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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ADDICTION/SUBSTANCE ABUSE
The OneOhio Recovery Foundation followed last week’s board approval of $14 million in proposed grants for substance use prevention, treatment and rehabilitation by announcing nearly $2.7 million in funding to 15 government jurisdictions and nonprofits as part of "Grant Award Wednesday," now a regular event for the agency. The 15 final awards draw on the foundation's 2024 regional grant cycle of $51 million and emerged from 1,442 funding requests totaling $581 million from organizations statewide. Grantees reflect input from OneOhio's 19 regions, Expert Panel, Grant Oversight Committee and Board of Directors.
AGRICULTURE
The Ohio Department of Agriculture's (ODAg) Hemp Program is now accepting applications for hemp cultivation licenses. The application window will be open through March 31, 2025. The application process has changed. New applicants and current licensees must apply through the application link on the ODAg website at https://tinyurl.com/aweecnnn.
AMERICA 250-OHIO
America 250-Ohio, the commission coordinating events around Ohio in 2026 to commemorate the semiquincentennial of the United States' founding, announced a third round of grants to support efforts in designated "America 250-Ohio Communities" looking to plan, organize and implement programming related to the semiquincentennial. Awards of up to $5,000 are available to communities. Ohio Humanities is assisting the commission to manage the grants and assist applicants. Prior awards in two previous grant cycles distributed about $1 million. This latest round of grants differs somewhat, as it is focused on local efforts that supplement programs the commission is coordinating statewide and on further expanding the reach of programming to all 88 counties. The application process to become a designated community is at https://tinyurl.com/bddkaw8s. Instructions and applications for the grants are at https://america250-ohio.org/grants/.
BALLOT ISSUES
In the wake of an Ohio Supreme Court ruling that said the attorney general has no authority under Ohio law to review the title of proposed ballot initiatives, backers of another proposed ballot initiative and Attorney General Dave Yost have agreed to pause the case while he again reviews the petition summary. The Court unanimously ruled last week that Yost did not have the authority to reject a proposed petition summary based on its title and ordered the attorney general to review the petition summary of the proposed voting rights ballot initiative. On Tuesday, Yost and backers of another proposed initiative that would end qualified immunity for certain government employees in cases that allege a civil rights violation filed a joint motion with the Court asking for a limited order directing Yost to, within 10 days of the order, examine the summary of the proposed constitutional amendment and determine whether the summary is a fair and truthful statement of the proposed amendment, and, if so, certify and forward the submitted petition to the Ohio Ballot Board.
FY26-27 BUDGET
The 136th General Assembly will deal with an operating budget that is more like pre-COVID budgets, the four caucus finance directors said Thursday. "Over the last three or four years, there have been huge influxes of cash -- both from the federal government and surplus tax revenue -- that have been in the system. That has been pretty much all flushed away. So I think we need to think back to two or three budgets, when we had a more normal budget, and the scarcity of resources, having to make really tough choices," House GOP Finance Director Dan Baker said during a budget panel at the 2024 Impact Ohio Post-General Election Conference at COSI.
CHILDREN/FAMILIES
November is National Adoption Month, and Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) Director Kara B. Wente are calling on communities to work together to ensure that every young person waiting for adoption can find a permanent, loving family. Ohio's adoption website, FosterAndAdopt.ohio.gov, includes resources for current adoptive families, as well as for families who want to learn more about foster care and adoption. This includes information about adoption costs, adoptive parent training, building a support system, and choosing an adoption agency. Profiles of older youth in need of permanent families can be found at FosterAndAdopt.ohio.gov/profiles.
As the U.S. fertility rate reached a historic low in 2023, Pew Research Center is examining why a growing share of Americans are choosing not to have children. A recent survey by Pew examined the experiences of two groups -- Americans younger than 50 who don't have children and don't plan to have them, and those ages 50 and over who don't have children. The share of U.S. adults in the younger group rose 10 percentage points between 2018 and 2023 (from 37 percent to 47 percent), according to Pew's survey.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/URBAN REVITALIZATION
The DeWine administration announced Monday more than $55 million will be provided for brownfield remediation and building demolition projects under the seventh funding round for each program. This also marks the final round of the biennium for the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program. Grants under that program announced Monday include $33.2 million for demolition of 1,091 vacant, dilapidated buildings in 65 counties. The Brownfield Remediation Program grants will provide $22.7 million to clean up and redevelop 27 hazardous brownfield sites in 19 counties.
ECONOMY
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday the nation added 12,000 jobs in October, with both total employment and the unemployment rate of 4.1 percent essentially unchanged over the month. The September unemployment rate was also 4.1 percent.
