Category: Ohio

STAND America PAC Runs over 1,000 Ads Urging Black Voters to Abandon Democrats in the Midterm Elections

Susan Berry, PhD

A political action committee (PAC) associated with STAND America has purchased over 1,000 ads for U.S. Senate and House races on black radio stations to urge black voters to abandon the Democrat Party.

“Black and Latino voters are turning away from Democrats toward Republicans who share their commitment to faith, family, public safety and educational choice for their children,” Bishop E.W. Jackson, STAND America PAC (SAPAC) chairman, said in a press statement. “They are also feeling the ravages of inflation.” 

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Democratic Candidate for Ohio Senate Seat Says He Advocates for Schools While Supporting School Closures

Hannah Poling

Ohio Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) is highlighting school advocacy as part of his political platform while supporting school closures, forced mask mandates, and remote learning.

“Our kids are entering a competitive and rapidly changing world, and we owe it to them and their parents to make sure they’re ready to take on any challenges the world throws at them,” Ryan said.

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School Employee Takes Suit Against Union to Ohio Supreme Court

The Center Square

A nonunion school guidance counselor wants the Ohio Supreme Court to decide if she can hire her own lawyer for a grievance with her school system, rather than be forced to use union representation.

The court has not set a hearing date for Barbara Kolkowski, who sued the Ashtabula Area Teachers Association and asked the court to rule a union – which she is not a member of – cannot force her to accept union legal representation to arbitrate a workplace grievance.

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Voter Guides by CCV, BallotReady, iVoterGuide Vie to Inform Ohioans on Candidates and Ballot Issues

Hannah Poling

Several organizations have created nonpartisan voter guides to help Ohioans discover where candidates stand on key issues for the upcoming midterm election.

The Center for Christian Virtue (CCV), iVoterGuide, and BallotReady say that the reason behind the resource is to voters determine the true positions of the candidates on some of the most important issues.

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Ohio’s Buckeye Institute Urges Circuit Court to Kill Biden Tax Mandate

Bradley Vasoli

The Columbus-based Buckeye Institute this week filed an amicus brief in the federal court case challenging the authority the Biden administration has asserted to limit state tax-reduction efforts. 

Opponents of the White House policy are urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to rule in Texas v. Yellen that a provision of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) cannot condition states’ receipt of federal aid on accepting “ambiguous” federally prescribed tax policy. Plaintiffs and their supporters further argue that President Joe Biden and his Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen cannot invoke their regulatory power to fix ARPA’s lack of clarity.

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U.S. Senate Hopeful Tim Ryan Dodges Questions on Abortion Limits

Hannah Poling

Throughout the 2022 election cycle, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) has refused to answer questions regarding whether there should be restrictions placed on abortions.

This summer Ryan was asked multiple times in an interview if there should be any restrictions on abortions, but he refused to answer the question. Ryan’s shift to the Left on life stands in sharp contrast to his record while in office.

At one time Ryan was an outspoken pro-life member of Congress. In 2009 frequently discussed his pro-life standpoint that included his support of pro-life legislation.

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The Plan to Raise the Minimum Wage in Ohio Takes Step Forward

The Center Square

Supporters of a higher minimum wage in Ohio haven’t waited long to move forward with a proposed constitutional amendment that was rejected two weeks ago.

The group pushing to put the question before voters must clear the Ohio Ballot Board, which will decide if it contains just a single constitutional amendment or multiple amendments. The board will meet Nov. 7 to consider the proposal, according to Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

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Cygnal Ohio Poll Shows Vance and DeWine Getting Bigger Leads

Bradley Vasoli

A poll released this weekend by the data company Cygnal shows Ohio Republican candidates for governor and U.S. Senate widening their leads against their Democratic opponents. 

The survey of 1,776 likely voters shows J.D. Vance, the author, attorney and venture capitalist running to succeed retiring Republican Senator Rob Portman, with a 4.6-percent lead over Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH-13). Among those polled, 9.2 percent said they were undecided. 

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Advocates Press Lawmakers to Pass Ohio Bill Lifting Statute of Limitations for Rape Cases

Hannah Poling

A group of parents, grandparents, and concerned citizens are backing a bill in the Ohio legislature that would lift the statute of limitations on rape cases in addition to a bill that aims to provide age-appropriate sexual abuse prevention education to school children.

A group of Ohioans, who call themselves Ohioans for Child Protection, gathered at the Statehouse on October 20th, to urge lawmakers to pass House bills (HB) 266 and 105 into law in the state of Ohio.

