Category: The Midwest

Ohio Supreme Court Sets Schedule for Abortion Amendment Lawsuit

Hannah Poling

The Ohio Supreme Court set a schedule on Tuesday for briefs and evidence in a lawsuit claiming that the Ohio Ballot Board erred by approving a proposed abortion constitutional amendment as one issue.

Earlier this month, the Ohio Ballot Board unanimously certified that the proposed constitutional amendment by the Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom, a coalition of radical pro-abortion activists that includes Planned Parenthood, Pro-Choice Ohio, the Abortion Fund of Ohio, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio, along with the Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights that would legalize abortion throughout the state called “The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety,” incorporated only one constitutional amendment and therefore advanced to the signature gathering stage.

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Federal and State Environmental Protection Agency Officials Testify on East Palestine Derailment at U.S. House Hearing

Hannah Poling

Federal and state Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials were questioned about the East Palestine train derailment at a Tuesday hearing of the U.S. House Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee over a month after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio.

Debra Shore, the regional administrator of the U.S. EPA Region 5, and Anne Vogel, the director of the Ohio EPA, both gave testimony and detailed the actions they have taken in reaction to the incident.

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Senator JD Vance Says ‘Extreme Left’ Needs to do a Lot of ‘Soul Searching’ After Nashville School Shooting

Hannah Poling

In the wake of the murder of six people at a Christian School in Nashville, Tennessee by an individual who reportedly “identified as transgender” on Monday, U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) said that the extreme left needs to do a lot of “soul searching.”

According to Vance, this terrible incident should prompt the extreme left to deeply consider the correctness of their ideals.

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Attorney General Yost Files Lawsuit Against Swiss-Based Drug Pricing Racket Affecting Ohio

Hannah Poling

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a lawsuit against several pharmacy benefit management firms on the grounds that they have erroneously raised the cost of medications like insulin.

Yost claims that the companies, one of which is based in Switzerland, have maintained dominance over most of the pharmaceutical market due to industry consolidation. Yost named Ascent Health Services LLC, Express Scripts Inc., Cigna Group, Evernorth Health Inc., Prime Therapeutics LLC, Humana Pharmacy Solutions Inc., and Humana Inc. as defendants in the lawsuit. Yost filed the lawsuit on Monday in the Delaware County Common Pleas Court.

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Methodology and Motive Questions Surround Poll Showing DeSantis Ahead of Trump in Iowa

M.D. Kittle

Two polls showing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis “running more competitively” against former President Donald Trump in first-in-the-nation nominating states Iowa and New Hampshire are missing some key data, raising questions about the validity of the surveys. 

The polls, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies (POS) from March 21-23, were provided exclusively to Axios.

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States Continue Attempting to Block the Transport of East Palestine Waste

Hannah Poling

States throughout the nation that have facilities for storing hazardous waste are still working to stop the transport of contaminated debris from an Ohio train disaster that culminated in a fire to their states.

On Saturday, the City and County of Baltimore, Maryland announced in a joint statement that they are “seeking a legal opinion from the Attorney General’s Office regarding the City’s requirement to treat and discharge the waste from the Norfolk Southern Railroad derailment.”

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Ohio Attorney General Yost Fights Back Against Biden’s Attempt to Revoke Protection for Student Religious Groups

Hannah Poling

On Friday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education urging the department to maintain a regulation that mandates public universities to uphold the First Amendment or risk losing grant funding.

In accordance with the current rule, which was put in place in 2020 to carry out Supreme Court precedent, public universities are not allowed to deny religious student organizations “any right, benefit or privilege that is otherwise afforded to other student organizations at the public institution” because of the group’s “beliefs, practices, policies, speech, membership standards or leadership standards, which are informed by sincerely held religious beliefs.”

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Ohio Narcotic Intelligence Center Releases Public Safety Notice Connecting Emojis to Potential Drug Activity

Hannah Poling

The Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC) has released a public safety notice in order to warn parents that children are using emojis to advertise, sell, and acquire illegal substances on social media and in electronic communication.

According to ONIC Executive Director Cynthia Peterman, this kind of emoji usage is becoming more popular around the country, and the analysis of electronic devices seized in current drug investigations has shown activity in Ohio related to the use of emojis in this way.

