This report reflects the latest happenings in government relations, in and around the Ohio statehouse. You’ll notice that it’s broad in nature and on an array of topics, from A-Z. This will be updated on a weekly basis.
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ABORTION
Planned Parenthood facilities in Ohio have experienced a 975 percent increase in out-of-state patients year-over-year, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio (PPGOH) Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Bhavik Kumar told Hannah News in an interview. From November 2022 to the end of June 2023, Ohio clinics saw 12 patients from outside Ohio, Kumar said. From November 2023 to the end of June 2024, Ohio clinics saw 129 patients from out of state, he said. "A number of states are losing access, and that means that the people in that state need to go out of state to get the health care they need," Kumar said. "The most common states tend to be the states that have no access that are close in geographic proximity -- West Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana."
ADDICTION/SUBSTANCE ABUSE
OneOhio Recovery Foundation directors emerged from a closed-door meeting Wednesday to announce that they had approved just shy of $1 million in grants to eight applicants in the agency's first awards since launching more than two years ago. The nonprofit is scheduled to distribute more than half of Ohio's roughly $2 billion settlement with the pharmaceutical industry over most of two decades and last year approved its first funding pool of $51 million. Its board has spent most of 2024 getting up to speed on grant applications and Wednesday voted for $936,709.00 in awards to Region 17 applicants in Crawford, Hancock, Hardin, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, Wood and Wyandot counties in northwest Ohio.
AGRICULTURE
The DeWine administration announced recently that an additional 500,000 acres of cropland are now enrolled in the H2Ohio water quality program, bringing total enrollment to 2.2 million acres. Earlier this year, the state expanded H2Ohio incentives for best management practices in preventing nutrient runoff from the Western Lake Erie Basin to the entire state. The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODAg) had enough funding to enroll 500,000 acres as part of the expansion, and it signed up 525 producers in 51 additional counties.
ATTORNEY GENERAL
A Cincinnati suburb's former city manager has been charged with importuning with a minor. Michael Doss was charged with one fifth-degree felony count in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Monday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced. Additional charges are anticipated. "An undercover investigation by the Miami Valley Human Trafficking Task Force revealed that Doss allegedly attempted to purchase sex from an individual he believed was a 15-year-old girl," Yost's office said. Doss recently resigned as Milford city manager after he was confronted about the allegations.
Ohio and three other states accuse the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of fudging the definition of "supermarket" in its efforts to block the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertson's on anti-trust grounds. They say traditional grocers are not a separate but shrinking commercial market and now compete with specialty chains like Aldi and big-box retailers and discount stores that have expanded into food. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a 24-page amicus brief with Alabama, Georgia and Iowa Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, Portland Division, challenging the FTC's administration action and litigation that seek to enjoin the proposed merger of Albertson's and Kroger. Yost et al say the commission is wrong in saying "consumers have no practical alternatives to supermarkets as their source for retail groceries" and is instead pursuing an artificial "policy goal" in opposing the merger of traditional grocery stores.
BALLOT ISSUES
Ahead of a Friday meeting, Secretary of State Frank LaRose's office sent proposed redistricting amendment language to members of the Ohio Ballot Board that would highlight the overwhelming voter approval of the current redistricting process and "taxpayer funded" costs of commission operations. Citizens Not Politicians, the group that brought the proposed amendment that would create a 15-member citizens' redistricting commission, said the proposed language violates the Ohio Constitution and may face a court challenge if adopted by the Ohio Ballot Board.
DISASTERS
In addition to existing state efforts, including by the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA) and Ohio Department of Health (ODH), Gov. Mike DeWine Friday issued a formal proclamation directing other state agencies to be ready to offer further assistance to Northeast Ohio after Tuesday's storms if it is needed. Legislators from the region had sent him a letter calling for a state of emergency declaration. On Monday, DeWine issued that declaration for the following eight counties: Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Portage, Summit and Trumbull.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who experienced food spoilage during recent power outages may be eligible for replacement benefits, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) says. Households that lost food purchased with SNAP benefits due to a power outage of four hours or more can apply to receive replacement SNAP benefits for the amount of food the household lost, as long as it does not exceed their monthly allotment. Replacement SNAP benefits will be added to the Ohio Direction Card of the recipients. Affected households must complete JFS Form 07222, available at https://tinyurl.com/5n88ybc3, within 10 days of the loss and submit it to their county department of job and family services (CDJFS).
