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 state of Ohio has received $100 million in federal grant funding to prevent drug overdose deaths and help individuals struggling with substance abuse, Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director LeeAnne Cornyn announced. The funding represents the fourth round of State Opioid and Stimulant Response (SOS) grant funds awarded throughout Ohio. The SOS 4.0 grants were received by OhioMHAS through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support local organizations that offer prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and long-term recovery services for Ohioans struggling with an opioid or stimulant use disorder.
OneOhio Recovery Foundation's Board of Directors capped its last meeting of the year with a final round of preliminary awards for 2024, though the agency overseeing the $800 million state opioid settlement said weekly announcements on fully negotiated grants will continue through December. Directors emerged from their closed-door meeting to announce 14 preliminary grants exceeding $2.1 million, which must be finalized before disbursement. In addition, the foundation brought its two-week grant total to nearly $6 million in awards to three dozen nonprofits and public jurisdictions involved in prevention, treatment and support for individuals and families suffering from substance abuse.
OneOhio Recovery Foundation announced another $2.4 million in funding to 13 public and private entities as part of Grant Award Wednesday. “The people and organizations who are at the tip of the spear against the addiction epidemic in our state are an inspiration," OneOhio Board Chair Don Mason said in a statement. "The grants the foundation is announcing today will support several of these amazing efforts, and we are glad to be able to partner with them to support their missions. We've got more work to do, but it's a privilege to support these meaningful efforts to help combat the addiction epidemic across our state."
BALLOT ISSUES
The Ohio Ballot Board unanimously certified the "Ohio Voters Bill of Rights" as a single issue during its meeting on Monday. Secretary of State Frank LaRose questioned the merits of the proposal during the hearing and said he thought it included three "broad subject areas," but ultimately moved to approve the constitutional amendment as a single issue. Jyoti Jasrasaria, an attorney with Elias Law Group, provided testimony in support of the amendment. Attorney General Dave Yost previously rejected the amendment based on its title, but the Ohio Supreme Court found the AG does not have the authority to review the title of proposed ballot initiatives.
CHILDREN/FAMILIES
Many indicators in The Columbus Foundation's "Community Benchmarking Report" show that the mid-Ohio region is trending in the right direction overall, but leaders discussing the report at the Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC) on Wednesday agreed the region can't be satisfied to rest on its laurels while still facing issues like infant mortality, public health and racial gaps as the region continues to grow. "We can't give up on any of this stuff, and we can't get discouraged, even though it's hard," said Matt Martin, director of community research at The Columbus Foundation.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/URBAN REVITALIZATION
With the population of Columbus projected to reach nearly 3.5 million people by 2050, leaders in the region right now are facing major decisions concerning regional planning and economic development that could pave the way for the region's smooth growth to that size or make the path rockier. Padmini Roy-Dixon, economic development director and regional innovation officer at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, joined other leaders in planning for the Columbus region at a recent Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC) forum to discuss the picture painted by The Columbus Foundation's recently released "Community Benchmarking Report." The report is the eighth such report that the foundation has released since 2007, and the first since 2019.
ECONOMY
The Ohio Council of Retail Merchants (OCRM) released its annual holiday spending forecast in a virtual press conference Thursday, with $30.4 billion expected for this year's season. That would represent a 1.1 percent increase over 2023. Increases are expected in all nine of the state's major metro areas as well. The University of Cincinnati (UC) Economics Center prepared the report, and the center's Executive Director Brad Evans detailed its findings. OCRM President and CEO Gordon Gough also said the forecast shows growing confidence in the economy and the benefits of post-pandemic economic recovery.
EDUCATION
Witnesses on both sides of the issue packed the hearing room Tuesday for a Senate Education Committee meeting on whether schools should be required to adopt policies allowing students to be released for a portion of the school day for religious instruction like that offered by LifeWise Academy. The day's hearing included testimony from all comers on SB293 (Reynolds), which would make religious release time policies a requirement for Ohio school districts rather than an option. Hundreds of people signed up to speak or submitted written remarks. Westerville City Schools recently rescinded its release time policy and Worthington is reconsidering its policy.
The Ohio Department of Development (DOD) is awarding $300,000 to five organizations to develop educational programs and curriculum in K-12 schools around energy efficiency and renewable energy, according to the department. "Our responsibility to create a more sustainable future starts with ensuring our young people understand the importance of investing in renewable energy," said Lydia Mihalik, DOD director. "The students who benefit from this curriculum today will be the ones who help create a better Ohio tomorrow."
