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 suspension of Ohio’s 38.5-cent tax on gasoline goes into effect Sunday, without a break for owners of hybrids and electric vehicles. -
Ohio’s governor said an appeals court ruling last week means prediction markets are illegal gambling and state law will be enforced. -
State lawmakers have overwhelmingly passed a 90-day suspension of the state's 38.5-cent tax on gasoline and 47-cent tax on diesel. -
The temporary halt on the 38.5 cent state tax on gas and 47 cent state tax on diesel will come up in an unexpected session tomorrow, called by GOP leaders just to vote on the plan. -
State lawmakers are getting ready for Wednesday, when they’re unexpectedly coming back to the Ohio Statehouse to vote on a 90-day gas tax suspension. -
Ohio’s two Republican U.S. Senators said the war with Iran should end, but cast votes against a resolution to force President Trump to end the conflict. -
If state lawmakers suspend Ohio’s gas tax for 90 days as they plan to do next week, it’s estimated to cost around $700 million. -
With lawmakers planning a Sept. 30 vote on a gas tax holiday pushed by Republican governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Democratic opponent Amy Acton is suggesting they take up data centers too. -
The announcement came a few hours after Vivek Ramaswamy's Democratic opponent Amy Acton called for a gas tax holiday in Ohio. -
Some hemp businesses that have been fighting the state of Ohio over tougher marijuana regulations passed after voters legalized marijuana in 2023 are saying there’s a double standard in place.