EDUCATION
Ohio was recently ranked the sixth-highest state for educational innovation in a report by SmileHub, a tech company focused on charitable giving. The report was accompanied by a listing of the best charities related to education in 2024. The Buckeye State was second among neighbor states, as Pennsylvania ranked fourth nationally. Other placements included Indiana, 10th; Michigan, 13th; Kentucky, 33rd; and West Virginia, 46th. The top three states nationally were California, New York and Massachusetts, while Illinois was ranked fifth.
The State Board of Education is taking comments through Monday, Nov. 28 on draft rules that would address the process for potentially restoring licenses to people who've earned certificates of qualification for employment or received an unconditional pardon. The board discussed these draft rules at a recent meeting. The rules are available at https://tinyurl.com/3849ndpb. Comments can be submitted at publiccomment@sboe.ohio.gov. Comments should reference the rule number, 3302-73-26.
Ohio's 51 educational service centers (ESCs) all received the "high performing" designation from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, the Ohio Association of ESCs (OESCA) announced. OESCA said ESCs provided an average of almost 40 percent savings on select services to districts, compared to the cost of districts' performing those duties themselves. To earn the performance designation, ESCs must generate at least 5 percent savings across five services.
As part of Gov. Mike DeWine's H2Ohio Initiative, middle and high school students from Northwest Ohio are getting the opportunity to learn first-hand about how to positively impact their watershed. The H2Ohio Students Take Action program allows students to participate in a classroom presentation on H2Ohio and then apply what they learn to wetland sites in the Lake Erie watershed to "take action" on their ideas and use what they learn to positively impact the area.
The application period for Ohio's Teacher Bootcamp Program is now open for institutions of higher education until Friday, Nov. 29. According to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW), the program aims to spur teacher professional development while exposing teachers to career opportunities for their students in critical job sectors.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) Thursday presented simulated school district ratings on the state report card measure for students' readiness for post-secondary education, jobs and military service. The college, career, workforce and military readiness (CCWMR) component of the five-star rating system for local schools has been included only for data-reporting purposes, but in the next round of report cards will be assigned a rating and then incorporated into schools' overall star ratings. Data presented Thursday showed 3 stars being the most prevalent rating, projected for 202 districts. An additional 139 districts would get four stars, and 55 districts, five stars. On the other end of the spectrum, 126 districts would get two stars, and 84 districts, one star. The report card rules are posted for comment through Tuesday, Nov. 26 at https://tinyurl.com/ymj2yj3r.
ELECTIONS
New legislation introduced this week would require Ohioans to prove citizenship when registering to vote, ban dropboxes, and modify petition circulator requirements, among other changes. Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), one of the sponsors of SB324 (Gavarone-Brenner), discussed the legislation during a breakout panel at Impact Ohio's post-election conference on Thursday, as well as with reporters after the event. She said the issue of noncitizens' voting has come to the forefront during discussions this election, and she felt it is an important issue that should be tackled in Ohio.
ELECTIONS 2024
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), voters in 41 states were to decide on a total of 150 statewide ballot measures on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Additionally, voters on that day were to decide 5,808 state legislative races and 11 governor contests. NCSL said the ballot issues include four additional measures that will be voted on in December, bringing the total number of ballot measures in 2024 to 154.
A poll released last week by the University of Akron's Bliss Institute found U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) was two percentage points ahead of Republican challenger Bernie Moreno at 46 to 44 percent, though the margin of error was 2.8 points. Former President Donald Trump led Vice President Kamala Harris with 51 percent to 44 percent. Both races have the same percentage point difference as a recent Bowling Green State University poll.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose said repeatedly Monday that Ohioans should have confidence in their state's elections process as they prepare to head to the polls Tuesday or wait for their early-vote ballots to be tabulated. More than 2.5 million people, 30-plus percent of Ohio's registered voters, had already cast a ballot by mail or in person, according to his office. In a press conference that lasted about an hour and was followed by a tour of his office, LaRose detailed months of preparatory work, communications fail-safes and rapid response and triage plans for tackling Election Day problems large and small, among other efforts.
Ohio is joining Connecticut, Kansas and Oregon to lead a bipartisan coalition of 47 states and several U.S. territories in calling for peace nationwide in response to the Tuesday, Nov. 5 General Election. The 51 attorneys general are condemning election-related disturbances "in an effort to safeguard democratic principles and the rule of law," Attorney General Dave Yost says. "Regardless of the outcome of Tuesday's election, we expect that Americans will respond peacefully and we condemn any acts of violence related to the results. A peaceful transfer of power is the highest testament to the rule of law, a tradition that stands at the heart of our nation's stability. As attorneys general, we affirm our commitment to protect our communities and uphold the democratic principles we serve," Yost said in a statement Monday.
Disability Rights Ohio (DRO), the nonprofit designated by the state to advocate on behalf of people with disabilities, issued reminders Monday for Ohioans with disabilities about their rights as voters and where to go for help and information if they face challenges.
