Republican lawmakers have introduced a new wave of legislation that would continue to expand gun rights in Ohio. Among the proposed changes are measures that would allow public officials to carry firearms in the Statehouse and other “non-secured” public buildings, ban law enforcement from melting down confiscated guns and loosen the state’s definition of “automatic […]
Ohio House Passes Bill to Make Animal Capture “More Humane”
June 14, 2013 by
State Representative Dorothy Pelanda (R-Marysville), who represents part of Marion, says she applauds the Ohio House of Representatives’ passage of Substitute House Bill 116, which pertains to the capture of animals using tranquilizers and makes changes to laws governing animal euthanasia. Sub. H.B. 116 allows county dog wardens to utilize a tranquilizer gun to capture […]
Ohio Lawmakers Propose New Abortion Restrictions
June 13, 2013 by
A group of Ohio Republican lawmakers has introduced a bill that would require women seeking abortions to wait at least 48 hours and undergo an ultrasound examination. Those requirements are among an extensive list of abortion restrictions in House Bill 200, introduced by Rep. Ron Hood of Southeast Ohio and backed by 34 of his […]
Bill Would Cause All State Spending to be Posted Online
June 13, 2013 by
A proposal to bolster transparency would let taxpayers track online every penny that Ohio’s state government spends. The plan, pitched by Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel and backed by legislation from Rep. Mike Dovilla, calls for the treasurer to maintain a database on his office’s Internet site that would allow free access to the data. “I […]
Ohio Medicaid Expansion Could Be Re-Branded as Reform
June 10, 2013 by
More and more, the chances that an expansion of Ohio’s Medicaid program will appear in the state budget appear to be less and less. But the debate is far from over. While they hedge that there are no guarantees, legislators, lobbyists and the administration, continue to talk with optimism that something will be done to […]
After Passing Senate, Next Ohio Budget Headed to Conference Committee
June 7, 2013 by
Senate Republicans on Thursday throttled Democratic attempts to amend the state’s two-year budget before voting in favor of a version aimed at giving a boost to small businesses and schools and clamping down on abortion providers. A 23-10 party-line vote, which followed a daylong debate, sent the bill to a conference committee, where members from […]
State Amendment Would Enable Customers to be Charged for Old Gas Site Clean-Ups
June 6, 2013 by
A century-old law protecting natural gas consumers from being overcharged for utility service may be weakened as part of an amendment to the state’s budget bill proposed in the Ohio Senate, according to the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC). At stake for consumers are tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in costs for long-closed gas […]
Internet Cafe Law Signed, Opponent Vow Referendum
June 5, 2013 by
The same day Gov. John Kasich signed legislation that would effectively eliminate Internet cafes, opponents of the bill vowed to get voters to repeal it. The bill signed Tuesday by Kasich would take effect in 90 days. But if a referendum effort succeeds in getting the issue on a statewide ballot, the law might not […]
Ohio Senate’s Budget Includes Small Business Tax Cut
May 29, 2013 by
Senate lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled their revamped version of Ohio’s two-year budget, resurrecting Gov. John Kasich’s $1.4 billion tax cut for small-business owners. But — like the versions the House and Kasich rolled out earlier this year — everything is subject to change. Senators reintroduced the 50 percent tax cut for small-business owners Kasich proposed […]
Ohio House Bill would Expand Medicaid to Cover Working Poor
May 23, 2013 by
A proposal to extend Medicaid coverage to Ohio’s working poor was introduced Wednesday in the Ohio House, but it may be just the first of many plans yet to come. The bill introduced by Republican Rep. Barbara Sears of Lucas County is in some ways similar to what Gov. John Kasich proposed in his budget […]
