Category: Ohio

Cincinnati-Area School District Sued for Dropping Racialist Instruction

Bradley Vasoli

Parents in the Forest Hills Local School District filed a lawsuit this week in response to school directors’ move on June 22 to ban the use of critical race theory and other identity-based teachings from curricula and hiring decisions.

In what school leaders titled a “Resolution to Create a Culture of Kindness and Equal Opportunity for All Students and Staff,” the majority of the School Board enacted a policy against the use of ethic, socioeconomic, gender or cultural identity in hiring or academic administration. The new rule also forbids requiring a student to take on assignments that prompt consideration of that child’s social or cultural identities as a “deficiency or a label to stereotype the student as having certain biases, prejudices or other
unsavory moral characteristics….”

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ACLU and Planned Parenthood File Lawsuit in Ohio Supreme Court to Block Enforcement of Heartbeat Law

Susan Berry, PhD

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Planned Parenthood, and a group of Ohio abortion facilities filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Ohio Supreme Court that seeks to overturn the state’s heartbeat law which began being enforced soon after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

The pro-abortion groups claim in the lawsuit Ohioans have a “fundamental right to abortion” under the Ohio Constitution, “as guaranteed by the Ohio Constitution’s broad protections for individual liberties under Article I, Sections 1, 16, and 21, and the equal protection guarantee under Article I, Section 2.”

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Jim Renacci: I Will Lead the American Greatness Fund to Make Sure ‘the MAGA Movement Continues’

Neil W. McCabe

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, interviewed former Republican Ohio congressman Jim Renacci about his new position leading the American Greatness Fund. Renacci said he was joining the fund so that he could help revive the MAGA movement, and create scorecards to hold politicians accountable to the voters.

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Ohio Prosecutors in Columbus and Cuyahoga County Will Not Prosecute Illegal Abortions

Bradley Vasoli

Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley announced this week they will not prosecute abortionists who violate Ohio’s “heartbeat law.”

Signed three years ago by Gov. Mike DeWine (R), the act disallows abortions to be performed once a fetal heartbeat is detectable, which becomes the case about six weeks into a pregnancy. With last week’s overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, the heartbeat law is now in effect.

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Abortions Banned in Ohio After Six Weeks of Pregnancy

The Center Square
pregnancy test

Ohio’s fetal heartbeat law, on hold since 2019 when a federal judge blocked it, is now law following Friday’s historic U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Federal Judge Michael Barrett lifted the preliminary injunction that had stopped the state from enforcing the heartbeat bill passed and signed into law in 2019. Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order to allow the Ohio Department of Health to immediately adopt rules established in the bill.

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Abortion Issue Moves to the Forefront of the Ohio Governor’s Race

Bradley Vasoli

Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nan Whaley is highlighting her opposition to unborn children’s right to life, castigating Gov. Mike DeWine’s (R) anti-abortion record and promising more permissive policy if she gets elected.

Her reprehensions of her opponent come days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion across America irrespective of the wishes of each state’s residents. The original decision rested on Justice Harry Blackmun’s insistence that a right to privacy implicitly contained in the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed a woman’s right to abort her pre-born child. Blackmun’s reasoning has since elicited disapproval from legal scholars of various political stripes insofar as the Constitution never actually refers to abortion.

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Students Say They Received Lower Scores for Challenging Leftist Arguments in ‘Multicultural Education’ Course

Admin

The “Multicultural Education” course at the University of Mount Union instructs future educators to incorporate racial and LGBT-focused lessons in their classrooms.

The course aims to help students “[s]elf-reflect and gain sociocultural awareness” and “[e]valuate multicultural education as an instrument of change that promotes human rights.”

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Survey: 66 Percent of Ohioans Say They Won’t Bet on Sports

The Center Square

Legal sports betting is still more than six months away, but more than two-thirds of Ohio adults say they don’t plan to place any wagers when it becomes legal, according to a new survey.

Legal sports wagers can be placed Jan. 1, but the survey by BetOhio.com shows 21% of Ohio adults are very or somewhat likely to bet. The survey also showed potential preferred brands for those who expect to wager.