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/URBAN REVITALIZATION
The DeWine administration announced last week that 61 redevelopment efforts will receive a total of $106.9 million to address hazardous brownfield sites as part of the Brownfield Remediation Program. The funds include around $102.4 million for 35 cleanup and remediation projects and $4.5 million for 26 assessment efforts. The projects will clean up hazardous and underutilized sites throughout the state. Additional awards will be announced in the coming months, according to the administration, and so far the Ohio Department of Development (DOD) has awarded a total of over $450 million to support 374 projects in 83 counties.
Gov. Mike DeWine and other officials took part in a ribbon-cutting Thursday at a new coworking space in downtown Marion, the first one of its kind in Marion County as well. The Connect Coworx facility received support from a $167,500 JobsOhio Vibrant Communities grant and transformed the 12,460-square-foot building into a center for business and creativity.
Gov. Mike DeWine's administration announced Thursday the approval of assistance for eight projects expected to create 1,664 new jobs and retain 2,201 jobs statewide. During its monthly meeting, the Ohio Tax Credit Authority (TCA) reviewed economic development proposals brought by JobsOhio and its regional partners. The projects are expected to collectively result in more than $138 million in new payroll and spur more than $185 million in investments across Ohio.
The DeWine administration announced Thursday that BroadbandOhio will spend $50 million to support a broadband expansion project in Adams, Brown and Clermont counties meant to provide Internet access for 13,000 households and over 30,000 residents currently without high-speed service. BroadbandOhio is a division of the Ohio Department of Development (DOD) and is partnering with altafiber as part of the Multi-County Last Mile Fiber Build Pilot program. As part of the effort, altafiber will undertake the necessary design, construction and installation of equipment and infrastructure to extend its existing fiber optic network to approximately 38,000 single-family unit and multi-dwelling unit addressable locations within the service area, including 13,263 that are considered unserved or underserved. Residents and businesses in those three counties will have access to altafiber's high-speed network once the buildout is completed. The total project cost is $110 million, with altafiber providing the other $60 million.
EDUCATION
The Ohio Association for Career and Technical Education (Ohio ACTE) and its national counterpart, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), are formally reunifying after an 11-year hiatus, the groups said Tuesday. "Reunification has presented itself at an opportune time, as Ohio ACTE makes strides toward innovation and versatility for all of career-tech," said Dee Smith, executive director of Ohio ACTE. "The integrity of the national association has confirmed that our forward-thinking vision combined with their leadership is an agenda for success. Our comprehensive constitution and bylaws are aligned, fully allowing us to embrace the renewed identity of Ohio ACTE in support of our members."
With needed funding in hand sooner than expected, the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) now plans to complete audits of educator preparation programs and their alignment to science of reading mandates over one year instead of two, Chancellor Mike Duffey said Wednesday. Duffey joined Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) Director Steve Dackin in a conversation with Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Director Kathleen Madden for the monthly DAS "Perspectives" discussion series, which features cabinet-level officials' thoughts on key administration initiatives.
ELECTIONS
Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Monday that his office has formally referred potential election law violations to 20 counties for review. The violations, according to the secretary of state, involve petition forms to grant minor party status, petition forms to place a constitutional amendment regarding redistricting on the November ballot, and allegedly fraudulent voter registration forms submitted by canvassers working on behalf of Black Fork Strategies LLC. The office's Election Integrity Unit has been working to build the referrals to assist each county prosecutor with successful enforcement of the law, including criminal charges, LaRose said.
The Ohio Elections Commission Thursday began a full hearing on a complaint filed by Chris Hicks against Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville), the third candidate Hicks has argued did not file proper campaign reports based on support the campaign received from an allied group of former House Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford). During Thursday's hearing, Hicks argued that certain ads and mailers that ran on Stewart's behalf should have been reported and that he should have known about them, particularly a radio ad that included Stewart saying it was paid for by his campaign committee. Stewart, representing his own campaign along with attorney Brian Garvine, called the complaint absurd, and said that there is not any evidence that his campaign committee was informed of any advertising that was run on his behalf other than those that came from the Ohio Republican Party, which had endorsed him. "The complainant's position is that even if the committee is entirely unaware of the in-kind contributions, the committee breaks the law by not reporting the expenditure, which it admittedly knew nothing about," Stewart said. "In other words, not only must candidates comply with a mountain of pretty complex campaign finance regulations, but they have to be psychic as well."
