The Ohio Department of Public Safety and Governor Mike DeWine recently announced the availability of $4 million in grant funds to expand driver education resources throughout the Buckeye State.
Read the full storyCategory: The Midwest
Ohio Republican Party Supports Jim Jordan’s Bid for Speaker of the House
The Ohio Republican Party released a statement Wednesday offering its support for U.S. Representative Jim Jordan’s (R-OH-04) bid for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Read the full storyAmendment to Change Ohio Redistricting Process Moves Ahead
A plan to change who draws legislative districts for the second time in five years waits on word from the Ohio Ballot Board before moving forward.
The Ballot Board has yet to schedule a meeting to address a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a 15-member citizen commission to draw district lines.
Read the full storyGOP Presidential Candidates Back in the Hawkeye State as Clock Ticks Down to Caucus
They’re back …
Following last week’s disorderly second debate, several Republican presidential candidates are back in Iowa this week with less than 3 1/2 months to make their case to Hawkeye State caucus-goers.
Read the full storyRamaswamy Campaign Urges RNC to Limit GOP Presidential Primary Debate Stage to Five Candidates
Asserting the current crowded GOP presidential primary debate stage is too cluttered, the campaign for Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is asking the Republican National Committee to trim the number of contestants for the next debate in November.
Ben Yoho, CEO of the Ohio businessman’s presidential campaign, proposed revised criteria for candidates to make next month’s debate stage in Miami.
Read the full storyOhio Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to End Critical Nursing Staffing Issues
A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers introduced a bill last week into the Ohio House of Representatives to address critical staffing issues in Ohio’s nursing workforce.
The Safe Patient Care Act, introduced by State Representatives Haraz Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg) and Elgin Rogers (D-Toledo), would ensure that patients in the state of Ohio receive the highest quality care and that nurses receive reasonable workplace protections.
Read the full story160 Arrested in Statewide Human Trafficking Crackdown Operation
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Monday that 160 individuals have been arrested as a result of a week-long human trafficking crackdown across the state.
Read the full storyOhio Attorney General Warns Drug Cases Involving Elephant Tranquilizer on the Rise
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is urging Ohioans to take caution as Carfentanil, a lethal synthetic opioid, has reemerged in several drug cases across the state.
Read the full storyOhio’s Miami University Tells ‘Social Justice’ and CRT Degree Programs to Fix Lack of Interest
Low-enrollment degrees at Miami University need to adapt or die, according to a memo from school officials.
Majors in “social justice, “critical race and ethnic studies” and “art history” are among those that must adapt their offerings in order to survive. The Oxford, Ohio university is facing a $36 million budget deficit.
Read the full storyOhio House Health Provider Services Committee Holds First Hearing For The Never Alone Act
The Ohio House of Representatives’ Health Provider Services Committee recently held a hearing for the Never Alone Act, which, if enacted, would “ensure every patient has access to an advocate to be with them in a hospital, nursing home, or other congregate care setting.”
Read the full storyUnion Settles Lawsuit with Ohio School Bus Driver
The union that represents school bus drivers agreed to return the money it deducted from the paycheck of a northeast Ohio driver to settle a lawsuit.
The Ohio Association of Public School Employees agreed David Krizon acknowledged quitting the union and would give the money back it collected after he quit in a settlement, according to The Buckeye Institute.
Read the full storyOhio Bipartisan Legislation Authorizing Tax Credit for Landlords That Allow Pets Assigned to Committee
A piece of legislation introduced into the Ohio House of Representatives to authorize a tax credit for landlords who allow companion animals to reside in their rental units has been assigned to a committee for review.
Assistant Majority Whip Sharon Ray (R-Wadsworth) and State Representative Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) introduced House Bill (HB) 277, known as the Pet Friendly Rental Act on September 18th.
Read the full storyOhio Governor Mike DeWine Announces New Grant Program to Support Human Trafficking Survivors
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Wednesday details of a new program to help victim service agencies supply the needs of survivors of human trafficking.
DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly established the new Direct Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Grant Program as a component of the state’s new operating budget. As part of this program, nonprofit groups now have access to $4 million in financing to effectively support the rising number of sex and labor trafficking victims needing assistance.
