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’s decision to sign a bill eliminating Ohio's grace period for mailed-in absentee ballots has angered Democrats and voting rights groups. -
Of the nearly a thousand bills that were introduced in the Ohio legislature this year, around 50 deal with property taxes. -
In a flurry of bills signed on Friday was one that makes big changes in Ohio’s law on vicious dogs. -
A bill that eliminates the four-day grace period for absentee ballots to arrive at Ohio boards of elections will become law, though Gov. Mike DeWine admits he’s not happy about that. -
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed several bills related to capping property tax hikes, restricting marijuana and intoxicating hemp and requiring absentee ballots arrive by election day. -
There are fewer kids in foster care in Ohio than there have been in almost a decade. But that doesn’t mean the state is getting a break on costs. -
Two years after Ohio committed to teaching the Science of Reading, Gov. Mike DeWine is now warning colleges and universities to get with the program. -
Ohio’s Republican governor is warning about a possible economic crisis in the Springfield area when thousands of Haitians lose their temporary protected status in February. -
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.
