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Texts Between Ohio Republican Lawmakers Show Support For And Struggles Over Mandatory Vaccines Ban
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The bill that would ban all mandatory vaccines in Ohio brought the state into a harsh national spotlight, and made many people wonder where the proposal came from in the first place. Now, text messages between the bill’s sponsor and the chair of the committee that’s hearing it are showing sometimes careful coordination on the… Read More
Ohio Hospitals Getting Requests From States Overwhelmed By COVID
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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Ohio’s hospitals are reporting increasing numbers of COVID positive patients in regular admission and in intensive care units. But because there’s still room, they’re being asked by other states that are running out of beds to take in sick patients. Two weeks ago, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center chief clinical officer Dr. Andy Thomas… Read More
Census: Most Ohio Cities Lose Residents, But Rural Counties Shedding Population Too
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Columbus continues to be the largest city in Ohio, with Cincinnati growing but Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown all getting smaller. Those are just some of the factoids from Thursday’s release of 2020 US Census data. Ohio’s population grew by just 2.3%, making it one of seven… Read More
Shooter At Kent State Apprehended
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Kent State University officials say around 9 p.m. Wednesday night, a suspect described as an African-American male carrying a silver handgun shot into the ground outside Bowman Hall. Kent State spokesman Eric Mansfield describes what happened next: “The suspect fled the scene, people who were nearby fled the scene, we locked down the campus, began… Read More
Earned Income Tax Credit Changes Would Affect Thousands In Ohio
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President Obama released his budget proposal for fiscal year 2015 Tuesday. He’s calling for an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, a program benefiting low-income Americans. As WYSO's Lewis Wallace reports for Ohio Public Radio, that credit already goes to nearly a million Ohioans. Pop quiz! The Earned Income Tax Credit is… Available to… Read More
JobsOhio Says It Helped Create 18,000 Jobs In 2013
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JobsOhio says it used grants, tax breaks, and other incentives to help secure the new jobs and keep another 70,000 jobs in Ohio last year. Advanced manufacturing led all sectors, with the report saying JobsOhio helped create more 4,500 jobs; that was followed by IT, financial services, and food processing and agribusiness. The 2013 report… Read More
Political Conventions Bring A City Lots Of Attention, Not So Much Money
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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Victor Matheson of Holy Cross College and two other economists have studied the economic impact of political conventions since 1972. They’ve matched the economies of host cities against similar cities. And overall, it’s a wash. “These national conventions are highly disruptive. So while it is absolutely true that the streets of the host city are… Read More
Is Gambling Addiction Rising In Ohio?
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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It’s been a year since Horseshoe Cincinnati opened its doors on March 4, 2013. This week, WVXU is revisiting the series it did when it opened to see how things have changed. Our first question: Are concerns about problem gambling coming true? The number of people calling Ohio’s Gambling Helpline or adding themselves to the… Read More
AEP Floats Interesting Theory About Underground Columbus Fire
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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American Electric Power has been working all day to restore electricity for many downtown Columbus businesses after an early morning fire and explosions. From Ohio public radio station WOSU, Steve Brown has more from power officials, including one interesting theory about what could have led to the fire. American Electric says they’re still working to… Read More
Ohio’s Colleges Adjust To Changing State Funding
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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Tucked into a list of education proposals Gov. John Kasich unveiled in his "State of the State" speech Monday was a measure that actually has already taken effect: making funding to colleges and universities dependent on student success. It's led one higher-ed institution to adjust its approach to admitting students and guiding them toward a… Read More
Teachers’ Union President Thinks Kasich’s State of the State Missed Some Major Points
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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A major portion of Governor John Kasich's State of the State speech focused on education. But the president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers told StateImpact Ohio's Amy Hansen the governor still may have missed some pretty big points. Melissa Cropper says Governor John Kasich outlined some nice ideas about how to keep kids from… Read More
Kasich Proposes New Initiatives For Dropout Prevention
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Kasich began his discussion of education by describing a teenager: unnamed, living somewhere in Ohio, who has lost all interest in school and is at risk of dropping out. And he asked the crowd: how can we get her excited about learning? “I don’t care what party you’re a member of,” he said.” We need… Read More
House Dems React To Being Placed On Fracking ‘Adversary’ List