ELECTIONS 2024
The Libertarian Party has again achieved minor party status in Ohio, according to Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Meanwhile, six independent presidential candidates filed to appear on the ballot in Ohio, LaRose said. LaRose said the Libertarian Party has until Thursdsay, Aug. 22, to submit its slate of candidates for the ballot. The party's nominee for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat, Don Kissick, as well as its presidential and vice presidential nominees Chase Oliver and Mike Ter Maat, respectively, have qualified for the ballot, LaRose said. Six others filed to appear on Ohio's ballot for president by last week's deadline. All will appear as non-party candidates. They include:
Claudia De la Cruz for president and running mate Karina Garcia. The two are running nationally on a socialist platform.
Jill Stein, who has been running nationally as a member of the Green Party. 2018 Ohio gubernatorial candidate Anita Rios is listed as her running mate, but is likely a placeholder.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and running mate Nicole Shanahan.
Peter Sonoski and running mate Lauren Onak, who have been running nationally under the American Solidarity Party.
Shiva Ayyadurai and running mate Crysal Ellis, who filed paperwork but did not have enough initial signatures to qualify, according to LaRose.
Richard Duncan, who previously ran as an independent in 2020.
According to LaRose, county boards of elections have until Monday, Aug. 19, to certify the validity of the remaining petitions.
The attorney representing Rep. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) and other rivals of House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) received numerous questions about why the judiciary should mediate their dispute over campaign funds during oral arguments at the 10th District Court of Appeals on Wednesday. Ohio 10th District Court of Appeals Judge Michael Mentel -- who was joined on the three-judge panel by Judges Carly Edelstein and David Leland -- asked Plummer attorney Lisa Ferguson why judges should be involved in this "political question."
The Mahoning County Board of Elections heard a protest Thursday of the candidacy of Rep. Tex Fischer (R-Youngstown) on Thursday after Mahoning County Democratic Chair Chris Anderson filed the challenge, claiming that Fischer did not comply with Ohio law requiring a name change to be listed on required forms. According to media reports, the board tied on whether to certify his candidacy, sending the issue to Secretary of State Frank LaRose to break the tie.
ENERGY/UTILITIES
State regulators doubled down on Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC) charges to 1.25 million AES Ohio customers Wednesday when it refused to reconsider over $28 million in deferred coal subsidies dating to the Obama administration and opposed by the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC). The dispute over grandfathered OVEC subsidies was only one of several consumers' counsel complaints against the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's (PUCO) August 2023 order approving AES/DP&L's fourth electric security plan (ESP) after the utility abandoned its second and third ESPs and returned to its original plan. OCC concerns included (a) turnabout claims of "retroactive ratemaking," (b) improper "transition" costs paid by customers long after electric deregulation, and (c) unlawful "decoupling" charges imposed by commissioners. PUCO's practice of divorcing utility profits from costs gained widespread attention during the scandal over energy subsidy 133-HB6 (Callender-Wilkin). In its second rehearing decision since last year's order, commissioners denied all OCC complaints while granting all AES arguments of PUCO error except one.
FirstEnergy will not face criminal charges by the state in exchange for a $20 million forfeiture and continuing cooperation with the Ohio Attorney General Office's ongoing probe of the 133-HB6 (Callender-Wilkin) bribery scheme and key figures still under indictment. The state executed a settlement agreement with FirstEnergy on Monday requiring the utility to pay the AG $19.5 million for his own purposes, including, "without limitation, a charitable law fund established under R.C. 109.32 to be distributed to a non-energy charitable organization to be determined by the Office of the Ohio Attorney General." The balance will reimburse the Summit and Delaware county prosecutors' offices and the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission's (OOCIC) time and expenses to assist the investigation. FirstEnergy must also set aside $500,000 for an independent consultant to examine its ethics and compliance efforts over a nine- to 12-month period and to issue a report to current President and CEO Brian Tierney that will be forwarded to the attorney general upon request.