Read the full storySecond GOP Presidential Debate Was Sloppy, At Times Chaotic, Ultimately Forgettable, Critics Say
Wednesday evening’s chaotic GOP presidential primary debate at times felt more like an episode of “Jersey Shore” than a showcase of the best and brightest minds in conservative politics.
Read the full storyOhio Senate GOP Launches Podcast to Push Back Against Media ‘Left-Wing Bias’
The Ohio Senate GOP on Tuesday pushed back against the media’s “left-wing bias” by launching its own weekly podcast with State Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima).
According to Ohio Senate GOP director of communications John Fortney, Ohio’s main newspapers have an extreme left-wing bias, and their editorials attack Republicans in the General Assembly and read like Democratic Party press releases.
Read the full storyTrump to Campaign in Hawkeye State This Weekend
Former President Donald Trump plans to campaign in southeast Iowa on Sunday.
The frontrunner in the GOP presidential nomination chase will deliver remarks at a Team Trump Iowa Commit to Caucus event at 2:30 p.m. in Ottumwa, according to his campaign.
Read the full storyOhio Republican Party Poll Shows Democrats Overwhelmingly Want Zero Restrictions on Abortion
Ohio Democratic lawmakers want zero legal restrictions on abortion in the state, according to a new poll conducted by the Ohio Republican Party.
The Ohio Republican Party straw X poll last week detailed that 71.4 percent of individuals surveyed said that Ohio Democratic officials and abortion lobbyists want to remove all legal restrictions to abortion in Ohio.
Read the full storyGOP Presidential Candidates Prepare for Critical Second Debate Without Trump
If Wednesday’s second GOP presidential primary debate proves to be anything like the first, we’re in for a night of political punches and maybe a rhetorical gang fight or two as the candidates look to score points in another Trump-less bout.
With former President Donald Trump skipping the debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA, top tier candidates like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley will try to tell those watching why they’re a better option than the race’s far and away frontrunner — and the rest of the crowded field of Republican candidates.
Read the full storyU.S. Senator JD Vance Requests Clarification from Biden National Security Advisor on Ukraine Spending
On Monday, U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) along with U.S. Congressmen Chip Roy (R-TX-21) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01) sent a letter to the National Security Advisor to President Joe Biden, Jake Sullivan requesting clarification regarding “major discrepancies” between claims made by administration officials regarding American aid given to Ukraine.
This follows Sullivan stating at a White House press briefing on September 21st, 2023 that the Biden Administration had sent approximately $79.9 billion in aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Read the full storyGov DeWine and Lt Gov Husted Announce Cutting Bureaucratic Language in Ohio Administrative Code through Updated Building Codes
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted announced that the Ohio Board of Building Standards recently adopted the 2024 Ohio Building (OBC), Mechanical (OMC), and Plumbing Codes (OPC) rules, an approach that cut redundant and pointless bureaucratic language from these codes and reduced the Ohio Administrative Code’s word count by nearly 610,000 words ultimately making it simpler for businesses to comply.
As previously reported by The Ohio Star, in January, DeWine and Husted unveiled a plan to eliminate one-third of the Ohio Administrative Code and the Ohio Common Sense Initiative (CSI) began identifying duplicative, unnecessary, and no longer used portions of the Ohio Administrative Code. The Ohio Board of Building Standards adopting these rules is part of this initiative.
Read the full storyPoll Showing Biden Leading Trump by 6 Points – if Former President Is Convicted – Has DeSantis Backers Written All Over It
A recent poll showing President Joe Biden ahead of Donald Trump in a 2024 rematch if the former president is convicted of the indictments he’s facing was conducted by the pollster working with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ super PAC.
As in other polls connected to the DeSantis camp, the latest survey does not include basic topline and demographic information.
Read the full storyDetransitioner Chloe Cole Scheduled to Speak at University of Iowa
In her battle against so-called “gender-affirming care” (aka sex changes) for children, Chloe Cole says she “will never be silenced until the butchers put the scalpel down.”
Cole, a 19-year-old former transgender boy who detransitioned at 17, has a powerful story to tell.
Read the full storyMarch for Life and Center for Christian Virtue Announce Speakers for Ohio March Next Month
The March for Life, in partnership with the Center for Christian Virtue (CCV), announced on Thursday the speakers for the second official Ohio March for Life next month.