A poll conducted by Miami University students shows tight presidential, U.S. Senate and Issue 1 races in Ohio. The poll showed redistricting amendment Issue 1 supported by 46 percent of voters, while 44 percent opposed the issue, and 9 percent were not sure. Among registered voters surveyed, those opposed increased to 45 percent while the other numbers remained the same. In the U.S. Senate race, 48 percent back U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), while 47 percent support Republican Bernie Moreno, 3 percent support Libertarian Don Kissick, and 2 percent are not sure. Among registered voters, Moreno's support drops to 46 percent while the other numbers remain the same. In the presidential election, 50 percent of respondents support Republican Donald Trump, while 47 percent support Kamala Harris.
While he ran well ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) on Tuesday lost his bid for re-election against Republican challenger Bernie Moreno. According to unofficial results from the Ohio Secretary of State's Office, Moreno defeated Brown by a vote of 50.2 percent to 46.4 percent. Former President Donald Trump beat Harris 55.3 percent to 43.9 percent. Moreno's win over Brown was one of several pickups by Republicans across the country, giving the GOP a majority in the U.S. Senate in the next Congress.
Opponents of Issue 1 celebrated Tuesday evening as the measure to put a citizen-led panel in charge of drawing congressional and General Assembly lines was overwhelmingly defeated by voters. While Issue 1 had a slight lead at the beginning of the night, it evaporated quickly and the gap only widened as Election Day results trickled in. With more than 95 percent of the vote in, Issue 1 was losing by about 8 percentage points. Supporters of Issue 1, holding a gathering in Downtown Columbus, blamed long and what they called biased ballot language for their loss. Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima), a former member of the Ohio Redistricting Commission and vocal opponent of Issue 1, said in a statement that voters rejected "special interests" from other states.
Tuesday night was not a complete wash for Ohio Democrats, who were able to pick up seats in the Ohio House and Senate. Flipping in the Ohio Senate were District 6, the seat currently held by Sen. Niraj Antani (R-Miamisburg) that was made more Democratic due to redistricting and won by Rep. Willis Blackshear (D-Dayton), and District 16, the seat currently held by Sen. Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard), which was won by Rep. Beth Liston (D-Dublin). In the House, Democrats swept all of the seats fully contained within Franklin County, flipping House District 10, held by Rep. Dave Dobos (R-Columbus), who did not run for re-election, with the seat won by Grove City Councilman Mark Sigrist. Democrats also held on to House District 11, which was won by Crystal Lett, who defeated Kunze after losing a close race to Kunze for the Senate in 2020. House Democrats also picked up the 41st House District, where Democrat Erika White defeated Republican Josiah Lienbach.
The GOP will hold a 6-1 majority on the Ohio Supreme Court after winning all three races on Tuesday night. According to unofficial results from the Ohio Secretary of State's Office, Justice Joe Deters (R) defeated Justice Melody Stewart (D) by a vote of 55.2 percent to 44.8 percent, Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Megan Shanahan (R) beat Justice Michael Donnelly 55.7 percent to 44.3 percent, and Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Dan Hawkins won his race against Eighth District Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Forbes 55.1 percent to 44.9 percent. Justice Jennifer Brunner will be the only Democrat left on the Ohio Supreme Court when the new term starts.
Democrats secured victory of two of three high-profile U.S. House contests in Ohio and look likely to hold onto the third, although U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s (D-Toledo) close battle with Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Maumee) might go to a recount. U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Cincinnati) won another term representing the 1st Congressional District on Tuesday night, defeating Republican challenger Orlando Sonza 54.4 percent to 45.6 percent. Landsman was first elected from the district in 2022, unseating former U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Cincinnati). In the 13th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) was leading Republican challenger Kevin Coughlin 51.5 percent to 48.5 percent. Coughlin conceded Wednesday morning. Kaptur is leading Merrin 48.1 percent to 47.8 percent, while Libertarian Tom Pruss had 4 percent. Provisional and late-arriving absentee ballots in that race remain to be counted.
Ohio voters elected six new State Board of Education members Tuesday, an inevitability from the combination of term limits and incumbents' decisions not to seek re-election. The seats are officially non-partisan, but the major parties often endorse candidates. Two candidates cruised to victory with no competition in District 1 and District 8. Kristie Reighard of Swanton, who has decades of experience as a teacher and administration in various districts, won the District 1 seat, covering much of Northwest Ohio. She will succeed Diana Fessler, who did not seek a second term. Karen Lloyd of Steubenville, a retired teacher, won the District 8 seat, which covers much of Eastern Ohio. She will succeed Michelle Newman, who did not seek a second term. In District 5, Mary Binegar won with 69 percent of the vote, defeating Hava Laudon. Binegar, a retired teacher, chairs the Ohio Education Association-Retired group. District 5 incumbent Brendan Shea sought and won election as Madison County commissioner. In District 6, Cathye Flory won with 39.9 percent of the vote in a three-way race against David Donofrio who got 33.4 percent, and Chris Orban who got 26.7 percent. Incumbent Antoinette Miranda was term-limited. In District 7, Rhonda Johnson won with 59.6 percent of the vote, defeating Jessica Goeller. Johnson, of Dublin, is a former Columbus City Schools teacher and local union president. In District 11, Delores Gray Ford won with 52.8 percent of the vote, defeating Jennie Kelley-Crosby.