ENVIRONMENT
The Great Lakes and Cuyahoga River's history, revitalization and ongoing challenges were the topic of a Friday, Aug. 9 forum at the Cleveland City Club, with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Global Lead Scientist for Freshwater Jeff Opperman discussing those elements and answering audience questions. Opperman said the Great Lakes have gone through "exceptional highs of productivity and diversity to shocking lows of degradation and decline and then a recovery that was surprisingly rapid but not exactly natural." That recovery was "highly managed" and remains uncertain, he continued. His comments on the state of the Great Lakes focused on fish populations in particular and how they have been affected by human activity since the 1700s. Now the Great Lakes Fishery is worth more than $7 billion a year and supports over 75,000 jobs collectively, Opperman added. He also said "connectivity" between Cleveland and its water system is an "essential and constant theme" to the regional history.
Local governments, businesses and nonprofits across Ohio received state grants to implement recycling, litter prevention, market development and scrap tire recycling programs, according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA). Ohio EPA issued more than $7.5 million in grant funding to 159 recipients, with more than $3.8 million going toward community and litter prevention programs, the agency said in a news release.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has approved the removal of the beach closings (recreational use) beneficial use impairment (BUI) designation from the Black River area of concern (AOC), the Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) announced Wednesday. The decision follows a comprehensive evaluation of conditions showing the area is now in a condition to remove the BUI, OLEC said in a news release.
GAMING/GAMBLING
The Ohio Lottery is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the state's first day of ticket sales on Monday. The first Ohio Lottery game, Buckeye 300, went on sale on Aug. 12, 1974, according to a news release from the Ohio Lottery. Tickets cost 50 cents each for a chance to win $300,000. Since then, the Ohio Lottery has introduced hundreds of scratch-offs, in-state and multi-state draw games, KENO and EZPLAY games.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE
The Ohio Supreme Court recently rejected a motion filed by Attorney General Dave Yost seeking to strike from the record an amicus brief filed by the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus in support of a solar farm project, which Yost had argued was filed without his permission as the state's chief legal officer. The filing was made in an appeal Kingwood Solar LLC made with the Ohio Supreme Court after the Ohio Power Siting Board rejected its application to build a 175-megawatt solar-powered generating facility in Greene County, ruling that the project did not meet the public interest. The Court, without comment, struck down Yost's motion. Justices Pat Fischer and Joe Deters dissented and would have granted Yost's motion, while Justice Pat DeWine did not participate in the decision. The action allows the Senate Democratic Caucus brief to stay in the record.
HANNAH NEWS RACES TO WATCH
The general election in November for one Ohio Senate seat will see a repeat candidate for the Statehouse take on an incumbent who has previously alluded to his legislative plans for the next General Assembly. Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) was first elected in 2020 to represent the 18th Senate district, which was redrawn in 2023 to include most of Lake County and a portion of eastern Cuyahoga County and exclude Portage and Geauga counties. "My district has only been my district for two years because of the change that was made after I was elected four years ago. So, a lot of these people are just getting to know me," Cirino said of new voters in his district. Dave's Redistricting now gives the 18th District a 51.8 percent Republican lean. The Ohio Redistricting Commission's index from 2023 grades the district similarly along party lines. Cirino's opponent in the race, environmental lawyer Katie O'Neill, is running to represent the district where she was raised. O'Neill previously ran for a seat in the Ohio House from the 94th District against Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) in 2020 after attending Ohio University and becoming involved in environmental activism in Southeast Ohio. An Ohio Supreme Court decision ordered the Athens County Board of Elections to include O'Neill on the ballot for that race in 2020 after she was removed for not meeting residency requirements.
