A senior campaign advisor for the Frank LaRose for Senate campaign told The Ohio Star this week that Ohio voters “don’t really trust Bernie Moreno.”
Read the full storyFrank LaRose Campaign: Ohio Voters Don’t Trust Bernie Moreno
Category: The Midwest
Ohio Senator JD Vance Slams Push for Ukraine Aid to be Prioritized Over Southern Border: ‘It’s so Disgraceful’
Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) slammed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) call for the House of Representatives to prioritize passing a $95.34 billion aid package for Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel before addressing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Read the full storyOhio Bill Aimed to Block Tracking Gun, Ammunition Sales Moves on to the State House
A credit card rule that has been on hold for more than a year that would track gun and ammunition buys could legally be banned in Ohio.
Following passage in its originating chamber, Senate Bill 148 now heads to the House of Representatives. Bill sponsor Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, says the rule is an invasion of privacy and an attack on Second Amendment rights.
Read the full storyElectric Vehicle Parts Maker Gets Tax Break to Open New Plant in Ohio
Ohio plans to give a 15-year tax credit to a company planning a new manufacturing facility to build parts for electric vehicles.
Schaeffler, owner of two plants in the state, plans a third in Dover that is expected to employ 650 people after a $230 million investment. The tax credits are tied to job creation.
The new jobs are expected to be split between the company’s plant in Wooster and the new Dover plant. The company employs more than 1,600 people.
Read the full storyReport: Ohio School Spending Rising; Teacher Pay, Enrollment Declining
Ohio schools spent nearly 15% more per student in 2020 than in 2002, while enrollment, the number of teachers and teacher pay dropped.
According to a new report from the Reason Foundation released Thursday morning, the bulk of the inflation-adjusted increase covered employee benefits, specifically teacher pension debt.
The Reason Foundation’s Education Spending Across 50 States showed Ohio’s inflation-adjusted education revenue grew from $14,008 per student in 2002 to $16,064 per student in 2020. That increase keeps it well below the national average, ranking 38th in the country.
Read the full storyMore than 15,000 New Concealed Carry Permits Issued in Ohio in 2023
More than 15,000 new concealed handgun licenses were issued in Ohio in 2023, even though the state stopped requiring concealed carry permits.
Attorney General Dave Yost on Friday issued the state’s annual report on concealed handgun licensing that showed a total of 90,582 permits were issued last year.
Read the full storyBill Would Expand Ohio Student Access to College Courses
Ohio high school and junior high students could get more opportunities to earn college credits at little to no cost, and more high school teachers could teach those classes under a proposal in the Legislature.
A new bill that passed the Senate and hasn’t had any committee hearings in the House would enact several recommendations State Auditor Keith Faber made in a 2021 report, including allowing students to sign up for the program semester by semester.
Read the full storyBoard Trims 610,000 Words from Ohio Building Regulations
Builders in Ohio will deal with nearly 15,000 fewer regulatory restrictions Friday when new building, mechanical and plumbing rules go into effect.
The Ohio Board of Building Standards recently adopted rule changes showing a significant reduction in regulations and the actual number of words on the code. Overall, more than 610,000 words were eliminated.
Read the full storyOhio Supreme Court Helped Coordinate Event Featuring ‘Gender Identity’ Training from Trans Activists
The Ohio Supreme Court coordinated a conference where an activist group held a training for judges that claimed children have a “stable sense” of their gender identity by the age of four.
The presentation, titled “The Judicial System & LGBTQ+ Families: A Cultural Humility Approach,” was given by a local activist group, Equality Ohio, during the Ohio Association of Magistrates (OAM) Fall 2023 conference. The presentation featured the “gender unicorn” — a graphic portraying gender identity and expression as spectrums — and encouraged “affirming” youth transgender identities by “respecting their pronouns and allowing them to change legal documents,” according to the slideshow obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation via a public records request.
Read the full storyNortheast Ohio Criminal Defense Lawyer Charged in Sex Sting Operation
A private criminal defense lawyer from northeast Ohio has been charged in a sex sting operation, Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Monday.
Read the full storyOhio Plans Warning Systems for Stopped Traffic
The state of Ohio believes new technology that detects slow traffic and warns drivers will create a safer highway system.
The Ohio Department of Transportation plans to install new warning systems at 13 highway sites in and around major urban areas identified as high-congestion, high-crash sites.
Read the full storyDemocrats Want Investigation into DeWine, Husted
Ohio Democratic lawmakers want the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted after news reports questioned the administration’s actions after the House Bill 6 scandal came to light.
At a Thursday news conference, State House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, said the suggestion is that the administration did nothing when possibly criminal activity came to light.