As previously reported by The Ohio Star these organizations decided to team up once again to organize another march in Columbus following the tremendous success of the first Ohio March for Life last year.
Read the full storyU.S. Senator JD Vance Addresses Ukrainian Plight for Aid as U.S. Government Shutdown Approaches
U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) addressed the Ukrainian plight for aid on Friday as lawmakers get increasingly closer to the end-of-the-month deadline to pass a government spending bill to keep the U.S. government from a shutdown.
This follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s arrival in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to make his renewed case for $24 billion of American aid to Ukraine.
Read the full storyHaley Lays Out Economic ‘Freedom Plan,’ Packed with Promises of Tax Cuts, Entitlement Reform and Regulatory Relief
Declaring that it’s time for Washington to start working for Americans and not the other way around, GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley laid out her economic “Freedom Plan in a speech Friday in New Hampshire.
The former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador is proposing a litany of middle-class tax cuts, regulatory relief and “third rail” entitlement reforms in a proposal she asserts will check communist China aggression through American prosperity.
Read the full storyJudge Blocks Ohio’s Attempt to Strip Power from Board of Education
An Ohio judge issued a temporary restraining order Thursday to block a proposed law that would change who gets to write statewide education standards, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Republican Ohio Sen. Andrew Brenner and other Republicans want powers transferred from the state school board to a single cabinet appointee because of ideological fights over culture war issues and bureaucratic gridlock in the Ohio school board, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The Ohio school board filed a lawsuit Tuesday arguing the proposed plan to give control over statewide school standards to the governor’s office is unconstitutional, which prompted Democratic Judge Karen Held Phipps to block the proposed law as it moves through the courts.
Read the full storyVivek Ramaswamy Unveils Strategy on How to Declare Economic Independence from Communist China
NEW ALBANY, Ohio – Ohio native entrepreneur and Republican candidate for President of the United States Vivek Ramaswamy spoke to a passionate group of campaign supporters Thursday about how the nation can declare economic independence from communist China.
People packed into the one-hour event at the Axium Plastics facility to hear Ramaswamy’s strategy for “a clear and pragmatic vision for how Americans can actually and finally declare economic freedom from China while advancing American prosperity at home.”
Read the full storyOhio Supreme Court Rules Term ‘Unborn Child’ Can Remain on Abortion Ballot Measure
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the term “unborn child” could remain in an abortion amendment set to go on the ballot in November after activists filed a lawsuit over the language.
The state’s ballot board, which includes Secretary of State Frank LaRose, voted 3-2 in August that the term “fetus” should be changed to “unborn child” in order to give voters a clearer understanding of the ramifications of the amendment, which would make abortion a constitutional right in the state. In response, Ohioans for Reproductive Rights (ORR) filed a lawsuit days later, arguing the board was ignoring rules that required the language to “not ‘mislead, deceive, or defraud’ voters, but the state Supreme Court determined that the use of the term “unborn child” could stay in, noting that even the plaintiffs did not argue it was “factually inaccurate.”
Read the full storyHouse Select Committee on China Demands FBI and DOD Briefing on Communist China Spies Infiltrating U.S. Military Bases
U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI-o8), chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, wants a briefing from top Biden administration officials on increasing incidents of CCP spies accessing sensitive military, economic, and technological secrets on U.S. soil.
Gallagher joined fellow committee member U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) on Wednesday in calling on Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and FBI Director Christopher Wray to explain to the committee why there’s been a surge in CCP espionage, and what they plan to do about it.
Read the full storyGovernor Mike DeWine Unveils New Crime Gun Intelligence Center in Columbus
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) joined state, local, and federal leaders in Columbus on Tuesday to unveil the new Central Ohio Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC).
According to the press release, the center is located within the Ohio Department of Public Safety and operates in partnership with the Columbus Division of Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
This new centralized law enforcement
Read the full storyBurgum Campaign Announces ‘Cutting-Edge’ Voter Contact Effort as the GOP Presidential Long-Shot Looks to Miss Second Debate
The campaign for North Dakota Governor and Republican presidential candidate Doug Burgum said it’s rolling out a “cutting-edge voter contact surge” that will target more “persuadable” voters.
Will it be enough to move the needle for a long-shot candidate on the outside looking in to next week’s second GOP presidential debate?
