Category: Ohio

Ohio Senate Unanimously Passes Legislation Removing Hundreds of Pages from the Ohio Revised Code

Hannah Poling

The Ohio Senate unanimously passed legislation that removes hundreds of pages from the Ohio Revised Code, increasing efficiency at the state level.

Senate Bill (SB) 74, sponsored by State Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), contains over 100 individual changes to the Ohio Revised Code, most impacting government-to-government interactions. The bill eliminates 64 code sections, cutting hundreds of pages from the Ohio Revised Code.

Senate Bill (SB) 74 sponsored by State Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) contains over 100 individual changes to the Ohio Revised Code with the vast majority of these changes impacting government-to-government interactions. The bill eliminates 64 code sections altogether, cutting hundreds of pages from the Ohio Revised Code. 

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Ohio Republican Party Pushes Back Against Newspaper Editorial for Disrespecting Lawmakers and Ignoring the Value of State Issue 1

Hannah Poling

The Ohio Republican Party is pushing back against a “repugnant perversion” of Ohio State Issue 1 recently published in The Columbus Dispatch.

Issue 1, if approved by voters, 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 Attorney General Dave Yost Says Public Facilities Can Separate Restroom Use According to Biological Sex

Hannah Poling

In an official opinion from the Ohio Attorney General’s office, Attorney General Dave Yost says that the Ohio Revised Code allows managers of public restrooms to separate restroom use according to biological sex.

In December, Green County Prosecutor David Hayes requested the opinion from Yost on whether Ohio civil rights law requires local governments to permit individuals to use public restrooms according to their stated gender identity rather than their biological sex.

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Ohio Republican Lawmakers Form New Legislative Prayer Caucus to Advocate for Religious Freedom

Hannah Poling

Ohio Republican Lawmakers have formed a new Ohio Legislative Prayer Caucus (OLPC) of the 135th General Assembly that pledges to advocate for religious freedom and Judeo-Christian values that have been embedded in American culture since its foundation.

State Representative Gary Click (R-Vickery) in the House and State Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) in the Senate co-chair the bicameral caucus.

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Ohio House Passes Legislation Providing Tobacco Wholesalers a Bad Debt Refund

Hannah Poling

The Ohio House of Representatives passed legislation that aims to allow wholesalers experiencing “bad debt” to claim a refund on cigarette, tobacco and vapor products from the state for the tax they pay upfront when they are unable to obtain reimbursement from a retailer.

The House passed the legislation by an 85-3 vote with all Republicans and all but three Democrats voting in favor of the bill.

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Norfolk Southern Opens New Family Assistance Center in East Palestine

Hannah Poling

 Norfolk Southern announced an additional initiative to support the community of East Palestine following the catastrophic train derailment that occurred earlier this year.

The railway giant signed a two-year lease agreement for a new, closer, and more permanent Family Assistance Center (FAC) that will replace the current center located at the Abundant Life Fellowship Church. The original FAC was set up within 24 hours of the incident on February 3rd.

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Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance: New Debt Limit Deal is Bad News

Hannah Poling

U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) claims that the new debt limit deal between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) and President Joe Biden is “bad news.”

The deal, struck by Speaker McCarthy and President Biden on Saturday, which house leaders are formally referring to as the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, aims to reduce domestic spending to levels seen in the fiscal year 2022 while capping growth in top-line federal spending at 1 percent over the ensuing six years.

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Ohio State Board Passes Guidelines Affirming Free Speech and Intellectual Diversity

Admin

The Ohio State University’s (OSU) Board of Trustees voted in mid-May to adopt a new campus free speech policy and a resolution affirming the school’s commitment to preserving intellectual diversity. 

The free speech policy is an updated version of one that OSU passed last August and creates a system through which students can submit complaints of free speech infringements, a requirement set forth under Ohio’s S.B. 135.

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Ohio Governor DeWine Appoints Attorney Robert Patton to the 11th District Court of Appeals

Hannah Poling

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced the appointment of Republican attorney Robert J Patton to the 11th District Court of Appeals serving Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Portage, and Trumbull counties.

Judge-designee Patton of Willowick, Ohio will be taking the seat formerly held by Democratic Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice, who voters elected to the Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas. In order to retain the seat for the remainder of the term expiring in February 2027, Patton must win the general election in November 2024. Patton will assume office on June 5th.

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Ohio House Republicans Introduce Legislation Requiring Single Sex Bathroom Access in Schools

Hannah Poling

Two Republican Ohio House Representatives have introduced legislation to require single-sex bathroom access in schools and universities.