Changes to new reporting and academic requirements for private schools were not enough to win over school choice groups Wednesday in the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee. The committee adopted a substitute version of HB407 (Manning-Seitz). Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula), vice chair of the committee, said the new version drops a requirement for scholarship students to take state and national assessments and comply with state graduation requirements, as well as a requirement to report family income of funding recipients from scholarship granting organizations (SGOs), among other changes. Multiple representatives of private school organizations said they appreciated the changes but maintained concerns about HB407. Some testified as interested parties, others as outright opponents.
A charter school on the West side of Columbus filed this week what it hopes will be a class action lawsuit against Columbus City Schools over the ongoing dispute on whether the district is wrongly refusing to bus students to charter and private schools. The district already faces litigation from Attorney General Dave Yost and from private schools in two Ohio Supreme Court cases. On Tuesday, Franklinton High School filed a lawsuit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, alleging that at least 10 students have left the school over the loss of busing, and prospective families have declined to enroll because of the lack of transportation. The school estimates it gets about $10,000 in funding per student, meaning the accumulation of funding losses over high school careers could stretch into the millions, the complaint argues.
ELECTIONS
A hearing on a complaint filed against Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) over whether he filed proper campaign reports is headed for a third day of testimony before the Ohio Elections Commission after a full day of testimony Thursday featured Stewart himself. The first hearing was held in August.
ELECTIONS 2024
Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Tuesday that the formal convening of Ohio's 56th Electoral College will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in the Senate Chamber of the Ohio Statehouse. At the ceremony, Ohio will cast its 17 electoral votes for Donald Trump as president and JD Vance as vice president of the United States, with the electoral votes representing each of Ohio congressional districts and two U.S. Senate seats.
Final election results affirmed U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s (D-Toledo) re-election victory over Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Maumee), with a margin that fell just outside the threshold for an automatic recount.
ELECTIONS 2026
Attorney General Dave Yost Tuesday posted on social media a tease to his official announcement for governor, indicating it will come early next year. In the 20-second black and white video, Yost is seen walking through the Statehouse before stopping at the governor's ceremonial office. The message "Stepping Up for Ohio," along with "coming in the first quarter of 2025" ends the video.
EMPLOYMENT/UNEMPLOYMENT
Ohio's unemployment rate dropped to 4.3 percent in October, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) announced, after having been 4.5 percent in July, August and September. ODFJS said Ohio's nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 6,400 over the month, from a revised 5,675,600 in September to 5,682,000 in October. The number of Ohio workers unemployed in October was 256,000, down from 263,000 in September. The number of unemployed has increased by 45,000 in the past 12 months from 211,000. The October unemployment rate for Ohio has increased 0.7 percentage points from 3.6 percent in October 2023. The U.S. unemployment rate for October was 4.1 percent, unchanged from 4.1 percent in September and up from 3.8 percent in October 2023.
ENERGY/UTILITIES
The Ohio Manufacturers' Association (OMA) accuses state regulators appointed by the governor of violating their own standard for a competitive energy market by allowing Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC) facilities to run 24/7/365 like profitable "capacity" generators when OVEC plants are losing money. Joined by the public Office of Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC), OMA is asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to reconsider its position that the 1950s coal plants in Madison, IN and Cheshire, OH are "prudent" and "in the best interests of retail ratepayers" when they require consumer government mandates to stay open. "These old coal plants simply cannot compete against today's new, less expensive renewable and gas plants. But that does not concern AEP Ohio, because the PUCO allows AEP Ohio to charge its consumers tens of millions of dollars to subsidize the coal plants," OCC and OMA say in their latest request for rehearing.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE
Rep. Allison Russo (R-Upper Arlington) will keep her position as House minority leader next year, House Democrats decided in a Tuesday gathering where they also affirmed support for her and three other caucus leaders. Returning alongside Russo will be Rep. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) as assistant minority leader, Rep. Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) as minority whip and Rep. Michele Grim (D-Toledo) as assistant minority whip. The votes were unanimous, according to a statement from the caucus.