Read the full storyGroup Pushing Level Playing Field for Ohio Craft Beer Brewers
An Ohio policy groups wants state lawmakers to unlock competition in the brewing industry and let craft brewers compete on a level playing field.
The Buckeye Institute calls the state’s alcohol franchise law anti-competitive and favors distributors over small craft brewers.
Read the full storyOhio Businesses to Save $67 Million After Worker’s Comp Rate Cut
Private employers across the state will pay $67 million less in workers’ compensation premiums after the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation board voted Friday morning to lower rates for the sixth straight year.
The 7% rate cut follows a 3.9% reduction for public employers that went into effect Jan. 1. The new private employer rate takes effect July 1.
Read the full storyOhio Launches New Online Tool to Help Families Locate and Research Nursing Homes Across the State
The Ohio Department of Aging has launched a new online tool to empower Ohioans when considering a nursing home for themselves or a loved one.
The Ohio Nursing Home Quality Navigator is an online tool that provides users with detailed information about nursing homes across the state.
Read the full storyBill to Ban Foreign Money in Ohio Ballot Issues Moves Ahead
As Ohio’s March 19 primary begins today with early in-person voting, state senators are moving ahead with election-related legislation to stop foreign campaign contributions.
Senate Bills 215 and 137 are planned to go before the chamber’s General Government Committee.
Read the full storyTeacher’s Assistant Sues Union, Ohio School District for Illegally Withholding Dues from Her Paycheck
An Ohio teacher’s assistant who helps special needs students is suing her school district and former union because the district withheld union dues from her paycheck even after she left the union and formally asked it to cease taking her money.
“Using the coercion of government to take money from a government employee and give it to a union without the employee’s consent is not only egregious, but the Supreme Court has held that it’s unconstitutional,” Jeffrey Schwab, a senior counsel at Liberty Justice Center who represents the Ohio teacher’s assistant, told The Daily Signal in a written statement Monday.
Read the full storyMother of J6 Prisoner Asks for Prayers as Son Marks 16 Months Behind Bars
The mother of a man imprisoned for being present at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 is asking for prayers as her son marks 16 months behind bars at the Elkton Federal Prison in Ohio.
Read the full storyEarly Voting Begins Wednesday in Ohio
Wednesday, February 21 is the first day of early voting for the March 19 Primary Election in Ohio.
Read the full storyOhio Communities to Share $100 Million for Transportation Needs
Nearly 400 transit programs across the state will share more than $100 million in taxpayer funds for various projects to support public transportation.
Gov. Mike DeWine announced $106 million for 383 different projects through seven grant programs focusing on workforce mobility, senior citizens, special needs transportation, rural transit and busing.
Read the full storyOhio U.S. Senator JD Vance Speaks at Munich Security Conference, Stresses Importance of Negotiating Peace in Ukraine
Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) participated in a panel discussion over the weekend at the Munich Security Conference in Germany where he discussed the United States’ response to conflicts around the globe.
Read the full storyOhio Democrats Roll Out Gun Legislation
Ohio Democrats once again are pushing gun legislation, including declaration of gun violence as a public health crisis.
The introduction of five bills that deal with universal background checks and concealed carry restrictions, among other things, comes in the week of a mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade.
Read the full storyPresident Biden’s Visit to East Palestine Ill-Received by Residents: ‘Too Little Too Late’
President Joe Biden traveled to East Palestine, Ohio on Friday more than a year after a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed to meet with residents and community leaders, including East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway who called the president’s visit “long-awaited.”
Read the full storyMissouri Senator Throws Support Behind Bernie Moreno in Ohio GOP Senate Primary
GOP Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri endorsed Republican businessman Bernie Moreno in the contentious Ohio Senate primary on Thursday, the Daily Caller News Foundation first learned.
Moreno also has the backing of former President Donald Trump and numerous allies as he competes for a chance to take on Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Schmitt became the 11th senator to publicly announce support for Moreno in the primary, the campaign told the DCNF.
Read the full storyMark Wahlberg’s Ohio-Based RV Dealer Launches Virtual Showroom
Actor and business owner Mark Wahlberg’s Ohio-based RV dealer has launched a new virtual buying experience.
Mark Wahlberg’s Airstream dealerships in Columbus and Cleveland sell and service Airstream travel trailers and touring coaches.
Read the full storyJudge Blocks Ohio’s Social Media Parental Notification Act from Being Enforced
Chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio Algenon L. Marbley granted NetChoice’s request for a preliminary injunction that stops the state’s Social Media Parental Notification Act from being enforced on Monday.