House Bill (HB) 183 sponsored by State Representatives Beth Lear (R-Galena) and Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) aims to require students at K-12 schools and universities to use the restrooms and locker rooms that match their biological sex.

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U.S. Marshals Recover 35 Missing Children in Ohio

Hannah Poling

The U.S. Marshals Service has announced that a multi-jurisdictional investigation has led them to the successful recovery of 35 missing children from Northern Ohio.

The Northern District of Ohio was one of sixteen selected regions to take part in this operation due to past success in carrying out such operations. Operation We Will Find You, a national missing child operation, centered around major metropolitan areas, such as Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, and surrounding counties.

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Ohio Democrats Oppose State Issue 1 Despite Using a 60 Percent Amendment Threshold in Their Own Party Rules

Hannah Poling

Ohio Democrats have said they are adamantly against Ohio State Issue 1, which tries to change the percentage needed to amend the state Constitution by a statewide ballot initiative to a supermajority of 60 percent from the current 50 percent plus one.

However, their opposition is inconsistent, as their party constitution uses a 60 percent amendment threshold.

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Radical Anti-Life Gender Justice Group Backing Ohio Ballot Initiative Revealed to Be Pushing End to ‘Unethical’ Parental Involvement Laws

Susan Berry, PhD

Tweets by a key leftist organization pushing the Ohio abortion ballot initiative that could end parental involvement in minors’ medical decisions reveal that the goal of Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity’s (URGE) is to cut parents out of their children’s lives.

Protect Women Ohio (PWO), a self-described “coalition of concerned family and life leaders, parents, health and medical experts, and faith leaders in Ohio,” posted a thread to Twitter Tuesday showing URGE has been “working to abolish parental consent and notification laws for years.”

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Democratic-Backed Group One Person One Vote Files Lawsuit Against Ohio Ballot Board

Hannah Poling

A Democratic-backed group that opposes Ohio State Issue 1 which aims to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments and an August special election to vote on it has filed a lawsuit against the Ohio Ballot Board over the language they adopted to go before voters.

The group One Person One Vote filed the lawsuit with the Ohio Supreme Court in response to the Ohio Ballot Board adopting the summary language of Issue 1, the amendment to 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, last week.

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Ohio to Award $3 Million to Help Law Enforcement Agencies Combat Statewide Illegal Drug Activity

Hannah Poling

Governor Mike DeWine announced on Thursday that Ohio is awarding $3 million in new grant funding to local law enforcement agencies to support their drug task forces’ fight against illegal drug activity and to uphold the state’s drug laws.

According to DeWine, the funding will “support local authorities” as they work to take illegal drugs out of communities across the state.

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Governor DeWine Wants Additional Funding for Ohio Prisons Re-Entry Support

Hannah Poling

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine included additional millions of dollars in the 2024-2025 state budget presented to the Ohio General Assembly so that even more can be done to help individuals coming out of prison to reintegrate into society.

For fiscal year 2024, DeWine requested $2.3 billion in funds to operate the Ohio Department of Corrections, a 7.9 percent increase from 2023.

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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Backs State Issue 1 to Raise the Threshold to Amend the State Constitution

Hannah Poling

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said that he intends to vote for Ohio State Issue 1 aimed at altering the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments at the statewide special election in August.

Issue 1, if approved by voters, 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 Republicans Launch Campaign to Shed Light on Importance of Protecting State Constitution Through Issue 1

Hannah Poling

A group of Republicans have launched a campaign in support of State Issue 1 the proposal aimed at altering the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments.

The campaign group called Protect Our Constitution is co-chaired by State Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) and State Representative Jim Hoops (R-Napoleon) and is backed by three major business groups in the state including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Restaurant Association, and the National Federation of Independent Business.

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Ohio Northern University Law School Abruptly Yanks Conservative Professor from Classroom, Refuses to Say Why

Admin

A law professor at Ohio Northern University (ONU) said he was recently removed from his classroom by school security officers and banned from campus—and administrators refuse to explain why.

“Armed town police followed me down the hall. My students appeared shocked and frightened. I know I was,” Scott Gerber, a faculty member at the private Methodist university since 2001, described in a May 9 op-ed for The Wall Street Journal.

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Ohio House Speaker Stephens Removes State Representative Merrin as Committee Vice-Chair

Hannah Poling

Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) removed State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Monclova) as vice-chair of the Ohio House Ways and Means Committee, which reviews legislation affecting tax policy at the state and local levels.

