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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The Ohio agency that put out last year's report on falling population over the next quarter century said new numbers indicate those forecasts may have been off. -
The biggest name so far in the corruption trial of former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling in Akron testified by video from Washington DC Wednesday. -
In his final State of the State speech, Gov. Mike DeWine called for legislation on artificial intelligence and seat belts in Ohio. -
For the second time, a ruling from Franklin County has ordered Ohio to halt the transfer of unclaimed funds for a sports and cultural facilities fund. -
Dr. Philip Wagner is the second superintendent hired since the board split from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. -
Total taxes collected by the state last month were down, but with four months left in the fiscal year, Ohio’s budget director isn’t concerned. -
The trial of two former executives with FirstEnergy is at the halfway point, more than a month after it began in January in Akron. -
Republican leaders in the Ohio House and Senate leaders say they’re planning to override another of Gov. Mike DeWine’s 67 vetoes in the budget last year. -
A new Republican-sponsored bill would make changes to bail, saying they’re needed to keep dangerous repeat offenders from being released in Ohio. -
A bill would create a pass for residents and visitors to get discounts, promotions or other benefits from attractions around Ohio, from amusement parks to museums to historic sites.