Last month, NetChoice sued Ohio to block the Social Media Parental Notification Act from taking effect.
Read the full storySenator JD Vance Explains How Ukraine Aid Package is a ‘Future Impeachment Trap’ for Trump
Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) joined Monday’s edition of Steve Bannon’s War Room to discuss the supplemental funding package currently being debated in the Senate and how it could be used as a tool to impeach former President Donald Trump if he were to be elected in November.
Read the full storySenator JD Vance Weighs in on Rumor that Democrats Will Replace Joe Biden on the Ballot
Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) weighed in on resurfaced discussions rumoring the Democratic Party will choose a different candidate to replace President Joe Biden as its nominee in the 2024 presidential election.
Read the full storyOhio Appalachian Region Getting $85 Million Assistance for Innovation Centers
Ohio plans to funnel $85 million in federal taxpayer dollars to its Appalachian region to develop new community innovation centers to help with education, behavioral health care and jobs.
The money is available for K-12 school districts, joint vocational school districts, regional councils of government or other political subdivisions in the state’s 32-county Appalachian region.
Read the full storyButler County Sheriff Wants Ohio State Lawmakers to Pass Legislation Focused on Curbing Terrorism Threats
Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones called on state lawmakers to pass legislation focused on curbing terrorism threats posed by illegal immigration and insufficient cybersecurity based on information he learned at last month’s National Sheriff’s Association’s annual winter conference in Washington D.C.
Read the full storyFeds Tease East Palestine Toxic Train Derailment Findings
The federal agency responsible for determining the cause of the 2023 Norfolk Southern toxic train derailment said they’ll hold investigatory hearings in June to complete their findings.
The National Safety Transportation Board announced Wednesday that it will hold back-to-back hearings on June 22-23 at the East Palestine High School in the Ohio-Pennsylvania border town where the derailment occurred just over a year ago.
Read the full storyOhio Attorney General Dave Yost Spearheading Effort Urging Congress to Stabilize Funding for the Federal Crime Victims Fund
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost led a bipartisan coalition of 41 other state attorneys general in sending a letter to congressional leaders urging the authorization of bridge funding for the federal Crime Victims Fund, also known as the VOCA Fund.
Created by Congress in 1984, the VOCA Fund provides federal support to state and local programs that assist victims of crime.
Read the full storyVance: ‘Ukraine-First’ Border Package ‘Being Shoved Down the Throat of the U.S. Senate’
U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) said today that his fellow Republicans “have to” defeat the “Ukraine-first” border package being “shoved down” their throats.
“There’s an Ukraine first package being shoved down the throat of the US Senate,” Vance posted on X. “It doesn’t secure our border, gives away all leverage to achieve real border security, and no one has had time to read through the details. Let’s defeat this package. We have to.”
Read the full storyReport: Poverty Impacts Learning Loss Recovery in Ohio
Poor students in Ohio struggle more to recover from COVID-19 era learning loss than wealthy ones, according to a new report.
The Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard and The Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford, shows students improved between 2022 and 2023, but poorer districts struggled.
Read the full storyOhio AG Dave Yost Sees No Need to Expedite Voter Rights Lawsuit
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost does not believe a lawsuit challenging how he ruled on a potential ballot issue that would expand voting rights deserves an expedited trial.
Yost’s recent filing related to the suit dealt only with the time element and not about any legal challenges after he rejected a proposed constitutional amendment for an Ohio Voters Bill of Rights.
Read the full storyNCAA President Asks for College ‘Proposition Bets’ Ban in Ohio
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and the NCAA want to stop gamblers from placing bets on individual performances in college games – called “proposition bets” (prop bets) – hoping it will stop online threats and harassment.
In a letter to the Ohio Casino Control Commission, NCAA President Charlie Baker asked for collegiate prop bets to be removed from the legal bets that can be placed in the state. That move triggered a public comment period for operators to comment on rule changes before a change can occur.
Read the full storyOhio U.S. Senator JD Vance Calls on the Biden Administration to Fund Health Screening Program for Residents of East Palestine
Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) traveled to East Palestine on Friday to meet with residents and survey the status of the environmental cleanup of the area nearly one year after a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed.
In remarks to the media, Vance called on the Biden administration to fund a long-term health screening program for residents despite revealing the administration’s refusal to provide the funding that has “already been appropriated” for such screenings.
Read the full storyOhio Attorney General Still Wants Answers Year After East Palestine Derailment
A year after a toxic train derailment left East Palestine, Ohio, reeling, a lawsuit aimed at helping the city and state recover is still ongoing.
Attorney General Dave Yost continued to wait for answers.