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Vivek Ramaswamy, the GOP’s Youngest Presidential Candidate, Showing His Energy on Latest Swing Through Iowa

M.D. Kittle

While Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy may be lagging in the polls, in his first month on the campaign trail no one has outworked the Ohio businessman to connect with voters. 

In the words of Geoff Mack and Johnny Cash, Ramaswamy has been everywhere, man — from Iowa to New Hampshire to South Carolina and Maryland. He’s made the media rounds, too, from the smallest small town newspapers to the network talking heads. 

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Ohio Lawmakers Reintroduce ‘Parents Bill of Rights’ Promoting School Transparency

Hannah Poling

Republican lawmakers have re-introduced a bill to require school systems to have policies in place that allow parents to be more active in their child’s education.

House Bill (HB) 8, known as the “Parents Bill of Rights,” sponsored by state Representatives D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron) and Sara Carruthers (R-Hamilton) aims to require school systems to give parents notice of sexually explicit materials and create a health care plan for students with their parents.

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State Senate, House at Odds Over Ohio Transportation Budget

The Center Square

The Ohio Senate and House, along with Republicans and Democrats, agreed on rail safety issues in the state’s proposed transportation budget. But there were other differences.

The nearly $13.5 billion budget that unanimously passed the Senate on Thursday funds state and local road and bridge construction, improvements and repair maintenance. House Democrats said that version negatively impacts working Ohioans, labor unions and competitive bidding.

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Ohio GOP Chairman Triantafilou Endorses Legislation to Protect Ohio’s Constitution

Hannah Poling

Alex Triantafilou, the newly elected head of the Ohio Republican Party, endorsed legislation on Thursday that aims to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments.

There are currently two pieces of legislation that Republican lawmakers have introduced this session to protect the state Constitution from out-of-state special interest groups.

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Cuyahoga County GOP Takes Action Against 22 Republicans Who Voted for Speaker Stephens

Hannah Poling

On Thursday, the Cuyahoga County Republican Party censured state Representative Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) for voting in favor of newly elected House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill).

The Cuyahoga County Republican Party Disciplinary Committee previously recommended that Patton be censured for disregarding his obligation to the party and public by voting for Stephens.

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Ohio Republican State Senators Move Closer to Putting Constitution Protections on the August Ballot

Hannah Poling

Republican state lawmakers are getting closer to putting a measure on the ballot in August that would need 60 percent of voters to approve constitutional amendments.

State Senators Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) and Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) introduced two pieces of legislation on Wednesday one which aims to alter the process of how constitutional amendments can be proposed by initiative petitions and one to allow for special elections to be held in August for certain purposes.

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Ohio GOP Chairman Discusses Vision for State to Bring ‘Strong Conservative’ Leaders to Washington

Hannah Poling

Alex Triantafilou, the newly elected head of the Ohio Republican Party, stopped in Hillsboro for the Highland County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner on Wednesday to discuss his positive vision for the Ohio Republican Party moving forwards.

According to Triantafilou, one of his primary focuses for the party is removing U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and President Joe Biden from office.

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Norfolk Southern CEO Says ‘Unified Command Was Aligned’ in East Palestine Controlled Burn Decision

Hannah Poling

Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw faced questions about the decision to vent and burn vinyl chloride at a Wednesday hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation over a month after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) asked Shaw if anyone in the decision-making process disagreed with the recommendation to vent and burn the vinyl chloride from all five tank cars.

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GOP Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Barnstorms Western Iowa as His Political Star Appears to Rise

M.D. Kittle

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is back in the Hawkeye State this weekend for several campaign stops, just as his star appears be rising in the GOP nomination chase. 

The Ohio businessman and anti-woke crusader that former President Trump has billed as “young Vivek Ramaswamy” will barnstorm western Iowa in a three-day, three-county tour beginning Friday evening with a town hall in Mills County.

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Ohio Pro-Life Group Announces First Wave of 48 Coalition Members to Fight for Parental Rights

Hannah Poling

An Ohio pro-woman and pro-parent group said that their large group of Ohio-based coalition members is a testament that Ohioans refuse to sit back and watch as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Planned Parenthood bring a war on parental rights to Ohio.