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Ohio Group Voices Support for Anti-School-Choice Lawsuit in West Virginia

The Center Square

An Ohio group that has been fighting against school choice vouchers in its own state is expressing support for a lawsuit that is seeking to halt a West Virginia school voucher program.

As Ohio lawmakers have considered legislation to expand school choice, the group called Vouchers Hurt Ohio stated that lawmakers are looking at other states, such as West Virginia, for how to craft their school choice programs.

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Ohio Governor DeWine Opposes Biden’s Call to Suspend Gas Taxes

Bradley Vasoli

While President Joe Biden this week began urging Congress to suspend the national gas tax for three months and asking states to do the same with their gas levies, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) came out against the idea. 

The federal government charges gasoline buyers $0.18 per gallon and diesel motorists $0.24 per gallon. The Buckeye State meanwhile imposes a $0.385-per-gallon tax on gasoline as well as a $0.47-per-gallon tax on diesel and other fuel types. Both levels of government use the revenues from these sources to fund transportation projects. Biden maintains that dollars flowing to the U.S. Treasury are sufficient to prevent compromising federal highway repairs in the event of a three-month tax holiday.

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Ohio Policy Group Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Decision on School Tuition

The Center Square

An Ohio policy group called Tuesday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that states cannot deny students or families financial aid for attending religious schools a victory for the rights of families and students.

The Buckeye Institute filed an amicus brief in Carson v. Makin, a Maine case involving financial aid for students attending religious schools. The brief argued denying aid was a First Amendment violation.

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Ohio Republican Primary Was Dominated by Non-Republican Voters

Bradley Vasoli

Figures from the Republican Party’s voter database indicate many voters who traditionally have aligned with the Democrats voted in Ohio’s Republican primary on May 3 in which Gov. Mike DeWine handily won nomination for another term.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) database rates voters on a scale of one to five in terms of their allegiance to either the Republican or the Democratic Party. Mainly, the GOP takes into account which party’s primaries Ohioans have voted in historically, though other data are weighed as well.

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DeWine Tells Ohio School Leaders Arming Teachers Remains Optional

The Center Square

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, in a letter to school superintendents around the state, called arming teachers in classrooms a serious local decision that remains optional after he signed a new law that reduces training needed for guns in schools.

DeWine, who recently signed House Bill 99, also told school leaders he would rather districts use school resource officers than armed teachers.

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Ohio Group Joins Fight Against California’s Livestock Regulations

The Center Square

An Ohio group joined the fight against a California proposition that it believes imposes illegal regulations on the pork industry across the country.

The Buckeye Institute, a Columbus-based policy group, filed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court recently in a case filed by the National Pork Producers Council that challenges California’s Proposition 12, saying it violates the Constitution’s Commerce Clause, which restricts states from regulating commerce outside their borders.

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DeWine to Ohio Superintendents: $100 Million Budgeted for School Safety Grants

Bradley Vasoli

Ohio schools will receive $100 million in total to purchase security equipment as part of the next round of K-12 School Safety Grants, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) wrote to superintendents on Friday.

The allocations, which come as a part of the state’s capital budget bill that DeWine signed into law last week, will go toward purchases such as outdoor lighting, facility-mapping software, school-radio systems, door-locking technology and visitor-badge systems. The Ohio School Safety Center in Columbus is now drafting the application for schools to access this money and expects to soon start the application process.

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Ohio Business Startups Dip Again; LaRose Blames Inflation

The Center Square

Inflation is taking a toll on startup businesses in Ohio, dropping the state’s new business filings by more than a quarter from a year ago, according to Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

LaRose pointed to two surveys from the National Federation of Independent Business that show inflation continues to be a significant factor for small business and small business optimism both nationwide and in Ohio.

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Legislation Could Create Licensure Reciprocity in Ohio

The Center Square

Ohio moved a step closer to recognizing business licenses from other states, which could help with an ongoing labor shortage, a Columbus-based policy group believes.