Read the full storyRed Tape Closes Pennsylvania Power Plants Before Replacements Ready
Despite the key positions states like Ohio and Pennsylvania hold to solve future energy problems, shifting the power grid from coal and natural gas to wind and solar isn’t as easy as flipping a switch.
A cadre of Pennsylvania legislators trekked to Columbus for a joint meeting of three House and Senate committees from the two states to be advised by energy officials on PJM, the regional power grid to which both belong.
Read the full storyOhio Senator Sherrod Brown Losing Ground Against Republican Challengers: Poll
Democratic Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown’s lead over his three Republican challengers has narrowed since November anywhere from 2 to 8 points, according to a Thursday poll.
Brown was leading businessman Bernie Moreno by 10 points, Secretary of State Frank LaRose by 5 points and state Sen. Matt Dolan by 3 points in Emerson College’s last poll on the Ohio Senate race. The senator is now ahead of Dolan by only 1 point and has a 2-point advantage over both Moreno and LaRose for potential head-to-head general election matchups, according to Emerson College’s January survey.
Read the full storyBiden Vague About East Palestine Visit One Year After Train Derailment
As the one-year anniversary approaches of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, President Joe Biden says he will soon visit the area to meet with locals and assess the recovery efforts.
The White House has not confirmed when, but said that a trip to the site near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border would be made in February. The derailment of the Norfolk Southern train, just east of the town center, led to a conflagration when officials decided to burn off vinyl chloride, exposing residents and nature to chemical smoke and fumes.
Read the full storyOhio Attorney General, Lawmakers Call for Executions to Continue
In the wake of Alabama carrying out a death sentence with the use of nitrogen gas, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and some lawmakers want to kick start the state’s death penalty that has been stalled since 2019.
At a news conference Tuesday, Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, said nitrogen has been made available following the Alabama execution and plans to introduce legislation to make it available in Ohio.
Read the full storyACLU of Ohio to File Lawsuit Challenging House Bill 68’s Ban of Gender-Affirming Care for Minors
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio announced Monday it will file a lawsuit challenging the Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, which is included in House Bill 68.
Read the full storyOhio Democrats Continue to Push Anti-Corruption Legislation
Nearly five years after House Bill 6 became law and six months after former House Speaker Larry Householder was sent to prison, Ohio Democrats plan to introduce legislation again to stop corruption at the Statehouse.
State Reps. Daniel Troy (pictured above), D-Willowick, and Rachel Baker, D-Cincinnati, plan a news conference Tuesday to announce the Ohio Anti-Corruption Act requiring dark money groups to identify contributors and disclose spending.
Read the full storyOhio Voter Rights Expansion Proposal Rejected Again
A second attempt to significantly overhaul Ohio’s voter laws by putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot failed.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost again called the proposed amendment to expand early voting and voter registration and stop required voter roll purges misleading.
Read the full storyOhio to Expand Driver’s Ed with $4.5M in Taxpayer Funds
More and more Ohio teenagers wait until their 18th birthday to get their driver’s license, and the state plans to spend $4.5 million in taxpayer funds to try and change that.
Gov. Mike DeWine announced 34 grants through the Creating Opportunities for Driver Education program to increase driver training capacity at nearly 100 locations around the state.
Read the full storyOhio Senator JD Vance Introduces Bill to Codify Border States’ Rights to Defend Own Territory from Illegal Migrants
Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) introduced a bill on Wednesday that would “codify the right of every state along the U.S.-Mexico border to defend its own territory.”
Vance’s State Border Security Act would prevent federal agents from dismantling barbed wire or other fencing erected by state governments within 25 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Read the full storyActivists, Lawmakers Applaud Ohio Senate’s Veto Override of House Bill 68
The Ohio Senate voted to override Governor Mike DeWine’s veto of House Bill 68 on Wednesday, sparking an array of applause from activists and GOP lawmakers.
House Bill 68, which will become law in 90 days, combines two bills: the Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act and the Save Women’s Sports Act.
Read the full storyChinese Man Illegally in the U.S. Indicted on 309 Felony Charges in Ohio for Role in Gift Card Counterfeiting Scheme
A Chinese man who entered the U.S. illegally has been indicted by a Coshocton County grand jury on 309 felony charges related to a gift card counterfeiting scheme, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office.
Ming Xue, 32, of Hunan, Fujian – a province on the southeastern coast of China – faces 308 counts of counterfeiting and one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, according to Yost’s office.
Read the full storyVivek Ramaswamy Endorses Bernie Moreno for U.S. Senate
Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy endorsed Ohio businessman Bernie Moreno for U.S. Senate this week.
Read the full story