Other than long lines, voters weren't reporting many issues to groups monitoring Election Day happenings for signs of disruption, the groups said in a mid-morning press call Tuesday. Voters were calling in isolated instances of technology mishaps with voting machines and scanners, but state and local officials appeared to be working to resolve them, said Colin Marozzi, deputy policy director for the ACLU of Ohio, who joined other members of the Ohio Voter Rights Coalition on the call.
While robust turnout was reported around the state during Tuesday's General Election, Ohio's numbers will be behind the record turnout seen in 2020. According to the secretary of state's office, nearly 5.7 million Ohioans have cast ballots, and there are still about 220,046 outstanding absentee (82,167) and provisional (137,879) ballots to be potentially counted. Even if all of those ballots are counted, the final total will come out to be about 5.91 million ballots cast, short of the 5.97 million cast in 2020. That is despite there being more registered voters in 2024 - 8.16 million compared to 8.07 million in 2020. Current turnout is estimated to be close to 70 percent, compared to 2020's official 74 percent turnout.
Elections officials are being praised for running a smooth voting process on Election Day from beginning to end. The Ohio Association of Elections Officials (OAEO) Wednesday thanked its members and Ohio voters for making the process go smoothly. "We are grateful that Ohioans turned out enthusiastically, passionately and respectfully this election," said OAEO President Paul Adams. "Our voters showed once again their confidence in our electoral process and the peaceful transition of political power."
Growing up in Apartheid South Africa, Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu learned that oppression not only harms the oppressed, but the oppressor as well. "You might not harm yourself in exactly the same way that you harmed the other, but there is an impact on you. For me, that recognition of how Apartheid also oppressed White South Africans -- that they could not escape from the fear that their place of privilege placed in them, the fear of what they called ... the 'Black onslaught,'" Tutu said during a Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC) forum on Wednesday. Tutu, the daughter of famous human rights activist Desmond Tutu, told NBC4 anchor Colleen Marshall that many people across the world have already reached out to her to ask how the U.S. could elect Donald Trump after how he acted during his first term as president.
Ohioans approved 51 percent of the school funding issues on their local ballots Tuesday, a substantial drop from the 70 percent that passed a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Ohio School Boards Association. Only a quarter of requests for new funding, seven out of 28, were successful. Renewals were successful in 52 of 73 contests, or 71 percent of the time.
Preliminary results compiled by the Ohio Library Council (OLC) show local library systems winning almost all of the 28 contests on community ballots, with 26 victories. Most of the ballot issues were levy renewal requests, and all of those were successful. Property tax increase requests enjoyed some but not total success. Voters in Butler County's MidPointe Library District defeated an additional, continuing levy at 1.25 mills, which garnered only 44 percent approval. Voters in Franklin County's SouthWest Public Libraries defeated an additional, 10-year levy at 0.75 mills, which likewise got only 44 percent approval.
Former U.S. senator and sitting Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine held his ground during intense questioning Thursday and would not divulge his U.S. Senate list to replace Vice President-elect JD Vance. There is no list, he said. DeWine ended speculation, however, by confirming he himself was not weighing a return to the upper chamber, though he would not confirm anyone else was under serious consideration. The governor took those and other questions during and after his "fireside chat" at the Impact Ohio 2024 Post-General Election Conference.
The organization supporting redistricting constitutional amendment Issue 1 lost in part because Citizens Not Politicians ran a "horrible campaign," Agincourt Consultants President Bob Paduchik said Thursday. "We were outspent five to one," Paduchik said during a panel discussion at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce's Impact Ohio Post-General Election Conference at COSI. Paduchik, a former chair of the Ohio Republican Party, helped lead the anti-Issue 1 campaign.
U.S. Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno (R-OH) delivered one of his first addresses Thursday after winning the general election. Moreno says he's ready to assist the governor with Ohio U.S. Sen. and Vice-President-elect JD Vance's replacement, if needed, and to get to work on President-elect Donald Trump's legislative priorities. Moreno gave the keynote speech at Impact Ohio's Post-General Election Conference in Columbus, talking unscripted for nearly an hour about his formative years, his automotive career, and his run for U.S. Senate.