Protect Women Ohio (PWO), a new group dedicated to defeating a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize abortion throughout the state, released a list of it’s first wave of Ohio-based coalition members on Wednesday.

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National Transportation Safety Board Chair Says Trains Should Be Mandated to Have More Image and Audio Recorders Following East Palestine Derailment

Hannah Poling

At a Wednesday hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said that in light of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, freight trains should have mandates for both inward and outward-facing image and audio recorders.

According to NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, the train involved in the East Palestine derailment was only equipped with an inward-facing camera and because it was immediately put back into service following the accident, the data from the day of the derailment was overwritten.

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Wisconsin Legislature Passes Key Crime Bills, Stops Evers Administration Rule on ‘Conversion Therapy’

M.D. Kittle

In a busy and divisive day, the Republican-led Legislature on Wednesday passed several crime bills, a measure blocking what some say is the Evers administration’s assault on the First Amendment, and a resolution demanding the governor call an election for Secretary of State.

Many of the measures passed mostly along party lines, including a bill that defines “serious harm” and “violent crime” in state law. The proposal is tied to a bail reform constitutional amendment on next month’s spring election ballot. Under the amendment, judges would be allowed to consider expanded factors when issuing bail to violent offenders, beyond whether the defendant would show up for his court date.

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Ohio Governor DeWine Announces East Palestine Health Clinic to Become Permanent

Hannah Poling

At a Wednesday hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that after speaking to medical leaders from the East Liverpool City Hospital, the temporary health clinic in East Palestine is becoming a permanent clinic for the community.

“This is a long term commitment to the health of the people of East Palestine,” DeWine said.

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Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment May Get August Vote

Hannah Poling

Although the “Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment” did not pass in the Ohio House and Senate prior to the February 1st deadline to be on May’s primary election ballot, state lawmakers may reinstate an August special election to consider the amendment. 

House Joint Resolution (HJR) 1 sponsored by state Representative Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) aims to alter the process of how constitutional amendments can be proposed by initiative petitions. Currently, issues proposed by initiative petitions need to meet a 50 percent voting threshold to amend the Constitution. Under this proposal, these issues would need to meet a 60 percent threshold.

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Norfolk Southern CEO Evades Questions About Support for Rail Safety Act of 2023

Hannah Poling

At a Wednesday hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Norfolk Southern’s CEO Alan Shaw evaded questions about the company’s support for safety requirements included in the bipartisan Rail Safety Act of 2023.

The Rail Safety Act sponsored by U.S. Senators JD Vance (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) would require that trains carrying hazardous materials be scanned by wayside defect detectors, or “hotbox detectors,” every 10 miles to prevent future derailments caused by faulty wheel bearings. It stipulates that railroad companies must provide advance notification to state emergency response commissions when transporting hazardous materials. It requires railroads to operate with at least two-person crews. It also, increases the maximum fine for rail safety violations.

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Cuyahoga County GOP Stands Up to ‘Politically Motivated Prosecution’ of Donald Trump

Hannah Poling

The Cuyahoga County GOP says that bringing politically motivated charges against former President and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump will severely undermine America’s confidence in the judicial system.

According to a Fox News report, the Manhattan District Attorney‘s office requested a meeting with law enforcement on Friday in anticipation of a potential indictment of Trump this week.

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Ohio Residents Ask Ohio Supreme Court to Split Abortion Constitutional Amendment Proposal into Multiple Issues

Hannah Poling

On Monday, two Southeast Ohio residents asked the state Supreme Court to overturn the Ohio Ballot Board’s decision last week to advance a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize abortion throughout the state.

According to the lawsuit, the Ohio Ballot Board erred last week when it decided that the proposed amendment contained only one issue, when it actually contained two or more. A proposal including more than one amendment would need to be divided into separate issues under Ohio law.

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Wisconsin Law Firm Files Discrimination Lawsuit Against Biden’s Woke Small Business Agency

M.D. Kittle

The Biden administration is facing another discrimination lawsuit, accused once again of employing identity politics to play favorites. 

On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed the complaint in U.S. District Court-Northern Texas alleging President Joe Biden’s Minority Business Development Agency “violates the Constitution’s core requirement of equal treatment under the law.” 

