Government/Politics

An unnamed member of the Ohio National Guard has been suspended from duty after the FBI alleged the soldier expressed "white supremacist ideology" online, according to Gov. Mike DeWine.

A fast tracked bill that would make some changes in election law for the November vote passed the Ohio House along party lines Thursday. The bill was a much different proposal than the original plan that voter groups opposed, but it still failed to get any Democratic votes.

Ohio lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow restaurants and bars to sell liquor on Sundays without having to obtain a special permit. 

As more than a hundred protestors chanted and demonstrated outside the Statehouse, the Ohio House held a voting session that concluded with some passionate comments about the killing of George Floyd and the bigger issues that’s raised.

As protests continue across Ohio and the country, the state’s Republican U.S. Senator says President Trump could be doing more to help those demonstrations from spiraling into violence.

The state is allowing the reopening of larger entertainment venues on June 10, including movie theaters, museums, and zoos. Health officials say companies will have to look over every facet of their venue in order to comply with the protocols.

On a party line vote, an Ohio House committee has passed a bill that will make some changes to election law. Backers say it gives more flexibility to election officials should COVID-19 cause changes this November but its opponents have concerns.

Shortly after COVID19 shut down much of Ohio, Governor DeWine announced food stamp recipients would be allowed to use the drive-up grocery shopping service provided by many stores. Now, there’s another option available to those who want it.

A proposal from the Ohio House that would require people with COVID-19 give consent to contact tracing in writing has been rejected by the Senate. That sends the bill to a conference committee.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has formed a task force with local and statewide elections officials to prepare for the November election. He’s pushing legislation that would make changes for November but Democrats have their own bill to do that.

Gov. Mike DeWine says he's meeting with state lawmakers to address racial disparities and injustice as demonstrators around the state protest the death of George Floyd, who died under police custody in Minnesota and the former officer now charged with murder. DeWine says it's time for government officials to turn the words of the protesters into action.

Ohio’s state budget office estimates $2.5 billion in spending will have to be cut to balance the budget for the fiscal year that starts in July.  And that means Ohio’s more than 51,000 state workers will take some hits.

The leader of minority Democrats in the Ohio House says it’s time to take recommendations and reports on community policing off the shelf and put them in action. 

The state is continuing to build up its contact tracing infrastructure through a partnership with local health departments as health officials tout the importance of matching contact tracing with testing to fight the coronavirus.

As local health departments try to contain the spread of coronavirus by tracking down those who might have been exposed to people with COVID-19, the Ohio House passed a bill requiring health officials to get written permission from people before beginning the contact tracing process.

A member of Congress from Central Ohio was with two local officials and other protestors when she was hit with pepper spray at a protest in Columbus.

Gov. Mike DeWine is speaking out against what he calls "injustice" and "racism" following the alleged murder of George Floyd, a black man who died while under police custody in Minneapolis. DeWine says Ohio has an obligation to do more to prevent this kind of injustice in the future.

UPDATE: Gov. Mike DeWine will hold a press conference to speak about "the events yesterday and this morning at the Ohio Statehouse and downtown Columbus" at 2pm Friday. It'll air live on the Ohio Channel.

A protest that started at an intersection near the Ohio Statehouse spilled over onto the grounds last night, resulting in damage to the 159-year old building - which has been the site of many demonstrations and public events over the years.

The House has overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan bill allowing sports gambling, under control of the Ohio Lottery Commission. But there could be a long road ahead before betting on sports would be legal in Ohio.

The leader of the Ohio House of Representatives says he cannot compel members to practice some of the safety measures recommended by Ohio’s health director to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Ohio is taking the first steps to lift the more than two month old ban on visits to some long-term care facilities. Officials says they want to expand this in stages.

A Democratic state lawmaker is angry that an Ohio House colleague is claiming a bill she’s proposed would do things it wouldn’t do.

The woman in charge of the state agency that administers the unemployment system was on the hot seat yesterday as a panel of state lawmakers questioned her about inefficiencies in the system. 

An investigation is ongoing into threats targeting two sitting Democratic state lawmakers, a well-known senator from Akron who’s served in both chambers and his daughter, who leads the minority in the Ohio House. And some state leaders are speaking out.

A Republican-backed bill to prohibit communities from banning plastic bags and other disposable containers passed the Senate on a mostly party line vote, after a significant change related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With most of Ohio’s businesses allowed to open up, experts who’ve worked with the state on the modeling it used to create its COVID-19 policies are evaluating their predictions for what’s ahead.

Residents at long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, make up more than three-quarters of the deaths related to COVID-19 in Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine says he is now ramping up efforts to combat this problem with a new strategy.