Former presidential candidate and potentially future Trump administration appointee Vivek Ramaswamy Thursday called President-elect Donald Trump's victory Tuesday historic and the creation of a new movement in the country. Speaking at Impact Ohio's post-election conference, Ramaswamy called the movement a "multi-ethnic, working-class coalition that included a new base of voters that I think has permanently reshaped the future of the Republican Party and therefore the future of the country," he said. "Young voters came out in droves that we haven't seen, not only in a generation, we haven't seen ever. That was something that 10 years ago was unimaginable."
Perhaps boosted by President-elect Donald Trump's decisive victory in Tuesday's general election at the top of the ticket, Republicans across the country made gains in several statewide races, slimming the number of legislative chambers across the country that had been under Democrat majorities. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) reports that prior to Tuesday's election, 57 legislative chambers nationwide had a Republican majority, while 41 were Democratic-controlled. As some races have yet to be finalized throughout the country, NCSL extrapolates that while Republicans will still hold the majority in 57 chambers, the number of chambers where Democrats hold majorities will shrink to 38 in the next sessions, with three chambers nationwide becoming evenly tied between the parties.
The following endorsements were made over the week:
Former Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James has endorsed Kamala Harris for president on his X/Twitter account.
Citizens Not Politicians announces that the Ohio Black Judges Association supports passage of Issue 1.
ENERGY/UTILITIES
The Ohio Ethics Commission (OEC) gave the Ohio Consumers' Council (OCC) and other critics of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's (PUCO) Nominating Council something they have long sought: formal action instructing council members to forward financial disclosures from PUCO candidates and, upon request, additional information including income from any source.
The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA) has issued more than $1.1 million in air quality revenue bonds to finance energy efficiency and solar energy improvements for Dutch and Dutch Real Estate LLC as the group prepares to open a new Cassano's Pizza restaurant in Springfield.
Ohioans are contemplating the holidays, gathered loved ones and cozy spreads but may want to think about tightening their belts and weatherizing their homes for June 1, 2025-May 31, 2026. Energy auctions that inform standard utility rates are forecasting electric costs approaching record highs from 2023-24.
From now through Monday, March 31, 2025, income-eligible Ohioans can receive one-time assistance with their home energy bill through the Ohio Department of Development's (DOD) Home Energy Assistance Winter Crisis Program, the department announced recently. The Winter Crisis Program assists Ohioans facing service disconnection, those who have already been disconnected, individuals needing to establish new service, those required to pay for a service transfer, and those with a Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) default or who need to make their first PIPP payment. It also supports households with 25 percent or less of bulk fuel in their tank to maintain service. Qualifying households must have a gross annual income at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that is $54,600. Ohioans can start their application online but must schedule an appointment with their local energy assistance provider to complete the application. Depending on the agency, the appointment may be in person, on the phone or remote. The application and list of providers can be found online at energyhelp.ohio.gov.
GAMING/GAMBLING
Ohio sportsbooks had one of their best months ever in September 2024, according to data provided by the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC). Sports betting operators reported $106.2 million in revenue in September 2024, which is the third highest total since legal sports gambling launched in January 2023. In September 2023, sportsbooks reported $81.8 million in revenue. Sportsbooks also reported the third highest amount in monthly total gross receipts (handle) in September 2024 -- $863 million. Sportsbooks reported $690.4 million in handle in September 2023. Ohio's four casinos reported $81.6 million in revenue in September 2024, down from $83.1 million in September 2023.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE
Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) Wednesday scrubbed the only pre-Thanksgiving House voting session on the books for lame duck session but will instead call the chamber in for two sessions during the second week of December. The House clerk's office distributed a memo on the schedule changes that cancels the Wednesday, Nov. 20 session and confirms the chamber will go forward with an if-needed session on Tuesday, Dec. 10. These changes mean only the Senate will be around to potentially pass legislation this month. That chamber has sessions scheduled for both Wednesday, Nov. 13 and Wednesday, Nov. 20.
"The board has made no decision." That's how Speaker Pro Tem Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton) closed the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board meeting Thursday after a lengthy executive session at which members were to discuss a successor to retiring Executive Director Laura Battocletti. He repeated the phrase again when asked about next steps and future meetings, and if the board would be able to achieve the previously stated goal of having an overlap period between Battocletti and a new director. Battocletti said after the meeting her planned retirement date of Friday, Dec. 13 has not changed and she was not asked to extend her service. Also Thursday, the board approved a new "access control policy" that will require lobbyists and journalists who have access badges that enable them to bypass security screenings to undergo a one-time background check at a cost of about $40 apiece. In other action, the board also granted a waiver of the last several months of the five-year waiting period for installing new monuments on Statehouse grounds, to enable the proposed monument to notable Ohio women in history to be in place in time for the America 250 semiquincentennial observances of 2026.
