Ohio Legislature

Hundreds of people gathered outside the Ohio Statehouse earlier today to support a proposed wage increase for workers who assist individuals with disabilities.

A new bill in the Ohio House would crack down on elected officials at all levels who fail to show up to do those jobs. 

Referees at sporting events are used to being heckled by fans but, sometimes, they are victims of actual assault. A new bill has been introduced in the Ohio Legislature to address that problem. 

An Ohio House committee has received a new version of the so-called Heartbeat Bill, an abortion ban that could happen as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. And it is raising questions by at least one lawmaker on that committee. 

Two Republican state representatives will unveil legislation tomorrow to change the state’s prevailing wage law. Actually, Ohio’s lawmakers have been trying to alter those laws for a while now.

It will be harder for Ohioans under 18 to marry if Gov. John Kasich signs a new bill. 

Controversial bills involving abortion, gun rights, and pay raises for elected officials passed by lawmakers during the lame duck session.  But those are just a few of the more than 400 bills introduced this year, and just over 70 have been signed into law.

UPDATED at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, December 26, 2018 - A spokesman for the Ohio House says this is not one of the overrides lawmakers are still considering at this point.

Ohio lawmakers are scheduled to come back to the Statehouse tomorrow to possibly override some of Gov. John Kasich’s vetoes over the two-year session. One of those could affect 400,000 Ohioans in Medicaid expansion.

A controversial bill that bans abortion at the point a fetal heartbeat can be detected is on its way to Gov. John Kasich. Overnight, the Ohio House passed the bill 53-32 with changes made by the Senate Tuesday.

The Ohio Senate has passed a bill that bans abortion at the point a fetal heartbeat can be detected. But the vote was short by what lawmakers need to override an expected veto.

Abortion is a big deal for Ohio lawmakers as they proceed through the Lame Duck session of this legislature. And there are two bills that could end up on Governor Kasich’s desk soon.

Backers of the so called “Heartbeat Bill,” legislation that bans abortion at the point a fetal heartbeat is detected, are getting some help from evangelical leaders. And they are sending a strong message to Gov. John Kasich and Ohio lawmakers.

Bills can move quickly in the lame duck session of the legislature. That was the case with a bill that was pulled from consideration by lawmakers last week, but passed both chambers unanimously today. 

Earlier this week, the Ohio General Assembly overturned a bill that had been vetoed by Gov. John Kasich earlier this year. The bill centered on the power of the legislature over the governor’s agencies. And it might not be the last time lawmakers override a veto this session.

Twenty abortion restrictions have been put in place during the Kasich administration. Ohio now has some of the strictest abortion laws in the nation. And the U.S. Supreme Court, with the addition of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, is now thought by many to be conservative enough to overturn the landmark Roe -vs- Wade decision that allowed legal abortion. So, what’s at stake in this election for those who support or oppose abortion? 

The Human Rights Campaign estimates there are 1.8 million LGBTQ Ohioans and their allies. And there’s an effort to get those voters to the polls next month, with key statewide races and Ohio’s Congressional delegation on the ballot.

A Republican state representative has been tapped to fill a judicial seat in Montgomery County. 

There is something millions of Ohioans take for granted that hundreds of thousands of others dream about – broadband service. All of Ohio’s major cities have it and some communities even offer it free to residents. But in some parts of Ohio, it is limited, cost prohibitive or isn’t even available. The Legislature is considering two bills that are meant to provide broadband services to areas of the state that don’t have it. But even though they have bipartisan support, the bills appear to be stalled. 

The Ohio House has passed controversial payday loan legislation meant to close loopholes those lenders use to charge high interest rates - as a reported probe into activities involving the former Speaker and payday lending lobbyists continues. 

A bill will be introduced later this week that would change the rules under which lawmakers accept gifts and would ban international travel. This comes in the wake of the resignation of former House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, who has hired an attorney to deal with inquiries from the FBI. 

A new bill has been introduced that would require health classes cover fetal development and offer students information on where they can find prenatal care. But it doesn’t include other related information.

Lawmakers have sent to Gov. John Kasich a bill that would make a permanent sales tax holiday one weekend in August, replacing the temporary one Ohioans have seen for the past three years. The bill also includes a provision meant to make schools safer.

A so-called “red flag” bill introduced in the Republican-dominated Ohio Senate would allow guns to be confiscated from people thought to be safety risks to themselves and others. Within two weeks of that seizure, a court would have to decide whether the person could get his or her gun back. 

Ohio’s child support system hasn’t been updated since 1992. Some Ohio lawmakers say it’s high time to do that.

Talks continue between majority Republican lawmakers and some of those who oppose their proposed redistricting reform ballot issue. 

It’s crunch time for state lawmakers who must consider whether to pass their new Congressional redistricting plan and put it before voters in May. It’s been revised to encourage Democrats to buy into it but those changes haven’t been enough for them, or for citizens’ groups that plan to put a different redistricting issue before voters this fall. The battle has been heated at times.

State lawmakers and some backers of a citizen-led initiative to change the way the Congressional map is drawn continue to hammer out an agreement on a new plan behind closed doors. 

Supporters of a redistricting plan that might be on the November ballot are critical of a bill being considered by Ohio lawmakers that would let them retain control over the process of drawing Congressional district lines. 

A bill designed to help protect victims of dating violence that lawmakers said was a high priority is on its way to the Senate. 

Today’s shootings at multiple locations in Northern California, including an elementary school, are prompting more conversations about gun control. The debate happens daily in nearly every part of the country and today, it was front and center as a gun bill was debated at the Statehouse. But can common ground be found?