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. In addition to other election-related debates, she's led forums on statewide issues including redistricting, tax policy, drug sentencing, marijuana legalization and the collective bargaining law known as Senate Bill 5.
She's produced features for NPR and "Marketplace", and has been interviewed by NPR, the BBC, CBS, NBC, Radio New Zealand 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 Anna Staver" 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.
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Gov. Mike DeWine has said he’ll fully expects to endorse the Republican candidate for Ohio governor next year—but hasn't so far. -
Judge Ed Sargus ruled that the transfer can happen starting Jan. 1, but rejected the state’s request for the case to be dismissed. -
Five Ohio institutions researching pediatric cancer will get $5 million in state funds to help with their work, from the budget that was signed this summer. -
Republicans said it would help with staffing shortages in Ohio, but Democrats opposed the longer hours and said it wouldn’t do much to fill the most in-demand jobs. -
Ohio got warning lights for a lack of other legislation that the organization said the state needs to help drivers and passengers stay safe. -
The bill named for Charlie Kirk, the conservative Christian commentator assassinated in September, got strong reaction in an Ohio House committee before the vote. -
A bill to require absentee ballots arrive at boards of elections by election day—eliminating the four day grace period in current law--is headed to Gov. Mike DeWine. -
While there are certain limits on where convicted sex offenders can live in Ohio, they don't include any restrictions on them living near their victims. -
A day after Ohio became the 45th state to allow high school athletes to strike name, image and likeness deals, a Republican lawmaker is working on a bill to ban that. -
High school athletes can start striking name, image and likeness deals, after a vote of the schools that make up the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