The 23rd House District race in November features Rep. Dan Troy (D-Willowick), who has spent much of his life in the Legislature and local office, challenged by Republican candidate Tony Hocevar, who said he offers a "non-political perspective." Troy told Hannah News he enjoys government work as a way to provide "the necessary services for a civilized society" and that "I just kind of eat, sleep and drink government service and have since my early twenties." If re-elected, the 136th General Assembly would be his 10th term in office overall, as Troy had returned to the Statehouse in 2020 after serving seven terms from 1983 to 1996. Hocevar in turn pointed to his experience as a small business owner, first in the home building industry and now in the tile contracting field, as giving him a "day-to-day perspective" of issues affecting Ohioans rather than one focused on the "political world." Those issues include how tax burdens, labor shortages and the economy affect the business community and working families. Hocevar additionally said he would bring a "common-sense approach" to the seat and his background is "a clear alternative" to Troy.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director LeeAnne Cornyn traveled Monday to Springfield for the opening of a new school-based health center on the Springfield High School campus. The center will offer a range of services, including primary care and mental health services, for district students, parents and other community members. Rocking Horse Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center (FQHC) with locations in Clark and Madison counties, will operate the new center. The school district received $1 million in capital funding from OhioMHAS for the project, which converted former classroom space into clinic space. The facility includes four exam rooms and three additional rooms for individual and group mental health counseling. According to the administration, the center plans to add vision and dental services in the future.
The Board of Trustees of the MetroHealth System Friday voted to terminate Airica Steed as president and CEO, effective immediately. The firing marks the second time in less than two years that the MetroHealth Board has disposed of its president. In late 2022, Steed replaced Akram Boutros, who was fired following allegations of improper bonus payments. He sued over his dismissal but subsequently withdrew the lawsuit, citing health concerns. Multiple media outlets have reported Steed is also exploring legal action.
Judges of the 10th District Court of Appeals have agreed to the state's request to accelerate consideration of the lawsuit challenging transgender care and sports restrictions in HB68 (Click). Under a ruling from Judges Michael Mentel, Julia Dorrian and Carly Edelstein,
expedited briefing was set as follows:
Families' brief due Thursday, Aug. 22
State's brief due Thursday, Aug. 29
Families' reply brief due Tuesday, Sept. 3
Parties will meet for oral argument at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Miami University graduate Brian Niccol was named CEO of Starbucks on Tuesday. Niccol previously served as chairman and CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill. Starbucks, headquartered in Seattle, WA, had more than 38,000 stores around the world in 2023, according to the university. Niccol graduated from Miami with a degree in applied science, engineering management. He served as keynote speaker for Miami University's Spring Commencement this past May. He also holds an MBA from the University of Chicago.
The National Science Foundation has awarded nearly $2.5 million to Columbus State Community College (CSCC) for the Reinforcing Instructors for Semiconductor Education (RISE) Consortium through its Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program. The RISE Consortium will create a faculty hub to recruit, credential, diversify and upskill instructors.
HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS
The Ohio Department of Commerce's Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing this week rolled out a new online resource to help consumers understand how recent changes to real estate law may affect them as rules related to a settlement with the National Association of Realtors (NAR) take effect this week. NAR settled the class-action lawsuit originally filed by a group of home sellers in Missouri who argued that NAR's practices led to higher commissions. As part of the settlement, NAR said it would pay $418 million to settle claims. Homebuyers will now be able to negotiate what they pay their real estate agents, and agents using the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) will be required to enter into written agreements with buyers. NAR is also instituting a new rule prohibiting the inclusion of a buyer agent's compensation when listing on the MLS.
LIBRARIES
More than 71 percent of librarians and library workers at Delaware County District Library (DCDL) voted to join the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT), the union announced Tuesday. The employees are aiming to be the sixth Ohio library system to join OFT since 2021. Most recently, staff at the Athens County Public Libraries (ACPL) went public with their union on July 29. Just a few days later, the ACPL Board of Trustees announced that they will recognize the union. Prior to that, workers at the public libraries in Worthington, Grandview Heights, Pickerington and Upper Arlington organized their unions in affiliation with OFT. Copies of signed union cards from 71.6 percent of eligible library employees were delivered to DCDL management, while the originals were filed with the State Employee Relations Board (SERB) to request voluntary recognition of the union. DCDL's Board of Trustees will have 21 days to decide whether to recognize the union voluntarily or call an election through SERB.