Read the full storySenator JD Vance Calls the Biden Administration’s EV Agenda a ‘Threat’ to the U.S. Auto Industry
U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) said on Tuesday that President Joe Biden’s forced transition to electric vehicles (EV) threatens the bargaining power of the U.S. auto industry.
This follows the United Auto Workers (UAW), an American labor union, calling for a strike at the Big 3 U.S. automakers, General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, in Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio last week. The UAW is demanding shorter work weeks, restoration of defined benefit pensions, and stronger job security as automakers transition to electric vehicles.
Read the full storyGovernor Mike DeWine Announces Hundreds of Air Taxis to be Manufactured in Ohio
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik, and JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef announced on Monday that Joby Aviation Inc. plans to build an electric air taxi manufacturing facility in the state.
According to the press release, the company will build the facility at the Dayton International Airport and anticipates the project to create 2,000 new jobs in the area.
Read the full storyPence Vows to Block Federal Funds for Sex Changes on Children
Former Vice President Mike Pence says if elected president he would block federal funding to healthcare providers who perform and promote surgical or chemical gender reassignments on children.
Pence over the weekend laid out his Putting America’s Families and Values Plan that endorses passage of a 15-week federal limit on abortions, advancing universal school choice, and “ending the war on traditional family values.”
Read the full storyU.S. Senator JD Vance Calls Norfolk Southern’s East Palestine Property Value Reimbursement Program a ‘Disaster’
On Monday, U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) said that rail giant Norfolk Southern’s property value reimbursement program for the residents of East Palestine has so far been a “complete and total disaster.”
This follows Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw announcing in May that Norfolk Southern Railroad would 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.
Read the full storyOhio Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Freeze Property Taxes for Seniors
A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers introduced a bill to the Ohio House of Representatives to freeze property taxes for eligible seniors.
The legislation, known as the 70 Under 70 Plan, sponsored by State Representatives Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) and Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati), would freeze property taxes for Ohioans 70 years or older who make less than $70,000 a year and have owned their home for 10 years or more.
Read the full storyGOP Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Says He’d Win a Legal Challenge to His Plan to Slash the Administrative State
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy knows there would be legal challenges to his sweeping plan to drastically reduce the size of the administrative state. The 38-year-old political outsider knows the big government left won’t give up the heart of the D.C swamp without a bruising fight.
Ramaswamy’s good with that.
Read the full storyKinder, Gentler Iowa Cattle Call of GOP Presidential Hopefuls Sees Ramaswamy, DeSantis, Haley Generate Most Buzz
The latest cattle call of GOP presidential contestants — sans former President Donald Trump — mainly maintained Iowa nice, a departure from last month’s first fiery primary debate and a similar Christian conservative event in July hosted by conservative talk show host lightning rod Tucker Carlson.
The 10 presidential candidates who appeared at Saturday’s Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition’s Annual Fall Banquet and Presidential Town Hall took relatively few direct shots at their rivals.
Read the full storyOhio Republican Lawmaker Introduces Legislation to Close Primary Elections and Update the Voter Registration Process
A Republican lawmaker introduced legislation last week into the Ohio Senate to move Ohio’s primary elections to a closed system and to allow voters to update their party affiliation at any time up to thirty days before a primary election.
Senate Bill (SB) 147, known as the Voter Registration Modernization Act, sponsored by State Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester), attempts to allow voters to be more civically engaged by allowing them to declare their political party affiliation in real-time increasing data, accuracy, and integrity of the voter registration process.
Read the full storyRepublican National Committee Launches Ohio’s State Buildout for ‘Bank Your Vote’
On Friday, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced Ohio’s state buildout for “Bank Your Vote” and launched the State Leadership Team.
The RNC launched “Bank Your Vote,” a nationwide campaign focused on maximizing pre-Election Day voting in early June of this year.
Read the full storyRFK Jr. Rips DNC in Letter Before Delegate Procedure Vote, Says DNC Has ‘Hijacked the Party Leadership’
The Democratic Party has succumbed to the “siren of control,” according to a letter Robert F. Kennedy Jr. penned to the Democratic National Committee ahead of its controversial meeting that was expected to decide delegate procedures for the 2024 primary elections.
