Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio on Thursday announced he has reversed his longtime opposition to same-sex marriage after reconsidering the issue because his 21-year-old son, Will, is gay. Portman said his son, a junior at Yale University, told him and his wife, Jane, that he’s gay and “it was not a choice, it […]
Senator Jordan at Marion Republican Club Meeting
March 14, 2013 by
Club President Ken Stiverson is inviting the public to attend the Marion Republican Club meeting on March 18, 2013 at 7:00pm with special guest speaker State Senator Kris Jordan (SD19-Ostrander, OH). Senator Jordan will discuss Senate Bill 36, legislation he has recently introduced in the Ohio Senate. SB 36 proposes to prohibit any agency and […]
Ohio House Committee Approves Internet Cafe Legislation
March 13, 2013 by
An Ohio House committee Tuesday approved legislation that would essentially outlaw Internet cafes in Ohio. The bill’s next stop is the Ohio House floor before the measure is sent to the Senate. The bill cleared the panel by an 8-2 vote with three amendments. One would downgrade violations to a first-degree misdemeanor rather than a […]
Ohio Lawmakers Look to Raise Top Speed Limit to 70 MPH
March 12, 2013 by
Drivers could go faster — up to 70 mph — on rural stretches of highways like Interstates 71, 77 and 90 under a proposed change in state law. An increase in the 65 mph speed limit is among a flurry of changes an Ohio Senate committee made Monday to the state’s next two-year budget for […]
Ohio Bill Would Direct BMV to Issue Driver’s Licenses to Qualifying Undocumented Immigrants
March 7, 2013 by
Some undocumented immigrants who qualify for Ohio driver’s licenses under a new federal program are being turned away by various license bureaus, prompting two state lawmakers to call for statewide compliance to the federal rules. The federal program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — known as DACA — was established in June by the Obama […]
Kasich Small Business Tax Cut Proposal may have Little Impact
February 25, 2013 by
About 80 percent of Ohio’s small-business owners potentially affected by Gov. John Kasich’s proposal to slash income taxes would save $400 or less per year, according to figures from the Ohio Department of Taxation. The amount has some calling into question the Republican governor’s expectation that the money saved by Ohio entrepreneurs would be enough […]
Adoption Law Update Introduced by Marion’s State Representative
February 14, 2013 by
State Representative Dorothy Pelanda (R-Marysville) and State Representative Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) recently introduced legislation to address disparities in Ohio’s adoption laws. Specifically, House Bill 61 will permit adult adoptees who were adopted between the years of 1964 and 1996 to access their original birth certificates once they reach the age of 18. Adoptees who […]
Hearings Begin on State Bill Which Would Effectively Close “Internet Cafes”
February 14, 2013 by
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine told an Ohio House committee Wednesday that internet sweepstakes cafes are ripe to become dens of criminal activity. “I will guarantee you there is money-laundering, and I will guarantee you there is organized crime,” DeWine said, testifying for a bill that many say would drive the cafes out of business. […]
Governor’s 4,200 Page Budget Introduced as HB 59
February 13, 2013 by
Ohio Governor John Kasich’s $63 billion proposal, “Ohio’s Jobs Budget 2.0,” was introduced in full on Tuesday, February 12, 2013 as House Bill 59 with a total of 4,200 pages. Those interested in plowing through all the details can read the entire bill online by clicking here. The document expounds on Kasich’s plan to cut […]
Governor to Sign Flurry of Bills Thursday
December 20, 2012 by
Ohio Gov. John Kasich is expected to be putting his John Hancock on more than three dozen bills passed in the final days of the Ohio General Assembly’s lame duck session during the day on Thursday. All bills signed by Kasich will take effect in 90 days. Among the pieces of legislation on his desk […]
