Karen Kasler
Bureau ChiefContact Karen at 614-578-6375 or at kkasler@statehousenews.org.
Karen Kasler grew up in Lancaster, attended Otterbein College in Westerville, and found her professional break at WCBE-FM in Columbus. Karen was selected as a Fellow in the Kiplinger Master's Degree Program for Mid-Career Journalists at Ohio State University in 1994. She worked at WTVN-AM and WBNS-TV, both in Columbus, then for eight years was the afternoon drive anchor and assignment editor for WTAM-AM, Cleveland.
Since returning to Columbus in 2004, Karen has covered major elections and the controversies surrounding them. She served as moderator for the Ohio Debate Commission's Republican US Senate debate in 2022, its Supreme Court debate in 2020 and its gubernatorial debate in 2018. She was also a moderator or panelist for US Senate debates for the last four Senatorial elections and for a gubernatorial debate in 2006. She's also led debates and discussions on statewide issues such as drug sentencing, marijuana legalization, redistricting and the collective bargaining law known as Senate Bill 5. Each year she anchors the Bureau's live coverage of the Governor's State of the State, and has led coverage of the inaugurations of the last three governors.
She's produced features for NPR and "Marketplace", and has been interviewed by NPR, the BBC, CBS, NBC and stations around the country. She's a regular panelist on ideastream's "The Sound of Ideas" and a frequent guest on WOSU-TV’s “Columbus on the Record”, WOSU-FM's "All Sides with Ann Fisher" and WVXU's "Cincinnati Edition".
Karen has been honored by the Cleveland Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Association of Capitol Editors and Reporters, and holds a National Headliner Award. She's won several awards from the Ohio AP, and is a four-time winner of the AP's Best Broadcast Writing award. She's a three-time Emmy nominee for "The State of Ohio". She's a past president of the Ohio Associated Press and has served on the Board of Directors for the Central Ohio Society of Professional Journalists. Karen is also a former adjunct professor at Capital University in Columbus.
Karen, her husband and their son Jack live on Columbus' northeast side.
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On Wednesday night—about six hours before Issue 2 became law as is—a bill to change adult-use cannabis laws cleared the Ohio Senate 28-2. -
A House committee voted 8-7 to pass the bill that goes after complaints conservatives have had about what they call “liberal bias” at public universities, though Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) has said Senate Bill 83 doesn’t have the votes to pass the full House.
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Ohio's two top Republican executive officeholders have received subpoenas for information in the lawsuit investors brought against FirstEnergy after the House Bill 6 scandal broke in 2020.
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The state’s new recreational marijuana passed by nearly 57% of Ohio voters takes effect next Thursday, but Republican lawmakers have said they want to tweak the law before that.
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A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday for the controversial Republican-backed higher education bill, though Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said Tuesday the bill doesn’t have the votes to pass the Ohio House.
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The decision to uphold the latest legislative maps from the Ohio Redistricting Commission was widely expected as the Ohio Supreme Court's composition has changed since it struck down maps five times in the last year.
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When state lawmakers return from the Thanksgiving break, the House could take up a bill that further expands gun rights in Ohio, by allowing people to carry weapons into buildings that have courtrooms in them, but not when court is in session.
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A study conducted for the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants says spending this holiday season will increase over the previous year, for the 11th consecutive year.
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The board of Ohio's $90 billion pension fund for retired teachers has suspended its executive director after staffers accused him of violent behavior and sexual harassment.