The Joint Sunset Review Committee Tuesday adopted its report, which was drafted in bill format. Chair Sen. Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro) said 31 entities will be sunset, including 16 which requested that. The list of abolished entities includes the following:
Agricultural Commodity Marketing Programs, Coordinating Committee.
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Task Force.
Child Care Advisory Council.
Committee to Assist the State Fire Marshal in Adopting Fireworks Rules.
Director of Health's Advisory Group on Violent Deaths.
Electrical Safety Inspector Advisory Committee.
Engineering Experiment Station Advisory Committee.
Federally Subsidized Housing Study Committee.
Governor's Residence Advisory Commission.
Hemp Marketing Program Operating Committee.
Infant Hearing Screening Subcommittee.
Joint Legislative Study Committee Regarding Career Pathways and Post-secondary Workforce Training Programs in Ohio.
Joint Legislative Task Force to Examine Transportation of Community School and Nonpublic School Students.
Land Use Advisory Committee to the President of Ohio University.
Law Enforcement Training Funding Study Committee.
Legislative Committee on Public Health Futures.
Ohio Aerospace and Aviation Technology Committee.
Ohio Business Gateway Steering Committee.
Ohio Children's Behavioral Health Prevention Network Stakeholder Group.
Ohio Fire Code Rule Recommendation Committee.
Ohio Health Reinsurance Program Board of Directors.
Ohio Physician and Allied Health Care Workforce Preparation Task Force.
Ohio Private Investigation and Security Services Commission.
Performance Indicators for Children's Hospitals Study Committee.
Public Assistance Benefits Accountability Task Force.
Select Committee on Sports Gaming and Problem Gambling.
State Report Card Study Committee.
Study Commission on the Future of Gaming in Ohio.
Study Committee Regarding Students Retaking Grade 12.
Supervisory Investigative Panel of the State Dental Board.
Task Force to Evaluate Current Operational Structures and Procedures at Wright State University's Lake Campus.
Unemployment Compensation Advisory Council.
Unemployment Compensation Modernization Improvement Council.
Rep. Elliot Forhan (D-South Euclid) has filed a lawsuit in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and the Ohio Court of Claims against House Minority Leader Allison Russo, House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill), and others, arguing that they performed "a political hit job" against him "to achieve benefits for their political campaign objectives." Forhan, who lost his re-election bid in a primary earlier this year, was removed from committee assignments and "disallowed caucus staff services" last year by Russo, who cited a "pattern of harassment, hostility, and intimidation of colleagues." Stephens later asked Attorney General Dave Yost, also a named defendant in Forhan's lawsuit, to investigate the allegations against Forhan. Forhan has also feuded with Rep. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland), who filed for a protection order against him, citing social media posts and other behavior. Brent is also a named defendant in the legal action, along with former House Minority Chief of Staff Jordan Plottner.
Incoming and re-elected House Republicans chose Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) as their candidate for House speaker in the 136th General Assembly at a Wednesday night caucus gathering. Rep. Tim Barhorst (R-Fort Loramie), who’d announced a bid for the role earlier in the week, ultimately was not nominated, leading to Huffman’s win by acclamation. Huffman expanded the incoming leadership team, which he said would help improve communication among caucus members. The rest of the team is as follows:
Rep. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) as speaker pro tempore
Rep. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) as assistant speaker pro tempore
Rep. Marilyn John (R-Shelby) as majority floor leader
Rep. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) as assistant majority floor leader
Reps. Riordan McClain (R-Upper Sandusky), Steve Demetriou (R-Chagrin Falls), Nick Santucci (R-Niles) and Josh Williams (R-Oregon) as majority whips.
Republican senators chose Sen. Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) as president for the next General Assembly, with Sen. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin) to serve as president pro tempore, Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Grene) as majority floor leader and Sen. George Lang (R-West Chester) as whip.
Senate Democrats re-elected Sen. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) as minority leader of for next year, also returning Sen. Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus) as assistant minority leader and Sen. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) as minority whip. Sen.-elect Beth Liston (D-Dublin) joins the team as assistant minority whip.
Wednesday’s Senate session included approval of SJR4 (Chavez-Craig), which would authorize $2.5 billion in borrowing to continue the Ohio Public Works Commission’s State Capital Improvement Program, which funds local infrastructure projects around the state; HB5 (Ray-Baker), which would modernize adoption laws; HB70 (Fowler-Gross), which requires schools to develop policies on over-the-counter drugs; HB107 (Patton), a road naming bill; and SB207 (Kunze-Craig), which designates Sept. 19 as “Stillbirth Prevention Day.”