A panel of lawmakers Thursday said they don't expect a busier than usual lame duck session, and, looking forward to next year's budget cycle, expect to have a leaner budget due to the end of pandemic-era federal money and lower revenues. The panel, which included House Speaker Pro Tempore Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton), Rep. Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati), Sen. Rob McColley (R-Napoleon), and Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus), spoke on a range of topics at Impact Ohio's Post Election Conference in Columbus. All of the legislators said they were excited for the incoming additions to their caucuses after Tuesday's elections, and noted all of their caucus incumbents won re-election. Democrats picked up two seats in each of the House and Senate, with Isaacsohn saying the pickup of two seats by his caucus is significant.
The culmination of election season invites thoughtful perspective on the ebbs and flows of American political history, and almost on cue, the Capitol Square Foundation (CSF) has announced it will host world-renowned presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin at the Statehouse for a reception and a talk about her latest book. The Pulitzer Prize-winning and New York Times bestselling author will be the featured speaker of 2024's Capital Conversations program, presented by CSF yearly to bring prominent national speakers to visit and lecture at the Ohio Statehouse. Kearns Goodwin was the speaker at the inaugural event in the series in 2019. Information about the event, "A Conversation with Doris Kearns Goodwin," scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 14, can be seen on the Ohio Statehouse website at https://tinyurl.com/y2u7vch3.
GOVERNOR
The DeWine administration announced Thursday that the Ohio Department of Development (DOD) had signed a memorandum of cooperation with Ukraine's Kharkiv Regional Council on behalf of the state. It is meant to strengthen state support for the "war-torn" country, the administration noted in a release. The signing ceremony was held in the Cabinet Room in the Ohio Statehouse and was attended by DeWine, DOD Director Lydia Mihalik, Rep. Sean Brennan (D-Parma), Head of the Kharkiv Regional Council Tetiana Yehorova-Lutsenko, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova and representatives of DOD and the Ohio Commission on Eastern European Affairs.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Ohio State University announced that it has selected Jennifer Schlueter as the next dean and director of its Marion campus, effective March 17, 2025, pending approval by the Board of Trustees. According to the university, "An accomplished academic administrator, teacher, performance maker and producer, Schlueter currently serves as the vice provost of academic affairs at The New School in New York City, where she also holds a faculty appointment in the university's School of Drama."
HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS
Home sales in September dropped half a percent compared to the same month last year, from 11,256 to 11,197, according to Ohio Realtors. Sales prices were up, however. The average price went up 9.3 percent from $275,433 to $301,158. For the first three quarters of 2024, sales activity increased 1 percent over the comparable period in 2023, while the average price rose 7.4 percent.
INTEL
Further congressional action is not necessary to ensure CHIPS Act funding starts flowing to Intel, U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Zanesville) said Thursday. "It's part of the bureaucracy that's in Washington, D.C. These semiconductor chip facilities are being held accountable to restrictions and regulations that these agencies have written. What was in that bill was to be done and ready to go. The agencies get it, and it stalls. They change the rules, they add things," Balderson said during the 2024 Impact Ohio Post-General Election Conference at COSI. Balderson was part of a panel looking ahead to the 119th Congress; he was joined by U.S. Reps. Greg Landsman (D-Cincinnati) and Michael Rulli (R-Salem).
JUDICIAL
The Ohio Supreme Court is promulgating rules implementing adult guardianship changes and other enactments from 134- SB199 (Blessing) in the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio, including an exhaustive questionnaire on proposed guardians' relationship to and financial interest in prospective wards. The Court has released 30 pages of new and amended probate forms for public comment until Monday, Nov. 18. They include changes to the "Statement of Expert Evaluation" that require a licensed physician or clinical psychologist to approve emergency guardianship and that remove from the "Court Investigator's Report on Proposed Guardianship" any determination whether mental, physical or environmental conditions supporting adult guardianship are "reversible." Comments on the proposed amendments may be submitted in writing to Legal Counsel Keely McWhorter, Supreme Court of Ohio, 65 S. Front St., 7th Floor, Columbus 43215, or to RuleAmendments@sc.ohio.gov.
The Ohio Supreme Court has adopted amendments to the Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio allowing attorneys to indicate proficiency in non-English languages during bar registration. "The information will be useful to someone seeking an Ohio attorney who can effectively communicate with their client without the use of an interpreter," the Court says. Amendment language can be found at tinyurl.com/y8vr6j8r.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The inquiry into East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King expanded Monday when the Ohio Supreme Court appointed a special commission of three retired judges to consider his suspension from office following public corruption charges filed by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office. The county grand jury indicted the Democratic mayor on 12 counts last month for allegedly authorizing a public contract and payments through the city's purchasing office to businesses owned by King and his family members, and to a colleague: theft in office (two fourth-degree felonies); unlawful interest in a public contract (two fourth-degree felonies and two first-degree misdemeanors); representation by a public official or employee (one first-degree misdemeanor); filing a false disclosure statement (one first-degree misdemeanor); and soliciting improper compensation (first-degree misdemeanor). Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy has appointed former Republican Judge Lisa Sadler of the 10th District Court of Appeals, former Democratic Judge William Finegan of the Marion County Common Pleas Court and former Democratic Judge William Wood of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court to consider the mayor's suspension from office under In re King, Mayor of East Cleveland.
MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM
The Ohio Department of Medicaid selected four incumbent managed care plans as the winners of new MyCare Ohio contracts to administer the program for dually eligible Medicare-Medicaid patients as it expands statewide beginning in 2026. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Buckeye Health Plan, CareSource and Molina HealthCare of Ohio -- all current managed care organizations for the overall Ohio Medicaid program -- were selected for the care coordination program, which launched under the Kasich administration and currently covers 29 counties. The program is meant to improve care coordination for individuals who are eligible for both programs. The new plans will take effect in January of 2026 in the 29 pilot counties, with statewide expansion following "as quickly as possible," according to ODM.
MILITARY AFFAIRS
The Ohio Adjutant General's Department announced the promotion of Col. Francisco Dominguez to the rank of brigadier general on Friday. Dominguez currently serves as the deputy assistant adjutant general for air, a position he took in February. That involves helping to direct Ohio Air National Guard (ANG) operations in support of state and federal missions and establishing policy to ensure readiness.
NATURAL RESOURCES
While Ohio's state parks are always havens to seek out the state's natural beauty, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) are joining forces to adorn the parks with indoor art as part of the Arts in the Parks Artist-In-Residence program. ODNR and OAC will host the first exhibition at the Mohican State Park Lodge and Conference Center with a multimedia project called "Folk and Nature." Paintings, photography, mixed-media, drawings, printmaking and woodworking will be part of the exhibition that will feature 32 works of art from 29 Ohio artists. A reception will be held for "Folk and Nature" on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. in the main lobby of the Mohican State Park Lodge and Conference Center, 1098 County Road 3006, Perrysville.
The removal of minimum length requirements for walleye, saugeye and sauger could increase the catches in 2025 for fishers in certain Ohio locations. In its regular October meeting, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Ohio Wildlife Council (OWC) removed the 15-inch minimum length requirement for the above listed fish in certain locations starting on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. OWC also set dates for the 2025 spring wild
turkey hunting seasons, including the following:
Youth: Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, April, 13
South zone: Saturday, April 19 to Sunday, May 18
Northeast zone: Saturday, May 3 to Sunday, June 1
OHIO HISTORY
From inventors like Thomas Edison and athletes like Jesse Owens to U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant and pioneers in flight from the Wright brothers to Neil Armstrong, Ohio has been home to great individuals throughout its history. Every year, the Capitol Square Foundation (CSF) commemorates the significant role of Ohioans in events of lasting significance in world, American or Ohio history through CSF's Great Ohioan Award. Nominations for the 2025 Great Ohioan Award are now open until Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. The nomination form for the 2025 Great Ohioan Award can be found at https://tinyurl.com/25rudm75. Forms must be accompanied by a narrative of no more than two pages explaining how the nominee meets the award criteria mentioned above.
PEOPLE
The Board of Directors of the County Engineers Association of Ohio (CEAO) announced that John Olivieri has been selected as the association's new executive director effective Monday, Nov. 4.
Susan Cave, who led the Ohio Municipal League (OML) for 22 years, died Friday, Nov. 1. She was 83. Named executive director of OML in 1994, she served until her retirement in 2016. She began at OML in 1966 as director of research, before later assuming the position of deputy director and executive director.
The Columbus Chamber of Commerce has announced that Derrick R. Clay has been named the organization's next president and CEO. He will assume the position on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. Clay says his prior roles as vice chair of the chamber's board and chair of the Chamber Foundation Board have underscored his commitment to removing barriers and expanding opportunities for local businesses and entrepreneurs.
PUBLIC SAFETY
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) recently announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has selected East Palestine to receive a major investment of nearly $16 million to build a new public safety complex that will host the city's fire, emergency services and police departments, along with its 911 call center.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety's Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) has launched federal grant applications supporting emergency shelter and other services for domestic violence victims and their dependents. Awards run July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 and target nonprofit programs that seek to prevent domestic, family and dating violence; provide shelter, support and community-based services; and offer specialized supports for child victims, underserved populations, and members of racial and ethnic minorities. OCJS is administering the grants under the FFY25 Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). The office has released a request for proposal (RFP) at tinyurl.com/c3nxcnt6 addressing eligibility, application requirements and application instructions and has scheduled a voluntary Bidders Training webinar for 10 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 13 with information on the application and review process. The training registration site is tinyurl.com/22mvp2yj. The application deadline Thursday, Dec. 12 at 5 p.m.
