economic Advisory Board Are Campaign Donors
Up until now, you mostly had to be connected to big business — and to Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov Jon Husted — to have a say in how businesses of all sizes are considered in Ohio’s snails-pace reopening.
On Friday, DeWine said the state would begin a phased reopening from the Chinese coronavirus shutdown, The Ohio Star reported. The governor said he is forming a pair of advisory groups tasked with developing best practices for reopening dine-in restaurants, barbershops and salons.
Read the full storyOhio Department of Jobs and Family Services Asks Employers To Report Employees Who Refuse to Come to Work
The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services has set up a page on their website where employers can report employees who refuse to return to work as businesses set to reopen in the state.
Under the latest “Stay Safe Ohio” order, medical care such as a dentist or doctor visit that does not require an overnight stay reopened on May 1. Manufacturing, construction and distribution, as well as “general office environments,” reopened on May 4. Retail and service businesses are set to reopen on May 12, with social distancing practices.
Read the full storyGov. DeWine Says He Thinks Americans Are ‘Better Off Not Having Government Tell Us What to Do’
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine admitted during a Sunday interview that his policy requiring retail customers to wear a face mask was “a bridge too far.”
Read the full storyAlice DeWine, Governor’s Daughter, Loses Race for Greene County Prosecutor in a Landslide
Alice DeWine, the daughter of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, was defeated Tuesday in the Republican primary for Greene County prosecutor.
Read the full storyNew Poll Has Trump and Biden Tied in Ohio
A new poll released Sunday has President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden statistically tied in Ohio, a critical state for the Trump campaign’s path to victory.
Read the full storyGov. DeWine Encourages Ohioans to ‘Have a Little #SpiritWeekOhio Fun’ and ‘Stay in Your PJ’s All Day’
Nearly 1 million Ohioans have filed for unemployment since Gov. Mike DeWine shut the state down, and the governor has responded by calling for a “Spirit Week” to have “#SpiritWeekOhio fun” which includes wearing pajamas.
Six of the state’s most influential business organizations last week sent a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine last week urging him to reopen the economy as nearly one million Ohioans have now filed unemployment claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, as The Ohio Star reported Monday. The letter was signed by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Business Roundtable, the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, the Ohio Council on Retail Merchants, Ohio Farm Bureau, and NFIB-Ohio.
Read the full storyBusiness Groups Paint Dim Picture of Ohio Economy, Urge DeWine to Reopen ‘Sooner Rather Than Later’
Six of the state’s most influential business organizations sent a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine last week urging him to reopen the economy as nearly one million Ohioans have now filed unemployment claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full storyState Rep. Vitale’s Facebook Campaign Account is Alive and Well, Despite Reports to the Contrary
State Rep. Nino Vitale (R-Urbana) says reports of his Facebook campaign page’s demise are greatly exaggerated — it was down temporarily, but the social media giant was very cooperative in restoring it.
Read the full storyAnti-Semitic Protest Sign, State Senator’s Remarks Draw Scrutiny
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is denouncing an anti-Semitic sign at a recent protest as well as remarks by a state senator and his wife about Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, who is Jewish.
Read the full storyOhio’s Urbana University Closing Its Doors for Good
Urbana University, a branch campus of Franklin University, say they will close their campus at the end of the semester in May due to the combination of challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and years of low enrollment.
The school’s CEO Dr. Christopher Washington took to Facebook Monday to discuss the closure personally.
“I don’t think anyone seen this coming as fast as it did . The calamity of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is affecting our entire nation and in fact our whole world has caused tremendous disruption and uncertainty in higher education,” he said in a video he made in his home.
Read the full storyDespite Massive Outbreak, Just 0.3 Percent of Ohio Inmates with COVID-19 Have Died
Two Ohio prisons are now home to the largest known clusters of COVID-19 in the nation, but the mortality rate for inmates with the virus is below one percent.
Read the full storyLockdown Prevents Akron Barber with Stage 4 Cancer from Reaching Her Doctor at World-Renowned Johns Hopkins Medicine
Ohio’s prolonged lockdown is literally a life-and-death matter for an Akron barber battling a rare form of cancer as she cannot reach world-renowned Johns Hopkins Medicine for treatment.
Peggy Reed is a barber with Stage 4 Squamous Cell cancer of the nasal cavity. Much of her medical story is told on her GoFundMe page here.
Reed missed her appointment at Johns Hopkins on March 26 to see a specialist. Ohio’s stay at home order means no out of state travel is allowed. Maryland also has a stay at home order.
Read the full storyRenacci: Re-Open Soon So Ohio Can Begin a Return to Normalcy
Former congressman and Ohio businessman Jim Renacci joined Newsradio WTAM 1100AM’s Mike Trivisonno – and his producer Angelo Carmen – Monday to discuss the state of business in Ohio in the wake of the coronovirus shutdown, and what working people can and should expect in the coming days and weeks as the state looks to re-open.
Read the full storyTwo Ohio Prisons Are Now Largest Known Sources of Coronavirus Infections in America
Two state prisons in Ohio are now the largest reported sources of coronavirus infections in the United States, a New York Times database revealed this week.
Read the full storyOhio Schools To Remain Closed Through End of School Year, Governor Announces
Ohio schools will stay closed through the rest of the school year, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Monday.
DeWine originally closed the schools starting at the end of March 16. He then extended the order, which was originally slated to end on April 3, to May 1. On Monday, he announced that schools would stay closed through the end of the school year.
“We’ve flattened the curve, but the virus remains. Also, to go back to school now with a relatively small amount of time left — many educators have expressed to me that this wouldn’t be a good idea even if the health situation was resolved,” DeWine said on Twitter. “We have to think about the risk to teachers, students, and our communities.”
Read the full story‘Secret’ COVID-19 Model Touted by Acton and DeWine That Predicted 10,000 Daily Cases on Peak Sunday Was Off by 700 Percent
Ohio’s official coronavirus model was projecting 10,000 new cases for Sunday’s peak, but only 1,317 new cases were reported.
As recently as March 29, the Ohio Department of Health’s forecast was predicting that the coronavirus pandemic would reach its peak in the state on April 19 when 10,000 new cases would be reported, The Ohio Star said.
Read the full storyHouse Democrat Criticizes Ohio Economic Recovery Task Force for Focusing Solely on Reopening
A top Democrat on the Ohio House’s coronavirus economic recovery task force criticized its Republican chair for gathering “one-sided testimony that only supported the idea of opening Ohio as soon as possible.”
In a statement released last week, Rep. Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland), vice chair of the Ohio 2020 Economic Recovery Task Force, voiced frustration with the fact that the committee hasn’t heard from “minorities or women.”
“We were under the impression by the majority that this task-force would be a bipartisan, collaborative effort to map out next steps for the General Assembly’s response to the COVID-19 crisis in Ohio,” he said. “However, it became almost immediately apparent from the agenda and the chosen speakers that this task force was actually designed to gather one-sided testimony that only supported the idea of opening Ohio as soon as possible. This was never a democratic process.”
Read the full storyOhio’s Warren Police Department Asks for Informants to Identify Mourners in Vigil for Murder Victim So They May Be Punished
The mayor and police of Warren, Ohio, have decided it is illegal to hold vigils to mourn for murder victims, and they have been encouraging citizens to become informants to help them punish the participants.
Last week, the Warren Police Department posted pictures of mourners on its Facebook page and asking people to identify them.
We are asking for your assistance in identifying the following individuals that were involved in a gathering in the 1000 block of Kenmore SE on Saturday-April 11th, 2020. If anyone has any additional information and/or video that may be of assistance, please forward it to the Warren Police Department
Read the full story