MARIJUANA/HEMP
The Ohio Supreme Court is entering the fray over marijuana legalization and law enforcement's ability to tell whether a driver is actually under the influence when stopped. State v. Balmert comes as the Legislature is trying to get its head around what level of what chemical in what bodily fluid reliably shows THC intoxication versus remnants of prior use. A Lorain County man says he smokes low-concentration hemp and uses hemp oil to relieve his rheumatoid arthritis of 20 years and partook the morning of June 9, 2020 at the height of COVID-19's onset before striking Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) Trooper Cynthia Gehlmann, who was directing traffic in Middle Ridge Road at the off ramp from State Route 2. The accused, Edward Balmert, acknowledges she suffered serious injuries to her head and arm. With Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy and Justices R. Patrick DeWine and Joe Deters dissenting, remaining members accepted Balmert's appeal recently over the state's objections, finding the case indeed addresses a "substantial constitutional question" and/or a matter of "public or great general interest" -- the baseline for Ohio Supreme Court jurisprudence. It has yet to set a briefing schedule.
Ohio consumers spent more than $11.5 million on adult-use marijuana from Tuesday, Aug. 6 through Saturday, Aug. 10, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) Division of Cannabis Control (DCC). During that time period, consumers bought 1,285 pounds of plant material and 173,043 "units" of manufactured product, DCC said in its historical sales document, which now includes numbers for both adult-use marijuana and medical marijuana.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES (NCSL)
State laws granting incumbent utilities the "right of first refusal" to build regional electric transmission projects increase costs, reduce accountability measures and stifle innovation, according to Consumer Advocates of the PJM States (CAPS) Executive Director Greg Poulos. "On the right of first refusal and things like that, the advocates are very much opposed to these ideas," Poulos said during the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit. Poulos is a former assistant consumers' counsel in the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) and has been nominated to serve on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).
The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling overturning Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council might be the most significant decision made by the nation's highest court this term, according to Columbia Law School professor Thomas Merrill. "There were cases about presidential immunity, abortion, gun rights and so forth that grabbed a lot of headlines, and kind of interspersed in the middle of some of these high-profile decisions was this Loper Bright v. Raimondo case ... which may be more consequential than these other decisions in terms of the breadth, and implications that it has," Merrill said during the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit.
NATURAL RESOURCES
The Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC) on Monday selected winning bids to lease mineral rights under four Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) properties and one Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) property. Among them are Keen Wildlife Area in Harrison County, extraction rights for which were awarded to EOG Resources Inc. Each lease agreement includes a 12.5 percent royalty paid to the state for production, per state law, with an additional financial incentive of 5.5 percent of production paid by the winning bidder to the state. Pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code, royalties and incentives paid to the state would go back to the agency leasing the mineral rights.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is holding meetings in August for drawings to participate in archery deer hunts the department says will offer excellent hunting conditions while reducing the impact of deer browsing on native plant communities. The first was Thursday, Aug. 15. Upcoming meetings start at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22 at Pastime Park in Plain City for hunts in the Big and Little Darby Creek areas; and at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29 at the Caesar Creek Visitors Center in Waynesville for hunts in the Little Miami River area.
A Kenton man was sentenced in federal court on Monday for violating the Clean Water Act following an investigation that involved the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Mark Shepherd was sentenced to 12 months' probation, 150 hours of community service, fines and restitution related to fish that were killed in the Scioto River after Shepherd was found to have unlawfully discharged 7,000 gallons of a substance containing ammonia into the river. The restitution Shepherd was ordered to pay to the Division of Wildlife represented compensation for the aquatic animals killed at a value of $22,508.60.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife announced it is again partnering with the National Shooting Sports Foundation to host "Free Range Day" at three of Ohio's public shooting ranges on Saturday, Aug. 17. Those interested in participating may visit Division of Wildlife public shooting ranges on Free Range Day to gain hands-on experience with firearms from certified instructors at no charge from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are:
Deer Creek Wildlife Area: corner of State Route 207 and Cook Yankeetown Road NE, Mt. Sterling, OH 43143
Delaware Wildlife Area: 1110 State Route 229, Ashley, OH 43003
Spring Valley Wildlife Area: 3570 Houston Road, Waynesville, OH 45068
PENSIONS
The State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) of Ohio and an investigator hired by retirees have agreed to mediation to attempt to resolve a dispute on public records related to STRS's investment decisions. STRS and Edward Siedle, who was hired by Ohio Retirement for Teachers Association, have been fighting in various courts over what records STRS must turn over to Siedle. A 10th District magistrate recently delivered a mixed report. Magistrate Joseph Wenger IV recommended STRS be required to give Siedle records related to investment managers and to Panda Power, a private equity firm on which STRS is reported to have lost hundreds of millions of dollars. But Wenger also sided with STRS's argument on some other requests, agreeing they were too ambiguous or broad to be filled. Last week, the 10th District scheduled an appellate mediation conference for 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17.