The House Finance Committee Wednesday unanimously approved legislation after one hearing that would provide $10 million in drought relief funds for areas hit hard over the summer. Rep. Don Jones (R-Freeport), a primary co-sponsor of HB683 (Jones-Edwards), said he fears that $10 million will not be enough, but he tried to ask for the lowest amount possible in respect for state revenues. "The drought is an ongoing issue that will not be fixed over the winter. Hay fields will need to be reseeded and hay yields will be down significantly next year. By doing this bill now, we can provide immediate relief to farmers as they prepare to ramp up for next season," he said.
In other legislative action, the House Economic and Workforce Development Committee reported out SB155 (Romanchuk) which removes the mandate to build an interstate interchange in Brunswick; the House Transportation Committee reported out HB279 (Willis), the “School Bus Safety Act”; and naming bills HB641 (Williams-Rogers), HB648 (Lorenz-Lear), HB562 (Swearingen), HB664 (Ray) and HB673 (Schmidt); the Senate Government Oversight Committee reported out SB210 (Sykes-Reynolds) to designate “Ohio Black Media Week”; House Behavioral Health Committee reported out HB571 (White), requiring schools and colleges to publicize the national suicide and crisis prevention hotline; House Insurance Committee reported out HB382 (Brown), regarding prescription drug readers for visually impaired patients; House Public Health Policy Committee reported out HB602 (Fowler-McClain), to exempt home education groups from child care and zoning regulations; and HB89, regarding intimate examinations of anesthetized patients; House State and Local Government Committee reported out HB426 (Peterson-Klopfenstein), to designate the first week of October as “Stormwater Awareness Week”; Senate Insurance Committee reported out HB78 (Seitz-J. Miller), regarding the State Teachers Retirement System board; and Senate Transportation Committee reported out SB178 (Wilson), regarding stationary vehicles.
HANNAH NEWS
Hannah News Thursday unveiled a new set of tools that are designed to make analyzing, comparing, and summarizing legislation easier than ever. The new features include the following:
Enhanced Document Queries with Smart Search: Hannah Intelligence now understands the meaning behind the search - not just exact matches only. This means the information needed can be found even if the precise words or phrases are not used. Whether searching for "tax incentives" or "infrastructure development" or "public safety" the system will now show related results.
Document Comparison: Hannah now offers two ways to compare different versions of text. On each bill page, two versions of the bill text, LSC Analysis, or Fiscal Notes can now be instantly compared using the "Compare Documents" button. In Hannah Intelligence, detailed, side-by-side views will show changes, the results and enumerated differences between two document versions.
Bill and Section Summaries: For a quick dive into legislative documents, Hannah Intelligence offers plain-language summaries that explain what each section of a bill does in simple terms. These summaries break down bills into straightforward explanations.
Interactive Intelligence Tools: Hannah Intelligence offers advanced features that allow the user to directly engage with legislative text. Users can now ask specific questions on any bill versions and quickly receive detailed answers, helping to understand how particular provisions could affect clients or the user's organization, group or industry.
Rough Draft Testimony: Hannah Intelligence helps the user overcome writer's block by generating a rough draft for proponent or opponent testimony. This first draft provides tailored arguments aligned with the user's organization stance on a bill, serving as a foundation for the final testimony version.
Those interested in learning more about this new set of legislative tools should email sales@hannah.com.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Rep. Dontavious Jarrells (D-Columbus) said in a news conference this week that in Ohio, more than 10,000 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, according to national nonprofit ZERO Prostate Cancer. Prostate cancer will also claim the lives of over 1,200 men in Ohio, or 19.4 in every 100,000 men in the state. Nationally, Black men are 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than their White counterparts and 2.1 times more likely to die from the disease. Despite these numbers illustrating prostate cancer as the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the U.S., the percentage of men screened for prostate cancer regularly has dropped over the past decade from over 50 percent to now just over 30 percent. To address this trend in diagnoses and deaths, Jarrells was Monday joined by several cancer survivors and advocates at a press conference introducing HB550 (Jarrells-Johnson). The bill requires health insurers to cover preventive screening for certain men at high-risk for developing prostate cancer.
