Ohio lawmakers on Wednesday delivered a fatal blow to Internet cafes. The Senate voted in favor of House Bill 7, effectively banning Internet cafes in the state. Gov. John Kasich is on board with the decision and will sign the bill once it reaches his desk, his spokesman said. Moments before lawmakers took the vote, […]
Law Enforcement Officials Balk at Idea of Single License Plate
May 20, 2013 by
State Reps. Terry Johnson, a Republican from McDermott, and Stephen Slesnick, a Democrat from Canton, have sponsored legislation to require vehicle owners only need to display one Ohio license plate on the rear bumper of their vehicles. But law enforcement officials from some cities across the state and public safety advocates have balked at the […]
Ohio Senate Leaders Shut Down “Right to Work” Discussion
May 2, 2013 by
Just hours after two House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a three-part strategy to make Ohio a “right to work” state, GOP leadership in the Senate killed the idea. Senate President Keith Faber, of Celina, said in a statement Wednesday evening that the Senate’s “ambitious” agenda is focused on jobs and economy, but not right to […]
Ohio Medicaid Expansion Compromise Could Include Private Insurance
April 23, 2013 by
For the first time since Gov. John Kasich won national attention by supporting Medicaid expansion, a clear picture is emerging on how the Republican governor’s compromise with federal regulators could work. Some uninsured Ohioans would be enrolled in the state’s traditional Medicaid program, while others would sign up for private health insurance using federal funding, […]
Ohio House Removes Sex Ed Restrictions from Budget
April 19, 2013 by
Ohio’s Medicaid expansion is down, but not out. House Republicans kept alive the possibility that Ohio may expand its Medicaid program to cover the working poor, approving an amendment to its budget that could open the door to changes later this year. The change was one of several the GOP-controlled House considered as members poised […]
State Budget Calls for Sex Ed Restrictions, Other Changes
April 17, 2013 by
The overhauled two-year state budget approved Tuesday by the House Finance and Appropriations Committee would put new restrictions on sex education in schools while giving a $30-million-a-year boost to nursing home funding. The changes were in a 600-plus-page package of amendments to the House version of Gov. John Kasich’s “Jobs Budget 2.0.” The budget bill […]
Rep. Pelanda Encourages Residents to Provide Feedback
April 12, 2013 by
In an effort to obtain feedback from the residents of the 86th Ohio House District (which includes Marion), State Representative Dorothy Pelanda (R-Marysville) encourages her constituents to fill out and return her legislative survey, which seeks feedback on issues such as the state’s economy, taxes and education funding. The legislative survey can be accessed and […]
Ohio House Republican Strip Medicaid, Sales Tax Expansions from Budget
April 10, 2013 by
Republican House lawmakers on Tuesday took a jackhammer to Gov. John Kasich’s “Job’s Budget 2.0,” gutting the governor’s plan for sweeping tax reform in favor of a permanent 7 percent income tax cut. Kasich’s sales-tax expansion, small-business tax break, severance tax overhaul, and 20 percent, phased-in income tax cut have been scrapped in a substitute […]
Lawmakers to Introduce Revamped State Budget
April 8, 2013 by
Ohio lawmakers have spent weeks poring over hundreds of proposed amendments to Gov. John Kasich’s “Jobs Budget 2.0” as they prepare to introduce on Tuesday what could be a vastly different proposal. Get ready for Ohio’s Jobs Budget 3.0. Rep. Ron Amstutz, Chairman of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee, said members introduced about 800 […]
Governor Contiues Pitch for Medicaid Expansion, Tax Changes
April 4, 2013 by
Two months after introducing his policy-packed budget plan and launching an all-out sales pitch to pass it, Ohio Gov. John Kasich is no closer to getting what he wants. So given the bully pulpit Wednesday at a City Club of Cleveland forum, Kasich tried a little bit of everything to freshen up his sales pitch […]