Majority press secretary Aaron Mulvey told The Ohio Star that Merrin received a memo from Stephens on Friday informing him that Stephens removed him as the committee’s vice-chair.

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Ohio Attorney General Yost Defends August Special Election in New Response to Lawsuit

Hannah Poling

State officials expanded their legal defense on Monday in a new filing against a lawsuit that challenges the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment, Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 2, and an August special election to vote on.

The lawsuit filed by a Democratic-backed group, One Person One Vote, asserts that an August special election is illegal since statewide special elections were banned by the Ohio General Assembly in December due to their high costs and poor voter turnout.

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Ohio Lawmakers Submit Arguments for and Against Issue 1 to Increase Threshold for Initiative Petitions

Hannah Poling

Ohio Republican and Democratic lawmakers submitted written arguments for and against Issue 1 on Monday, which aims to alter how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

Issue 1, if approved by voters, 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.
Issue 1 if approved by voters 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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U.S. Senator JD Vance Endorses Bernie Moreno for U.S. Senate

Hannah Poling

On Monday, U.S. Senator JD Vance announced his endorsement for Republican businessman Bernie Moreno in his run for U.S. Senate against Ohio Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in 2024.

Moreno previously filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for Senate in 2024 and to challenge Democratic incumbent Brown. He officially announced his campaign last month, saying that it’s time for a new generation of political outsiders to come in and get the job done to put America First.

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Ohio Senate Passes ‘DATA Act’ to Modernize and Clarify Election Data

Hannah Poling

The Ohio Senate has passed legislation that aims to increase transparency and modernize and clarify data in Ohio’s elections.

Senate Bill (SB) 71 known as the Data Analysis Transparency Archive (DATA) Act, sponsored by state Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) in collaboration with Secretary of State Frank LaRose passed in the Ohio Senate along party lines 24-7.

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Ohio Ballot Board Adopts Ballot Language for Amendment to Increase Threshold for Initiative Petitions

Hannah Poling

The Ohio Ballot Board has adopted ballot language on a question that aims to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments for a special election this August.

In a 3-2 vote the ballot board has voted to adopt the summary language of Issue 1, the amendment to 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 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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Resolution Introduced to Offer Election Day Voter Registration in Ohio

The Center Square

A proposal in the Ohio Senate would allow Ohioans to register to vote on Election Day and force potential voters to register again if they have not voted in four consecutive years.

State Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson, D-Toledo, introduced the resolution she says expands voting rights and is an effort to lessen the effects of voting legislation passed by the General Assembly last year.

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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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Norfolk Southern Commits to Compensating East Palestine Homeowners for Property Value Losses

Hannah Poling

Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw has announced that Norfolk Southern Railroad will set up a fund to compensate East Palestine homeowners for losses in property value due to the catastrophic February 3rd train derailment that spilled hazardous chemicals into the community.

In a letter to U.S. Senators JD Vance (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Shaw said he would immediately launch the fund instead of waiting for litigation to end.

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City of Columbus Sues Ohio over Gun Control Legislation

Hannah Poling

The City of Columbus filed a lawsuit against Ohio, claiming that the state has exceeded its power by passing legislation making it difficult for municipalities to establish specific gun control measures.

The lawsuit, filed in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, follows an Ohio judge ruling which denied the city of Columbus’ request to allow them to enforce their new gun control laws, while the lawsuit filed by The Buckeye Institute to protect the rights of Ohioans to keep and bear arms is being heard.

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U.S Senator JD Vance Co-Sponsors Bipartisan House Legislation to Keep AM Radio Available in New Vehicles

Hannah Poling

U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) has joined legislation that aims to prevent the end of AM radios in new vehicles.

The Bipartisan and Bicameral AM for Every Vehicle Act sponsored in the Senate by U.S Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), along with U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Vance would order the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue a rule requiring automakers to keep AM broadcast radio in their automobiles without a separate or extra payment, tax, or penalty.

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Parents Defending Education Files Lawsuit Challenging Ohio School District’s Anti-Harassment Policies

Hannah Poling

A national group has filed a lawsuit challenging Olentangy Local School Districts’ anti-harassment policies claiming that these policies violate students’ First and parents’ Fourteenth Amendment rights.

Parents Defending Education, a national nonprofit membership association that empowers concerned citizens to become more engaged in America’s education system, filed the lawsuit against the school district in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

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Ohio to Award over $23 Million in COVID-19 Funding to Support Arts Organizations Statewide

Hannah Poling

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik have announced that the state of Ohio is awarding more than $23 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to support arts organizations statewide.