Dozens of nurses and health care professionals filled the House Health Provider Services Committee's hearing room Tuesday for testimony in support of HB285 (Ghanbari-Rogers), which would require hospitals to establish registered nurse staffing plans in the name of protecting patient safety. Individual nurses and representatives of nurses' unions statewide took turns painting the protections laid out for health care staffs as necessary given the ongoing decrease in floor nurses throughout Ohio.
Testimony on HB236 (M. Miller-Lear) and subsequent questioning from the Senate Health Committee on Wednesday looked at the difference, if any, between an advocate for a hospitalized person and a hospital visitor. HB236 would prohibit a congregate care setting from denying a patient or resident access to an advocate during public health emergencies. The bill passed the House in June unanimously. "Over the last three years, we have gained heightened awareness of the need to protect the rights of a patient to have access to a loved one or advocate to act on behalf of their best interest while in a hospital or care facility," said state Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) after the bill's passage by the House. "'The Never Alone Act' ensures that everyone has someone who can speak for them, when they do not have a voice."
For most individuals struggling with mental illness and substance use disorder, safe and stable housing is an essential component of a realistic plan to achieve and sustain recovery, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director LeeAnne Cornyn said Thursday. "I've talked about access, I've talked about workforce, but if we're really talking about what is going to be the changemaker in the lives of individuals struggling with mental health or substance use disorder, I think housing would be my answer," Cornyn said during the Ohio Chamber of Commerce 2024 Health Care Transformation Summit, responding to a question from Ohio Chamber Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Rick Carfagna on what program they would most like to fund if budget constraints weren't an issue.
The Center for Community Solutions (CCS) announced recently that organizations in Greater Cleveland are banding together to form the Human Services Chamber of Cuyahoga County and have named Annette Iwamoto as the inaugural director of the new endeavor. CCS will house the new chamber group. Iwamoto previously was executive director of the nonprofit community development group One South Euclid. According to CCS, nearly 1,800 health and human services-focused nonprofits in the region employ more than 12 percent of the workforce in Cuyahoga County.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Institutions of higher education in Ohio are now allowed to directly compensate college athletes for use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), Gov. Mike DeWine wrote in an executive order Monday. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and several athletic conferences have entered into a proposed settlement agreement that would allow colleges and universities to provide direct compensation to student-athletes for NIL. In addition, further name, image and likeness (NIL) legislation is necessary to ensure Ohio colleges and universities can keep up with other top sports institutions across the country, the sponsors of HB660 (Edwards-Mathews) and HB687 (Stewart) told the House Civil Justice Committee on Tuesday. Reps. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) and Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) said the bill would mostly codify DeWine's executive order allowing Ohio institutions of higher education to directly pay college athletes for use of their NIL.
The Ohio State University Police Division (OSUPD) recently named Dennis Jeffrey campus chief of police. Jeffrey replaces Kimberly Spears-McNatt who retired from the role in August 2024. Jeffrey has served as a deputy chief for OSUPD since 2022. Prior to joining OSUPD, Jeffrey served 27 years at the Columbus Division of Police.
A former Youngstown State University (YSU) graduate left a $2.3 million estate gift to establish a scholarship in her memory. The Bessie K. Veck Scholarship will provide over $80,000 annually to support students. According to the university, recipients of the scholarship can be undergraduate or graduate students who are enrolled part-time or full-time with a minimum 2.5 GPA. Owing to Veck's long career as a teacher, at least one recipient each year will be a student pursuing a career in education.
Public universities and colleges in Ohio would not be allowed to ask applicants seeking admission or employment their preferred pronouns under legislation considered Wednesday in the House Higher Education Committee. Rep. Gail Pavliga (R-Atwater), sponsor of HB86, said pronoun information provides no indication of readiness to study or work at a college, but could be used for ideological screening.
HUMAN SERVICES
A sponsor of a bill to increase the requirements and accountability of group homes for children in Ohio introduced a sub bill to the House Families and Aging Committee Tuesday focused on what Rep. Andrea White (R-Kettering) said can be passed before the end of this legislative session next month. The pared down sub bill drops certain requirements of the Ohio Department of Children on Youth (DCY) regarding the department's role in placing, certifying and reviewing residential facilities. Instead, White called for a "robust" study committee to look at the issue in the next year. White says sub HB583 (White-Plummer) instead would enact absolute essentials based on what's happening right now.