The House and Senate each passed versions of bills that would adopt universal occupational license recognition before the summer recess, a move The Buckeye Institute believes will make the state more attractive to newcomers and allow employers more options to fill open spots.

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Ryan Now Blasts Ohio Senate Rival Vance on Law Enforcement, But Once Called Criminal Justice System ‘Racist’

Bradley Vasoli

Advertising from Democratic Ohio Senate candidate Tim Ryan, which alleges that his Republican opponent J.D. Vance has disparaged law-enforcement officers, prompted Vance this week to recall Ryan’s own severe criticisms of law enforcers.

A video ad that appears on the Ryan campaign’s YouTube channel features a monologue by Stark County Sheriff George T. Maier.

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Small Business Optimism Continues to Fall Nationwide, Ohio

The Center Square

Small business optimism fell to its lowest point in nearly 50 years, and Ohio small business owners remain cautious about growth, according to the monthly National Federation of Independent Business Optimism Index.

The index fell 0.1 points in May to 93.1, making it the fifth consecutive month below the organization’s 48-year average of 98. At the same time, the nationwide survey showed the percentage of owners expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months fell 4 points to 54%. That also represented the lowest mark in 48 years.

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Father of Teen Slain at LeBron James’ School Fires Back After Claim That School Is ‘Safe’

Peter D'Abrosca

The father of a teen who was beaten to death near basketball courts at the LeBron James Foundation’s I PROMISE School is speaking out about the school’s security after the school assured the public that the school is safe. 

“It’s not safe. It’s not secure,” said Bill Liming, father of 17-year-old Ethan Liming. “The cameras are grossly insufficient. I mean, grossly insufficient for security.”

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Reduced Training to Arm Ohio Teachers Becomes Law

The Center Square

Ohio school boards can put armed teachers in classrooms with one day of training, rather than the previously required month, after Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill in response to an Ohio Supreme Court decision.

The court’s ruling mandated teachers complete the state’s 700 hours of basic peace officer education before legally being required to carry a fireman in a school. House Bill 99 dictates a maximum of 24 hours of training, but local boards can require more.

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Ohio U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan: January 6 Committee ‘Lied to the American People’

Susan Berry, PhD

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said members of the House Democrats’ select committee who claim to be investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol “altered evidence” of a text exchange between him and former White House Chief-of-Staff Mark Meadows.

On Sunday Jordan referred to the primetime presentation hearing focused on the riot, for which Democrats hired former president of ABC News James Goldston to produce, as nothing but a partisan effort that has already been shown to include doctored “evidence.”

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Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee Member Calls on Chair and Treasurer to Resign over Party Finances

Bradley Vasoli

An Ohio Republican Party (ORP) Central Committeeman sent an email to party associates on Monday calling on ORP Chairman Bob Paduchik and Treasurer David Johnson to resign.

Mark Bainbridge, an accountant who represents ORP’s State Central Committee District 16 and who has led the committee’s reform caucus, wrote that the state party has suffered a decline in net worth that is “shrouded in secrecy.” Specifically, he stated, ORP reported a net gain of $147,259 through 2021 when it allegedly should have reported a loss of $162,088. He concluded that $309,347 in net expenses are absent from the organization’s profit and loss statement and that ORP had equity totaling $2,568,530 at the end of 2021 compared with $2,730,618 at the end of 2020.

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Ohio Attorney General David Yost Attending NAAG Globalist London Retreat on Taxpayer Dime

Aaron Gulbransen

David Yost, the Republican attorney general of Ohio, is on the participant list of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) globalist retreat to London, The Ohio Star has learned.

Along with Yost, the attorneys general of Idaho, Vermont, Nebraska, Hawaii, and Mississippi are scheduled to attend on the dimes of their respective taxpayers.

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Commentary: Oberlin Learns a $31 Million Lesson for Falsely Accusing a Local Family Business of Racism

Admin

On March 31, 2022, an Ohio Appeals Court upheld a lower court verdict against Oberlin College awarding  $31.2 million to a local bakery on the grounds that, among other things, the College and its Dean of Students defamed the business.