One hundred thirty-nine organizations based in 35 counties will receive grant funding totaling $23,252,605.78 as part of the first round of the Ohio Arts Economic Relief Grant Program. The grant program was created in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly as part of a bill sponsored by State Senator George Lang (R-West Chester), which was later merged into House Bill (HB) 45. Over 400 groups applied for grants.

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Delaware County Judge Denies Columbus’ Request to Permit Enforcement of Gun Control Laws During Lawsuit

Hannah Poling

An Ohio judge denied the City of Columbus’ request to allow them to enforce its new gun control laws while the lawsuit filed by The Buckeye Institute to protect the rights of Ohioans to keep and bear arms is being heard.

The Buckeye Institute filed the lawsuit following the adoption of Ordinance 3176-2022 by the Columbus City Council, which forbade the use of certain firearm magazines in violation of Ohio law and the U.S. and Ohio constitutions.

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Ohio Governor DeWine Signs Executive Order Expanding State’s Skill-Based Hiring Practices

Hannah Poling

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order to expand upon Ohio’s ambitions to be a national leader in skills-based hiring practices.

According to DeWine, the push toward skill-based hiring places more emphasis on specific coursework, skills, experience, and training while de-emphasizing earlier qualification standards expressed in academic degrees.

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Protect Women Ohio Launches New Ad to Defeat Amendment Ending Parental Consent for Abortions

Hannah Poling

A pro-woman parental rights coalition has launched a new digital advertisement highlighting the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and President Joe Biden’s attack on parental rights.

The ad, entitled “All Our Kids,” is the third 60-second digital advertisement released in a series by Protect Women Ohio, aimed at defeating Ohio’s pro-abortion, anti-parent amendment, championed by the leftist organization the ACLU.

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Secretary of State LaRose Requests Ohio Supreme Court Throw Out One Person One Vote Lawsuit

Hannah Poling

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, through the Attorney General’s office, has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to throw out a lawsuit challenging the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment, Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 2, and an August special election to vote on it.

A Democratic-backed group One Person One Vote, and a coalition of three Ohio residents Jeniece Brock, Brent Edwards, and Christopher Tavenor, filed the lawsuit with the Ohio Supreme Court in response to the passage of a resolution, the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment, aimed at altering the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments on May 10th on the grounds that the resolution is unconstitutional and illegal.

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Donald Trump’s Former Ambassador to Morocco David Fischer Endorses Bernie Moreno for U.S. Senate

Hannah Poling

Donald Trump’s former ambassador to Morocco, David Fischer, announced his endorsement for Republican businessman Bernie Moreno in his run for U.S. Senate against Ohio Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in 2024.

Moreno previously filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for Senate in 2024 and to challenge Democratic incumbent Brown. He officially announced his campaign last month, saying that it’s time for a new generation of political outsiders to come in and get the job done to put America First.

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Democratic-Backed Group Files Lawsuit Against Special August Election for Ohio Constitutional Amendment Vote

Hannah Poling

A Democratic-backed group that opposes the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment, Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 2, and an August special election to vote on it has filed a lawsuit on the grounds that the resolution is unconstitutional and illegal.

The group One Person One Vote, and a coalition of three Ohio residents Jeniece Brock, Brent Edwards, and Christopher Tavenor, filed the lawsuit with the Ohio Supreme Court in response to the passage of a resolution, the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment, aimed at altering the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments on May 10th.

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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 Republicans Re-Introduce Bill Updating Cosmetologist and Barber Board Statutes

Hannah Poling

State Republican lawmakers have re-introduced legislation to modernize the statutes authorizing the Ohio Cosmetology and Barber Board.

House Bill (HB) 158, sponsored by state Representatives Melanie Miller (R- City of Ashland) and Bill Roemer (R-Richfield), aims to update the statutes to harmonize the regulations and processes of the board and better serve licenses.

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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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National Republican Congressional Committee Begins Campaign to Target Ohio U.S. House Democrats over Spending

Hannah Poling

The National Republican Congressional Committee has begun a digital advertising campaign to target House Democrats like U.S. House Representatives Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Greg Landsman (D-OH-01), and Emilia Sykes (D-OH-13) for their contribution towards reckless spending that is putting America on the brink of debt default.

This follows Reps. Kaptur, Landsman, and Sykes recently voting against the GOP debt ceiling bill which aims to address the debt ceiling and implement common sense spending reforms to limit wasteful spending, save taxpayer dollars, and grow the economy.

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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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