IMMIGRATION
The Ohio Controlling Board approved a $17 million request Monday from the Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to support refugee services, despite objections from three legislators. Rep. Bob Hackett (R-London), Sen. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) and Controlling Board President Jill Schuller voted for the measure, while Sen. Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro), Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) and Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) voted against.
JUDICIAL
The Supreme Court of Ohio is looking to impose clear standards for lower-court case completion by stipulating that 95 to 100 percent of all litigation -- criminal, civil, domestic and juvenile -- should be completed within a specific time frame. In many cases, time standards would be longer rather than shorter. Under proposed amendments to the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio, judges would have nine as opposed to six months to dispose of all criminal charges by plea deal, jury verdict, judicial verdict, dismissal, court transfer or other case terminations. They would indicate on the draft case disposition form how many they completed in each category, benchmarked at 95 percent of total cases in that category. Various time frames for civil disputes would remain unchanged but would fall under the 95 percent completion standard for total cases.
LOBBYISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS
The CJR Group, a Columbus-based public relations and government advocacy group, announced Monday the hiring of Mariah (Halleck) Field, who will help manage state government affairs for the firm. Field most recently worked as an associate in the Public Affairs Group at Ice Miller LLP and previously was on the legislative affairs staff for Gov. Mike DeWine. Her experience also includes time as legislative affairs director for the Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS), legislative liaison for the Ohio Department of Aging and legislative aide in the Ohio House, among other roles.
Ohio Right to Life (ORTL) has expanded its executive team with two new hires, the anti-abortion organization announced Tuesday. Afton Simonelli is the group's new director of communications and strategic affairs, and Emma Martinez is ORTL's new director of legislative and external affairs.
MARIJUANA/HEMP
Ohioans should not be allowed to buy unregulated intoxicating hemp products at convenience stores, a variety of witnesses told the Senate General Government Committee on Tuesday. The committee heard proponent testimony on SB326 (S. Huffman) during the hearing, with Chair Sen. Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro) saying opponents will be able to testify at a future meeting.
MENTAL HEALTH
A group of lawmakers and members of the Ohio Perinatal Task Force Tuesday afternoon called for the General Assembly to pass a resolution to raise awareness for the mental health struggles of expecting and new mothers. The group said passage of HCR16 (Somani-Ray) is the first step to address the issue, with lawmakers stating their intention to seek funding for programs in the next biennium. Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin), one of HCR16's sponsors, said she has seen the effect of mental health issues on pregnancy in her practice. She said the time from the beginning of pregnancy through a child's first birthday can bring rapid changes and mental health challenges for women, saying about 75 percent do not receive adequate treatment.
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) announced recently that eligible graduates of the Great Minds Fellowship program are able to receive up to $10,000 in bonuses in an effort to bolster recruitment and retention in the behavioral health field across the state. Applications are open now. Under the new initiative, eligible Great Minds Fellowship program graduates will receive the following:
$5,000 sign-on bonus upon accepting a position at an OhioMHAS-licensed community behavioral health center.
An additional $5,000 bonus after completing one year of employment at a community behavioral health center.
NATURAL RESOURCES
Safe boating isn't only a good idea in Ohio, but anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1982, must also complete a one-day training course before operating a boat over 10 horsepower. The Ohio Boating Education Course (OBEC) covers topics essential for safe and responsible boating, including the following:
Boat handling and preparation
Safe operation practices
Legal requirements
Emergency procedures
Water sports safety
One-day OBEC classes are designed to fulfill Ohio's mandatory boater education requirements, and each session concludes with a test to ensure participants are equipped with the knowledge needed for a safe boating experience. The is no charge for OBEC classes, but registration is required to attend upcoming classes.
Two representatives from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will be recognized by the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association (OPRA) Hall of Fame in February for their statewide contributions to parks, recreation and natural resources. ODNR Director Mary Mertz will be inducted into the OPRA Hall of Fame following a distinguished career of leadership, expertise and vision that has enhanced conservation and public access to natural spaces. OPRA will also honor ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft Sustainability Coordinator Heather Bokman with its Jack Hanna Resource Conservation Award. Bokman leads ODNR's ConServe Ohio initiative, which is designed to embed sustainability into Ohio State Parks operations.