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Norfolk Southern CEO Tells Pennsylvania Senate Panel State Authorities Were ‘Aligned’ on Vent-and-Burn

Bradley Vasoli

Norfolk Southern Corp. Chief Executive Officer Alan Shaw told Pennsylvania lawmakers on Monday that the response to February’s Ohio train derailment “worked” and that state officials thoroughly backed it. 

Shaw’s appearance before the state Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee came about as a result of a subpoena earlier this month after the rail-company executive initially declined to speak to the panel. Senators also subpoenaed the corporation’s internal communications related to the wreck, some of which committee Chair Doug Mastriano (R-Gettysburg) said have been turned over and others of which he says he still awaits. 

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Ohio Latest Republican State to Drop out of Voter Registration Initiative

Hannah Poling

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has announced that Ohio is the latest Republican-led state to pull out of a national bipartisan voter registration initiative.

LaRose, a Republican who is actively considering running for U.S. Senate against U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in 2024, sent a letter to the executive director of the Electronic Registration Information Center, also known as ERIC, announcing the decision following the bipartisan compact’s member states meeting on Friday.

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Iowa Evangelicals with Long Memories Could Be a Problem for Trump in the Kickoff Caucus State

M.D. Kittle

Former President Donald Trump’s run for the White House could run into trouble in Iowa from evangelicals unhappy about his criticisms of the pro-life movement following mostly disappointing midterms for Republicans. 

Iowa’s Bob Vader Plaats, a leading voice among the Hawkeye State’s evangelical voters, certainly hasn’t forgotten what Trump said in early January. 

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Ohio Businessman and Republican Politician Bernie Moreno Calls Potential Indictment of Trump a ‘Disastrous Idea’

Hannah Poling

Ohio Republican politician and businessman Bernie Moreno says that an indictment against former President and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump would be a “disastrous idea.”

According to a Fox News report, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office requested a meeting with law enforcement on Friday in anticipation of a potential indictment of Trump this week.

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Iowa Suspends New DEI Policies in Higher Education, Launches Probe into Current Ones

Admin

The Board of Regents overseeing Iowa’s public universities has paused implementation of any new diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the state’s three major public universities as officials launch a review of them.

The March 14 announcement comes in the wake of a recently introduced bill in the Iowa House of Representatives that aims to halt spending on DEI initiatives in higher education.

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Ohio Republican Senator Introduces Legislation to Stop Diversity and Equity Training at State Colleges and Universities

Hannah Poling

A bill in the Ohio Senate aims to stop diversity and equity training for faculty and students at state colleges and universities.

Senate Bill (SB) 83 known as the Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act introduced by state Senator Jerry Cirino, (R-Kirtland) would eliminate the need for professor, staff, or student participation in diversity, equity, or inclusion training or courses. It would also create transparency for all tasks, as well as compulsory and suggested reading.

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Universal School Choice ‘Backpack Bill’ Reintroduced in Ohio General Assembly

Hannah Poling

Republican lawmakers have reintroduced a plan to allow state education dollars to be used by every Ohio parent to pay for private school or other education expenses. House Bill (HB) 11, sponsored by State Representatives Riordan McClain (R-Upper Sandusky) and Marilyn John (R-Richland County), aims to make all public, nonpublic, and home-school students in grades K-12 eligible for a state scholarship to attend a nonpublic school or to be home-schooled. “The Backpack Scholarship Program would empower families to find the best educational environment for their child. As a father of five, I know how different the needs of each child can be and by giving each child the opportunity to pursue the best path will lead to better outcomes. Education is not a one size fits all model. This program recognizes that and allows educational freedom as well as competition. Parental involvement is one of the most important aspects of a child’s education regardless of learning environment,” McClain said. Under the legislation, an education savings account would fund the scholarships. Scholarship recipients would receive $5,000 for students K-8 or $7,500 for high school students. The funds could be paid directly to a school or reimbursed to parents. According to the…

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Pence Tells Iowans U.S. Must Continue to be ‘Arsenal of Democracy’ in Ukraine

M.D. Kittle

Taking a different position than his old boss on a key foreign policy issue, former Vice President Mike Pence told a gathering of Iowans Saturday that the U.S. must continue to help provision Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression. 