The Kennedy family scion running for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, spares no feelings in calling out the party of his famous father and uncle for losing its way.
Read the full storyGOP Presidential Hopeful Tim Scott Unveils Economic Plan Ahead of Campaign Trip to Hawkeye State
U.S. Senator and Republican presidential hopeful Tim Scott is unveiling his “Build, Don’t Borrow” economic plan as he prepares for another campaign trip to Iowa.
Scott says his proposal targets runaway government spending, while cutting taxes, expanding jobs and “unleashing American manufacturing and energy production” with his Made in America agenda.
Read the full storyOhio Redistricting Commission at Standstill over Inability to Pick Co-Chairs
The Ohio Redistricting Commission is currently at a standstill because Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) and House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) cannot agree on who should co-chair the committee.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine officially reconvened the Ohio Redistricting Commission on Wednesday to begin the process of drawing new state legislative maps.
Read the full storyStill Reeling from $36 Million Defamation Judgment, Oberlin Risks New Suit from Censored Coach
A year after Oberlin College finally agreed to pay more than $36 million to family-owned Gibson’s Bakery under a defamation judgment — dragging out appeals until both father and son had died — the Ohio liberal arts school is facing new allegations of character assassination.
Administrators have tried to silence head women’s lacrosse coach Kim Russell about gender ideology’s threat to women’s sports since she questioned transgender swimmer Lia Thomas’s victory in the NCAA women’s 500-yard freestyle last year, she claims.
Read the full storySecretary of State Frank LaRose Announces over 150 Ohio Conservative Leaders Endorsing His Run for U.S. Senate
Ohio Republican Secretary of State and candidate for U.S. Senate Frank LaRose announced on Wednesday he obtained endorsements from over 150 conservative leaders across Ohio in his campaign to unseat Ohio Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in 2024.
According to a press release e-mailed to reporters, LaRose’s vast group of supporters represent a diverse background of local GOP leadership, from mayors, county officeholders, and state legislators to county Republican Party chairs and members of state and county GOP leadership committees.
Read the full storyGOP Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Unveils Plan to Halve the Federal Government Civil Service Workforce
If elected president, political outsider Vivek Ramaswamy vows to cut 1 million jobs from a behemoth federal government workforce.
And the GOP presidential candidate’s plan to rein in the administrative state is driving the left and the mainstream media insane.
Read the full storyNew Ohio School Bus Safety Task Force Holds First Meeting
A new state task force in Ohio focused on thoroughly evaluating the safety of the state’s school buses held its first meeting on Monday at the Ohio Department of Public Safety headquarters.
As previously reported by The Ohio Star Ohio Governor Mike DeWine formed the Ohio School Bus Safety Working Group last month following a Northwestern Local School District bus crash that killed one student and injured more than two dozen in Clark County.
Read the full storyGOP Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to Lay Out Blueprint for ‘Rolling Back the Powers’ of the Administrative State in Major Speech
Republican Presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy on Wednesday will lay out his plan to break the grip of power held by the administrative state.
“There is an unconstitutional, fourth branch of government that is choking American democracy, and it is called the administrative state,” Ramaswamy asserts in an advance copy of a white paper speech provided to The Star News Network by the Ohio entrepreneur’s campaign.
Read the full storyRepublican Presidential Candidates Back in Iowa for Faith & Freedom Coalition Cattle Call This Weekend
Ohio entrepreneur and GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is back in the kickoff caucus state this week, barnstorming eastern Iowa in five stops in 24 hours.
In fact, the Hawkeye State will be a hive of presidential campaign activity in the coming days — leading up to and through Saturday’s packed Faith & Freedom Coalition Town Hall featuring most of the crowded field of Republican Party presidential candidates.
Read the full storyOhio Republican Party Passes Resolutions Against November Marijuana and Abortion Initiatives
The Ohio Republican State Central Committee has unanimously endorsed a “no” vote on November’s Issue 2 which aims to legalize unfettered marijuana access across Ohio and passed a resolution condemning November’s Issue 1 to enshrine abortion into the state constitution.
Ohio State Issue 2 aims to impose a 10 percent tax on the sale of all cannabis products, permit adults to grow up to six plants per person or 12 per household, and legalize the possession, purchase, and sale of marijuana by Ohio residents aged 21 and older.
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