PENSIONS
The State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) provided Hannah News additional information on Aaron Hood who the Board of Trustees selected Thursday, Nov. 14 to serve as the pension's interim executive director as the search for a permanent executive director continues. Hood succeeds Lynn Hoover who is retiring effective Dec. 1. He began Monday, Nov. 18. Hood is currently a finance senior fellow at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Previously, he served as the interim CFO and director of Emerge Energy Services/Superior Silica Sands in Texas. He also worked as the executive vice president and CFO of Summit Carbon Solutions in Iowa.
The House Pensions Committee voted 12-3 Tuesday to recommend legislation that would gradually increase the contributions local governments provide toward the retirement benefits for first responders in the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund (OP&F) after adopting a sub version of HB296 (Abrams-Hall). Local governments argued for the committee to hold off on the vote to allow more time for negotiations, arguing that increasing their pension obligations could be counterproductive by impeding efforts to hire more first responders and pay them higher wages -- efforts that also put more money into the system. The sub bill added a very small increase in employees' contribution rates, from 12.25 percent to 12.5 percent starting in 2030, while spreading out the employer increases over six years instead of four.
PUBLIC SAFETY
The Ohio State Highway Patrol's (OSHP) 174th Academy Class is undergoing 70 hours of field training after graduating this month from its training academy in Columbus. The 40 graduates are assigned to a third of OSHP's patrol posts.
The Ohio Community-Police Collaborative Advisory Board once again tabled federally compliant ballistic standards on a lightly attended Wednesday meeting but previewed members' voting authority over law enforcement agencies to receive full accreditation under the DeWine administration program launched last year. Executive Director Nicole Dehner of the Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) led the 12-member board with three present and three participating online. OCJS Law Enforcement Services Director Ed Burkhammer, who advises the group, updated members on the final draft of Standard 9.02 addressing law enforcement reporting to the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) and eTrace systems administered by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
TECHNOLOGY/AEROSPACE
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced Friday that 16 training providers around Ohio will receive a total of $7.1 million for technology-focused credential education as part of the Individual Microcredential Assistance Program (IMAP). IMAP offers entities including two- and four year-colleges, career centers and private providers up to $3,000 in reimbursement for each Ohioan who earns a tech-focused credential. Up to 3,551 credentials could be earned under this funding round, according to Husted's office. The program also received a recent website update, giving it an improved search function for credentials and training providers that are available. IMAP training is offered online as well as in person.
The House Aviation and Aerospace Committee Tuesday heard two presentations on infrastructure and implementation of drone technology, including beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, and technology to better detect hazardous weather that can be used to support low altitude flights.
Committee members had a particular focus on how these fields may influence items they want to have included in the FY26-27 state budget.
TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE
Regular Ohio Turnpike users who are ignoring toll invoices will soon have their bills sent to collections, according to Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (OTIC) Executive Director Ferzan Ahmed. "As you know, we have suspended collections to give our customers time to get used to the [new] system," Ahmed said during Monday's OTIC meeting. "Unfortunately, we have observed that some repeat customers are ignoring second and even final notices, since they know that their invoices will not be sent to collections," Ahmed continued. "This is not why we suspended collections. Therefore, in the near future, we will start collections for customers who travel the turnpike regularly and ignore the invoice."
Ahmed said OTIC will provide public notice when collections are restarted.
WORKFORCE
The DeWine administration announced Sunday that Nov. 17 through Saturday, Nov. 23 is the 10th annual "National Apprenticeship Week" and, as part of that, Ohio is promoting career opportunities provided by apprenticeships. The state currently has over 23,000 residents enrolled in an apprenticeship program, putting it first in the Midwest and third nationally. The administration also noted workers in skilled trades are in high demand now, including construction, plumbing, HVAC, electric, welding and pipefitting. Those positions offer competitive salaries, even at the apprenticeship level, and within five years can provide more than twice the state median income. Apprenticeships also help young Ohioans avoid student debt and can lead to an employer's paying for college credit toward an associate or bachelor's degree available at many state colleges and universities.
As part of the Governor's Executive Workforce Board meeting Wednesday, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and the InnovateOhio initiative released an "AI in Education Strategy," part of state efforts to help educators in better preparing students for the future workforce. The full AI in Education Strategy report is available HERE .
[Story originally published in The Hannah Report. Copyright 2024 Hannah News Service, Inc.]
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