There has been much reporting about the incident that sparked the lawsuit against Oberlin and the potential negative impact of the court’s decision on the rights of students to engage in free speech and protest.

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DeWine Pushes Biden on Solar Panel Tariffs for Ohio Manufacturers

The Center Square

Ohio solar manufacturers want to be on equal footing with foreign competition, and Gov. Mike DeWine is pushing President Joe Biden not to give other countries an “unfair advantage” over American businesses.

In a letter to Biden, DeWine called a decision this week to ban new tariffs for two years on solar panels imported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam a mistake and nod to China.

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Ohio’s Unfunded State Pension Liabilities Among Worst in U.S.

The Center Square
Ohio State House

Each person in Ohio is on the hook for more than $36,000 in unfunded state pension liabilities, one of the highest numbers in the nation, according to a new report from the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Nationwide, unfunded state pension liabilities have climbed to $8.28 trillion, or nearly $25,000 for every person in the United States. ALEC released the latest edition of its report on pensions in all 50 states Thursday. The report, “Unaccountable and Unaffordable 2021,” shows just a handful of states with outsize pension liabilities accounting for a large share of overall pension debt in the U.S.

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Ohio Public Employee Settles with Union over Vacation Time

The Center Square

A city of Cincinnati employee will receive back vacation time after union officials settled a lawsuit that accused them of stealing vacation time from public employees.

Margaret Lascano, a medical assistant employed by the city, ended her membership and dues deduction in July 2021 in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union, but the union continued to require her to donate up to four hours of vacation time every year to the “union release time bank.”

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As Ohio Gas Prices Surge, Vance Criticizes Ryan and Biden for Energy Policies

Bradley Vasoli

Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance criticized the energy and fiscal policies of his Democratic opponent and of the White House on Wednesday, blaming them for the steep gasoline prices Buckeyes now endure.

The average price of a regular gallon of gas in Ohio exceeded $5.00 on Wednesday. That’s a 118.91-percent increase over the $2.32-per-gallon average cost state motorists faced when President Joe Biden took office. In Vance’s estimation, “no one else” bears responsibility for this other than Biden and his “extreme allies in Congress like Tim Ryan (D-13).”

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Ohio’s Largest City Limits Use of Force for Police Dealing with Protesters

The Center Square

Nearly two years after protests filled the streets of downtown Columbus, the state’s largest city took steps to demilitarize its police force Monday by limiting certain weapons and equipment that can be used during peaceful protests.

The Columbus City Council unanimously approved a new ordinance that limits police from using tear gas, wooden or rubber bullets, batons, flash-bang grenades and other items on nonviolent protesters on streets and sidewalks.

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DeWine Authorizes Nearly $4 Million for Local Law Enforcement Across Ohio

Bradley Vasoli

At a visit to Springfield this week, Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) announced his authorization of nearly $4 million in grants to 16 police and sheriff departments across the Buckeye State.

The allotments come as the third round of DeWine’s Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program. Springfield’s police department itself gets a grant of $305,206.94. Those funds will go toward video-recording systems and automated license-plate readers to gather intelligence pertaining to gun-related violations. 

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Ohio House Passes Bill Banning Transgender Players in Sports

Peter D'Abrosca

The Ohio State House last week passed a bill that would ban transgender athletes from participating.

“The Save Women’s Sports Act is a fairness issue for women. Across our country, female athletes are currently losing championships, scholarship opportunities, medals, education and training opportunities, and more to discriminatory policies that allow biological males to compete in girls’ sports,” Powell said.

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Ohio’s Capital Budget Riddled with Incentives, Pork Projects

The Center Square

Working late into the night this week, the Ohio General Assembly passed its traditional capital budget, spending billions on statewide initiatives, business and industry incentives and pet projects for lawmakers.

House Bill 687 included money for state parks and the incentives for Intel’s planned $20 billion investment in two chip-making plants in central Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine called the bill an historic investment.

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