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Ohio’s Democratic U.S. Senate Hopeful Projects Police Advocacy While Voting to Defund Them

Hannah Poling

Ohio Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) is projecting a pro-police stance as part of his platform while simultaneously voting to defund them.

On March 3, 2021, Ryan voted against a motion to condemn calls to defund, disband, or abolish the police while at the same time also voting to allow for the federal government to micromanage local police and potentially defund them.

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Election 2022 Report: Ohio Voters Carry Little Power

Admin

Ohio voters carry less weight than voters around the country, according to a new WalletHub report released earlier this week.

The report calculated the number of elected officials in the federal government per the adult population in each state for the most recent election years. For example, the report ranks California’s votes weak based on the number of people each of its senators must represent, while Wyoming’s votes are strong based on the same reasoning.

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Tim Ryan Unsure If Illegal Immigrants Should Be Permitted to Vote in Ohio

Hannah Poling

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) says that he is still undecided on two major issues on the Ohio midterm ballot, including one deciding if illegal immigrants should be allowed to vote in Ohio elections.

Under two weeks from the midterm election, Ryan says he doesn’t know his standpoint on Ohio’s two ballot initiatives. State Issue 1 if passed would require judges to consider public safety when setting bail amounts for criminal defendants. State Issue 2 would prohibit non-citizens from voting in state and local elections.

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Ohio Secretary of State Warns Voters: Absentee Ballots Cannot Be Returned to Precincts

Hannah Poling

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose cautions voters that Ohio law does not allow them to return their absentee ballots to their precincts on Election day.

Those who elect to hold onto their paper ballots until November 8th must deliver them to their county board of elections office. According to LaRose, poll workers at precinct-level voting locations cannot accept them.

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Ohio Senatorial Candidate Flips Stance, Calls for Fentanyl to Be Classified as ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’

Hannah Poling

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Rep. Tim Ryan (D-13) claims that he wants to label fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction” although he previously made a pledge to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 2019 to decriminalize all drug possession.

The long time Democrat has consistently opposed efforts to limit the flood of the deadly opioid into the United States and Ohio.

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Buckeye Institute Disputes Expanded Municipal Taxing Authority in Ohio on Behalf of Blue Ash Resident

Bradley Vasoli

A Columbus-based think tank this week filed its legal response in the Ohio Supreme Court in defense of a Blue Ash man who believes the state cannot make him pay Cincinnati income taxes for a period of time he actually worked from home. 

The Buckeye Institute argued that a state law passed in March 2020 to allow jurisdictions encompassing an “employee’s principal place of work” to levy taxes on that worker even when he or she works from home is unconstitutional. Specifically, the institute notes that the federal Constitution’s dormant commerce clause in Article I, Section 8 disallows states to enact statutes that “unduly burden interstate commerce.” Buckeye attorneys also believe the Ohio Constitution constrains lawmakers’ ability to broaden cities and towns’ tax-collection power. 

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Ohio Scores Fall in Math, Reading for Both Fourth Graders, Eighth Graders

The Center Square

Ohio recorded three-year decreases in scoring across the board for fourth graders and eighth graders in math and reading, respectively, according to a national study released this week.

The Nation’s Report Card, a product of the National Assessment of Educational Progress which began producing the report in 1969, cited an overall trend of decline in the United States. It comes in the COVID-19 era, when schools were closed by governments and students scrambled to learn remotely or get back into classrooms.

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Mandatory Dyslexia Screenings to Begin in Ohio Schools

Hannah Poling

Starting with the 2023-2024 school year, Ohio students in kindergarten must participate in annual dyslexia screenings aimed at identifying student learning disabilities at an early age.

House Bill (HB) 583, sponsored by State Representatives Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) and Don Jones (R-Freeport), became law on September 23, making changes to the prior dyslexia support law, HB 436.

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Ohio Religious Schools, Nonprofits to Share $6 Million for Security

The Center Square

Safety and security at religious institutions, chartered nonpublic schools, licensed preschools and nonprofit organizations throughout Ohio will share $6 million in grant funding, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced.

The money, included in the state’s operating budget signed into law in July and administered by the Ohio Safety and Security Grant Program, is part of more than $12 million given to state schools and institutions since 2019 to help with safety and security.

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New Tool Tracks Ohio’s American Rescue Plan Funds

Hannah Poling

Ohio has 35 percent remaining of the $5.4 billion that the U.S. Department of the Treasury allocated through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). A new tool is being used to track how the state utilizes the funds.