The Ohio AMBER Alert Advisory Committee has released a new video series on the activation process and criteria for each of Ohio's four statewide alerts. Four short videos of two to three minutes each cover the activation process in Ohio for an (a) AMBER Alert, (b) Endangered Missing Child Alert, (c) Endangered Missing Adult Alert and (d) Blue Alert. Posted at tinyurl.com/4kkjkdbk, the videos seek to help the general public understand what occurs during each alert and provide local and county agencies a resource for roll-call training "due to the high-risk/low-frequency nature of agencies' handling incidents that may require an alert," the committee says.
Throughout the month of November, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is conducting an online survey to identify traffic safety concerns and obtain feedback about interactions with the agency. The 2024 Public Survey is anonymous and takes approximately five minutes to complete. The survey, created in accordance with standards of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), is designed to be used as a platform for organizational learning, asking specific questions related to traffic safety issues and previous interactions with OSHP employees. The survey can be found at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/vydsdztb.
The DeWine administration released a new child sex and labor trafficking "tool-kit" recently to establish and strengthen collaborative, survivor-centered interventions. The Child Response Protocol Toolkit is a joint project of the Governor's Human Trafficking Task Force and the Ohio Attorney General's Human Trafficking Commission, Victim Services Committee. They recommend using its strategies to identify key stakeholders, to customize a local identification and response protocol, to learn human trafficking indicators and to support vulnerable youth. The toolkit can be found at tinyurl.com/32k8cxsu.
STATE GOVERNMENT
Four items were held during Monday's Controlling Board meeting before being approved, with questions asked by Reps. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) and Beryl Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna). All other items received blanket approval, aside from an Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) item seeking an additional $1.3 million in appropriation related to long-term care. That was deferred by agency request. Piccolantonio held an Ohio Secretary of State's Office request for transfer of $690,000 from the board's Emergency Purposes fund to the Business Services Operating Expenses line item to pay attorney fees and costs associated with League of Women Voters of Ohio v. Frank LaRose.
The Office of the Ohio Inspector General (IG) recently issued reports identifying misdeeds at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS). On June 15, 2023, ODJFS referred an allegation of wrongdoing to the IG involving a former subcontracted Randstad employee, customer service representative (CSR) Ericka Holland. The referral alleged that Holland improperly accessed and authorized payments on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims resulting in the improper release of PUA funds to ineligible claimants. Investigators determined that Holland took actions outside the scope of her training and authority in 393 PUA claims. Specifically, investigators found that Holland improperly voided fraud alerts on PUA claims; cleared identity verification, program eligibility and other issues on PUA claims; and increased the reported income amounts for claimants resulting in $3,247,402 in benefits being paid to ineligible claimants. On Dec. 21, 2023, the ODPS notified the IG of possible wrongdoing on the part of ODPS IT administrative professional 4 Brandy Ward. ODPS suspected Ward of improper or illegal activity related to her secondary employment. Ward's work schedule at ODPS was 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Investigators learned that Ward also worked for Robert Half International, Inc. (Robert Half) from March 2, 2022, to Aug. 21, 2023, and had the same work schedule as her ODPS employment.
Forty-five cemeteries in 32 Ohio counties are receiving $104,000 in grants from the Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing (REPL), DOC announced recently.
TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE
The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) is asking stakeholders and the public to weigh in on an update to the State of Ohio Rail Plan. The Ohio Rail Plan is required to be updated every four years to remain competitive for federal grant opportunities. An online survey is now available for the public to provide their thoughts on the current state of the rail network in Ohio, the importance of the rail network to them, and any concerns they may have as well as priorities they would like to see the state pursue. The survey can be found at: https://metroquestsurvey.com/isd72.
The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) announced five rail projects in the state that will receive a mix of federal, state, local and private funding to improve safety and upgrade rail lines around the state. The commission said the projects include upgrading infrastructure, improving safety at rail crossings, and expanding rail capacity. "These projects would not have been possible without the additional resources provided to us from Gov. DeWine and the General Assembly in the last budget. Our $3.7 million contribution was able to secure over $36 million invested into Ohio's rail system. These projects will help railroads in Ohio move freight safer and more efficiently," said ORDC Executive Director Matthew Dietrich.
VETERANS
Gov. Mike DeWine recognized the proximity to Veterans Day of the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame induction ceremony Thursday, saying it is "appropriate that this event occur today." DeWine added he was "very grateful" for what the 20 inductees have done for the state and that veterans deserve to be recognized for their work ethic and achievements at home in addition to their military service. This year's class excelled in areas such as health care, aerospace, government, business and law, DeWine continued. Members who went into public service included U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Cincinnati); former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Robert McDonald; and, posthumously, former Ohio Senate President Bill (Billy) Harris.
[Story originally published in The Hannah Report. Copyright 2024 Hannah News Service, Inc.]
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