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Two state lawmakers were listed as adversaries in a state agency’s plan to promote drilling in state parks. Statehouse correspondent Andy Chow says those lawmakers are now speaking out about that controversial proposal. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources crafted a communications plan that drew clear lines between whom they considered allies and who they… Read More
Ohio AG: Beware Of Online Dating Scams
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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If you are looking for love online, Ohio’s Attorney General has one word for you – beware. Mike DeWine says his office is seeing an increase in the number of Ohioans who are being scammed online by people who pretend to want a relationship but really just want money. "We’re averaging, last year I think… Read More
Study Shows Little Voter Fraud In Ohio
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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The Ohio House is poised to take up some controversial election bills this week. Majority Republicans who support those plans say they will protect the integrity of the vote. But evidence shows there is little voter fraud in Ohio. Back in 2012 during the presidential election, there were plenty of people voicing concern about voter… Read More
Gay Marriage Law Proposal Causes Some Confusion
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Gay rights advocates throughout Ohio say they want to undo the effects of a 2004 voter passed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. But how and when activists intend to do that appears to be causing confusion. Mike Premo said he doesn’t like the current Ohio constitutional amendment that prohibits gay marriage and prevents gay marriages… Read More
Bills Aimed At Tackling Ohio’s High Infant Mortality Rate
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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Ohio has one of the worst infant mortality rates in the nation. Republican State Senator Shannon Jones of Springboro said a high infant death rate is a red flag. “A states infant mortality rate is much like the canary that goes down into the coal mine, and it’s an indicator of the overall health and… Read More
Changes Proposed To Energy Efficient Building Standards
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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Energy efficiency advocates are battling a resolution that could change the standards used when public buildings are designed. Some legislators believe the new standards are over-reaching their purpose. Right now public buildings, such as schools and government offices, are drawn up using what’s known as LEED requirements, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental… Read More
Bill To Require Open Records Of Police Officers Working In Private Capacity
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There’s bipartisan support for a newly introduced bill that would make public any arrests made by a peace officer working for as part of a private security force. Republican State Representative Michael Henne says when state trained police officers make arrests, it should be a matter of public record. "These private police officers have gone… Read More
Democrat Introduces Bill That Could Help Closed Ormet Smelting Plant; Republicans Are Cautious
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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At the start of this election year, hundreds of workers who lost their jobs with the shutdown of an aluminum smelting plant in southeast Ohio hope for help from the state. There’s now a bill that might do that, but there are fears there will be long-term and political implications involved. The closing of the… Read More
Comment About ‘Deregulation’ In Schools Gets Scrutiny In Early Days Of Race For Governor
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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The two major party candidates for governor disagree strongly on several issues related to public education – starting with the state’s funding of it. First, here’s Gov. John Kasich. “We had the most significant increase in K-12 funding that we’ve seen in a decade.” And now here’s his Democratic opponent this fall, Cuyahoga County Executive… Read More
Major Party Candidates File Campaign Finance Totals
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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The Kasich campaign put out the news early on the filing deadline day – and it’s easy to see why. The incumbent governor raised nearly $4.5 million dollars in the last six months of last year, and now has nearly $8 million dollars in the bank going into his re-election campaign. Ed FitzGerald released his… Read More
Thousands Drop Out Of Ohio’s High Schools Every Year
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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Bedford High School’s assistant principal Robert Rutkowski will proudly rattle off his students’ accomplishments– the Bearcat football team broke records last year, and the school puts on a great musical. He’s much more guarded when talking about kids dropping out. But he concedes it’s a persistent problem. He recalls one student in particular – a… Read More
Columbus School Board Becomes More Hands-On
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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As state auditors wrap up their investigation into alleged data rigging in the Columbus City Schools, the district is set to make big changes on how it’s run. The new president of the Columbus school board promises to shake things up and increase scrutiny of the district’s budget and academic performance. In the early 2000′s,… Read More
Race For Ohio’s Governor Highlights Major 2014 Election Season
By: Statehouse News Bureau
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All five statewide executive offices are on this year’s ballot, along with the entire Ohio House, half the Ohio Senate, and the entire US House of Representatives, including Ohio’s 16 members of Congress. But arguably the marquee race will be the contest for governor. Incumbent Republican John Kasich hasn’t officially announced he’s running, but he’s… Read More