Advocates for Ohio’s Future, in partnership with the Ohio Poverty Law Center (OPLC), have launched a tool called the Ohio ARPA Tracker. This tracker provides up-to-date, detailed information on how Ohio spends its money.
Advocates for Ohio’s Future in partnership with the Ohio Poverty Law Center (OPLC) have launched a tool called the Ohio ARPA Tracker. This tracker provides up-to-date detailed information on how Ohio’s dollars are being spent.

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Ohio Lawmakers Introduce Act to Fund Healthcare Services for Child Sexual Assault Survivors

The Center Square

Proposed legislation in the Ohio House would allow child victims of sexual assault to receive money from the state’s Crime Victim Compensation Fund for health care treatment.

The Protect Child Victims Act would allow the attorney general to make emergency awards for out-of-state healthcare expenses, including abortions, for child sexual assault survivors.

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Ohio Election Officials Warn Voters to Apply Enough Stamps to Absentee Ballots

Hannah Poling

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose requires that county boards of elections specify to voters how much postage is required to mail in an absentee ballot. However, the Secretary of State’s office does enumerate that it’s the voter’s responsibility to make sure that the ballot has enough postage required by federal law.

The required postage to return a ballot by mail can differ depending on the number of items on the ballot. The more items to vote for, the longer a ballot will be which means more weight which may require more stamps.

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Gilbert Runs Hard Against Pelosi Speakership in Close Race for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District

Bradley Vasoli

When U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) came to Shaker Heights, OH this week to fundraise for Democratic 13th-District congressional candidate Emilia Sykes, Republican hopeful Madison Gesiotto Gilbert was happy to let constituents know about it.

This wasn’t the speaker’s first major show of support for Sykes; Pelosi cut her a $30,000 check via her campaign organization in July. When Pelosi flew east to support Sykes,  a state representative from Ohio’s 34th Legislative District who the National Republican Congressional Committee calls Pelosi’s “protégé,” Republican spokesperson Courtney Parella put out a statement saying, “Emilia Sykes is bought and paid for by Nancy Pelosi and would serve as a rubber stamp for Pelosi’s failed economic agenda.”

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Ohio Employers Do Better than Most When Finding Employees

The Center Square

Ohio employers are faring much better than colleagues across the country when it comes to hiring employees, according to a new report released by the personal finance website WalletHub.

The report rated states based on the rate of job openings both in the latest month and the last 12 months to determine percentages of job openings. For example, Alaska, the state facing the most struggles, has an 11.9% job opening rate for the latest month and a 9.78% for the last 12 months.

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Ohio Secretary of State Pushes Prosecutions for Illegal Voters

Hannah Poling

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose referred 75 people to the Ohio attorney general and county prosecutors for additional investigation and potential prosecution based on accusations that they illegally voted during the 2020 general election.

LaRose’s office states that individuals who allegedly voted in one state and then cast an additional vote in Ohio, violating state law, have been identified.

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Northeast Ohio School Districts Add Cameras to Catch Motorists Illegally Passing Buses

Hannah Poling

School districts in Northeast Ohio are adding cameras to their buses to increase precautions for student safety.

School bus cameras typically attach to the outside of the bus next to the stop sign that swings outward to alert motorists that children are either boarding or unboarding the bus. These cameras encompass two lenses one facing to the back and one to the front of the bus so they can record any motorist who illegally passes. Some buses also have a camera mounted on the inside of the bus to read license plate numbers.

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Ohio Legislative Committee Passes Rule Defining Fetal Heartbeat

Hannah Poling

An Ohio legislative committee passed a rule on Monday regarding methods to identify a fetal heartbeat despite a court case holding back the abortion ban and Democratic objections.

The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) passed an administration rule from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) known as “appropriate methods for determining presence of fetal heartbeat,” despite the fact that the rule matched language in a previously passed abortion law and that the law is not currently enforceable.

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Early Voting Higher in Ohio than in 2018

The Center Square

More Ohioans have requested absentee ballots and voted early in-person as of the close of business Tuesday than at the same point in the state’s 2018 gubernatorial election, Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced.

“While not a significant increase over the same point in the 2018 election, Ohioans are showing confidence in Ohio’s abundant early voting opportunities,” said LaRose. “Our bipartisan boards of elections have done an incredible job making their early voting centers ready, and lines are short for anyone who wants to make sure their voice is heard.” While combined the number of ballot requests and in-person early voting totals pass the 2018 total 21 days before the election, the jump comes from in-person early voting.

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AG Yost Rejects Proposal to Raise Ohio’s Minimum Wage

The Center Square

A citizen group trying to use a constitutional amendment to raise Ohio’s minimum wage eventually to $15 doesn’t need to start over but it does need to make changes to its plan if it hopes to eventually get it on the ballot.