While he repeatedly trumpeted “Trump-Pence” successes, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate definitely differs with potential top presidential race rivals, former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, on U.S. involvement in the war-torn European country. 

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Orders States Not to Block Waste from East Palestine Derailment

Hannah Poling

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday ordered states to stop preventing the transportation of contaminated debris from an Ohio train disaster that resulted in a fire from reaching hazardous waste storage facilities around the country.

This announcement follows Ohio Governor Mike DeWine calling on both the EPA and Norfolk Southern Railway to authorize more sites to take East Palestine’s contaminated soil due to some states with sites that are certified to take in hazardous materials not accepting it.

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Ohio Governor DeWine Visits East Palestine to Receive Remediation Updates After Train Derailment

Hannah Poling

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine visited East Palestine, Ohio to receive remediation updates on Friday, exactly six weeks since a Norfolk Southern train derailed wreaking havoc on the environment and negatively impacting the health of residents.

Although soil is being removed in the area more swiftly than before, according to DeWine, “it’s never fast enough.” Despite the fact that 1,620 tons of earth were removed last week as opposed to 910 tons the week before, there is still a substantial amount.

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Iowa U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley Grills Biden’s Treasury Secretary on Social Security, Inflation During Biden Budget Hearing

M.D. Kittle

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Thursday grilled Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on whether she still believes inflation is a positive for Americans and the economy. 

During the Senate Finance Committee hearing on President Joe Biden’s $6.9 trillion budget proposal,  Grassley also asked Yellen whether her boss has it in him to rise about politics and lead on shoring up a troubled Social Security system headed down the road to insolvency.  

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Cincinnati Stalls Its Southern Railway Sale to Norfolk Southern

Hannah Poling

Cincinnati city officials have stalled its attempt to sell a city-owned rail line to Norfolk Southern, the same company that caused the toxic disaster in East Palestine last month.

The elements required for the proposed sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway are no longer included in the state’s transportation budget, hence Norfolk Southern cannot currently purchase the city-owned railroad.

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House Bill 6 Civil Lawsuit Ordered to Resume After Householder Conviction

Hannah Poling

After more than two years, Attorney General Dave Yost’s civil lawsuit against FirstEnergy, former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, and others connected to the House Bill (HB) 6 scandal is once more being permitted to move forward.

Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Chris Brown has granted Yost’s motion to lift the stay on proceedings in the case.

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Vice President Kamala Harris to Visit Iowa for Roundtable Discussion on Abortion Rights

M.D. Kittle

Vice President Kamala Harris, who hasn’t been to Iowa in years, is heading back to the Hawkeye State this Thursday for a roundtable discussion on abortion rights, according to the White House. 

Harris will be in Des Moines to talk about “extreme” measures to limit abortion across the country in the wake of last June’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, according to multiple media outlets.  

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Ohio Pro-Parent Group Warns of Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Abolish Parental Consent and Notification for Minors’ Abortions and Gender Changes

Susan Berry, PhD

An Ohio pro-woman and pro-parent group has released a $5 million ad buy to underscore the dangerous and extreme nature of a constitutional amendment championed by abortion and transgender industry giants, including Planned Parenthood.

In its 30-second spot, Protect Women Ohio (PWO), a statewide coalition, emphasizes the provisions of the radical constitutional amendment pushed by anti-life activists, including one to abolish parental rights and eradicate the basic health and safety standards that currently protect Ohio women and girls.

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Republican Judge Megan Shanahan Announces Bid for Ohio Supreme Court Seat

Hannah Poling

Republican Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Shanahan has announced her bid for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court in 2024. Shanahan is the first to announce her candidacy.

According to Shanahan, she is running for an Ohio Supreme Court Seat because she understands the proper role of the judiciary “interpreting the law, not legislating from the bench.”

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Cleveland City Council Urges Congress to Pass Ohio U.S. Senators’ Federal Rail Safety Act

Hannah Poling

Cleveland aimed to encourage increased rail safety in response to the February disaster of the East Palestine train derailment, particularly because the train that derailed also passed through the city.

Cleveland City Council Member Jenny Spencer sponsored a railroad safety resolution on Monday urging Congress to pass U.S. Senate Bill (SB) 576, the Federal Rail Safety Act of 2023, introduced in Congress by U.S. Senators JD Vance (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

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