The chief actuary of the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) of Ohio sketched plans for trustees Thursday on how they might balance allocating resources in ways that will strengthen the pension's financial footing and improve the benefits package for both retired and active educators. The STRS Board of Trustees began discussions in its Governance Committee on updates to its funding policy. Lynn Hoover, interim executive director and system finance director, said the prior funding policy pre-dates major pension reforms in 2012 and needs to be updated to reflect those law changes and the board's recent adoption of a "sustainable benefit enhancement plan" (SBEP) that has been used to determine when trustees can grant cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) or cut age and years-of-service requirements.
PEOPLE
Peter Range, who recently stepped down as executive director of Ohio Right to Life, is the new senior fellow for strategic initiatives at the Center for Christian Virtue (CCV).
Cuyahoga Land Bank President and General Counsel Gus Frangos held those roles for 15 years and was a "visionary founder," the organization said in a release announcing his unexpected death on Saturday at the age of 69. Frangos left behind "a legacy of transformative leadership and unwavering commitment to revitalizing communities across Cuyahoga County."
Former Rep. Jerry Krupinski, a Democrat from Steubenville who served in the House for 14 years ending in 2000, died recently at age 83. According to his obituary, Krupinski died Monday, July 22. Services were held in July. Krupinski was a U.S. Marine veteran and graduate of Adena High School who was also a coal miner, insurance industry professional and Jefferson County commissioner.
The Ohio Economic Development Association (OEDA) announced Monday David Zak, a leader in local economic development efforts and former Ohio Department of Development (DOD) official, will serve as president and CEO starting Tuesday, Sept. 3. The OEDA represents economic development professionals around the state and was created in 2005 as a successor to the Ohio Development Association. Zak is the organization's second president and has 28 years of experience in the field. His selection came after a four-month national search.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Ohio is closer to passing the 30,000 mark for peace officers certified by the Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) after Sabina (Clinton County) and Sunbury (Delaware County) police Monday joined the 633 agencies having adopted minimum state law enforcement standards. Twelve law enforcement agencies also have been recertified, which occurs on a revolving three- to four-year cycle. The 29,686 officers currently employed by departments in some stage of the certification process represent 90.27 percent of their peers in the state, including most metropolitan areas.
STATE GOVERNMENT
The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) Monday cleared all items on its agenda in a hearing with no questions or testimony. The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Industrial Compliance placed several rules into the "to be refiled" section of the agenda. The rules came in response to 134-HB107 (Baldridge), which enacted changes to the state's elevator laws. The Ohio Department of Taxation also put one rule in the "to be refiled" section regarding the implementation of the adult use cannabis tax. Several items from the no-change agenda were withdrawn, including rules from the Ohio Water Development Authority, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and the State Library Board.
TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE
Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Jack Marchbanks will leave his post at the end of September, though he will remain as a senior policy advisor to assist with the transition. Gov. Mike DeWine said he will nominate Pam Boratyn, a former ODOT assistant director and chief of staff now working as deputy executive director for the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund (OP&F), to succeed Marchbanks.
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is now distributing 1.4 million copies of Ohio's new state map highlighting the "Ohio, The Heart of it All" tourism brand. "Our state map is a gateway to all things Ohio," Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. "Our new map is about more than just our roads, it's a tool we can use to showcase all we have to offer in Ohio, the heart of it all!" Ohio's new state map, which debuted at the 2024 Ohio State Fair, features the latest road changes, updated routes, information on highways, byways, and points of interest. Members of the public can pick up a free copy of the map at one of the state's rest areas or order a free copy on ODOT's website at https://tinyurl.com/55s7mtxb.
[Story originally published in The Hannah Report. Copyright 2023 Hannah News Service, Inc.]
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