Attorney General Dave Yost rejected the group’s proposal, calling it misleading to a potential signer. He also said it had numerous omissions.

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Ohio Republican Legislators Appeal Congressional Map Ruling to the Supreme Court

Bradley Vasoli

Ohio’s Republican state legislators are in the process of appealing a state Supreme Court ruling on congressional redistricting to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The state’s high court has repeatedly ruled against maps created by Ohio’s Redistricting Commission. Despite the GOP having a one-seat majority, Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor (R) has sided with the Democrats in redistricting cases. (O’Connor, who is 71, is retiring from the court after this year.) 

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Ohio Law Enforcement Relaxing Uniform Protocols in a Move to Help with Recruitment Shortage

Hannah Poling

In an attempt to bring in more recruits, boost morale, and become more relatable to the community, law enforcement departments around the state have begun to relax their uniform protocols.

For several years now law enforcement departments have struggled to recruit, hire, and retain officers. The combination of increases in retirements and resignations, fewer applicants, and negative portrayals of and attitudes toward law enforcement has only increased the difficulty of bringing in new recruits.

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Progressive Ohio College Town Continues Push to Let Noncitizens Vote

Bradley Vasoli

Democratic officials who run the village of Yellow Springs, a progressive college town near Dayton, are persisting in their effort to legalize noncitizen voting. 

Mayor Pam Conine (D) is pushing for the enactment of a state constitutional amendment that would actualize the policy. Yellow Springs voters approved a referendum in 2019 allowing dozens of noncitizen residents of the village to participate in local and state elections, but the measure never went into effect. 

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Additional Security Protocols Put into Place as Thousands of Ohioans Request Absentee Ballots

Hannah Poling
Ballots waiting to be counted

As early voting began on Wednesday for the 2022 General Election, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose enumerated an increase in absentee ballot applications to date from prior years and assured Ohioans that security checks are in place to make absentee voting secure against fraud.

According to LaRose, the applications for absentee ballots so far reflect a 4.4 percent increase over the gubernatorial statewide election in 2018. So far Ohioans have requested 812,200 absentee ballots, including 4,938 requests from military and overseas voters whose ballots began to be mailed last month.

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Columbus City Schools Staff Removes Controversial Book from High School Library Collection

Hannah Poling

One of the most banned controversial books in the United States, according to the New York Times, has been removed from Columbus City Schools high school library shelves.

The autobiography, Gender Queer: A Memoir, was published in 2019 and is both written and illustrated by Maia Kobabe. The 240-page book tells Kobabe’s story from adolescence to adulthood covering sensitive topics such as gender identity, masturbation, menstruation, and navigating the world as someone who considers themself nonbinary.

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More Bail Reform Could Come No Matter Outcome of Issue One

The Center Square

While Ohioans can vote on some bail reform issues on Election Day, lawmakers and other policy groups continue to work on other aspects in the General Assembly.

The ballot wording on Issue One gives the legislature room to pass bills that would add to the requirements judges must use to establish bail. That, according to the Columbus-based Buckeye Institute, provides an opportunity to continue to tackle issues it believes are key.

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Bishop of Steubenville Diocese Seeks Merger with Columbus Diocese

Hannah Poling

The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Steubenville is looking to potentially merge with the Catholic Diocese of Columbus. The merger is being considered for several reasons such as a declining Catholic population in the Steubenville diocese, an aging population of priests and Catholics, and economic struggles in the Ohio Valley.

“It is with sadness of heart that I share with you the continued decline in the Ohio Valley population and how it adversely affects our future sustainability. Furthermore, we are all too aware how the population is aging as well, to our ministerial detriment,” Bishop Jeffrey Monforton of Steubenville said.

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Ohio Law Enforcement Utilizing New App for Anonymous Tips

Hannah Poling

Law enforcement around the state has begun implementing a new app to help residents find information about their department, view alerts, and submit anonymous tips from their smartphones.

The app is known as tip411 through CitizenObserver. It allows law enforcement to engage with the public by creating awareness through community alerts, expanding social media, and allowing the public to share anonymous tips and information with law enforcement. Officers are also able to reply back to these tips in real-time in an anonymous two-way conversation.

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Ohio Will Appeal Hold on ‘Heartbeat Law’

The Center Square

The state will appeal a court’s decision to stop Ohio’s heartbeat law while abortion-rights groups challenge it in state court, Attorney General Dave Yost announced.

As expected, the state filed its notice of appeal of Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Christian Jenkins’ temporary restraining order that stopped the law from going into effect while a lawsuit challenging it continues.

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