The morning newsletter of the Ohio Capital Journal
Reporting for the People
Make a tax-deductible donation supporting our work.
By David DeWitt | Editor in Chief
Good morning Ohio!
Some Ohio Republicans want to enshrine photo voter ID in the state constitution, but a hearing last week raised doubts about the effort, from one side noting that it makes no changes beyond what is already law and others complaining it doesn’t go far enough.
A voter shows identification to an election judge. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
By Nick Evans
Requiring voters to show a government-issued photo ID at the polls is popular in opinion polls, and it’s been the law in Ohio since 2023. The new proposal would go before voters this November, and enshrine the requirement in the Ohio Constitution with a permanence well beyond the current statute.
By Susan Tebben
A religious advocacy group who lobbies regularly in the Ohio Statehouse is asking federal prosecutors to push for bans on mail-order abortion medications, even as the U.S. Supreme Court has so far held off on stopping the practice.
By Morgan Trau, WEWS
A proposed resolution for the November ballot from Republican lawmakers would enshrine existing state law on voter photo ID in the Ohio Constitution, but they deny that it’s an attempt to boost turnout in an election that may be better for Democrats.
By Morgan Trau, WEWS
Ohio residents will get the chance to speak their mind about the growing number of data centers at a committee hearing at the Ohio Statehouse today, Monday.
EDITOR COMMENTARY
Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman. (Photo by Morgan Trau, WEWS.)
By David DeWitt
Ohio taxpayers are sending $2.5 billion to private and religious schools. Even if you agree with this, don’t taxpayers deserve transparency and accountability? A group of bipartisan lawmakers thinks so, but Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman doesn’t.
STATELINE
The big challenges and policy issues that cross state lines.
By Robbie Sequeira
Hearing backlash from residents, cities, and counties across the country in recent weeks have blocked planned data centers amid concerns over rising electricity prices and environmental harms.
By Amanda Watford
The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent decision to downgrade the drug classification for medical cannabis will help medical marijuana businesses. Companies will be able to claim some federal tax benefits. New research can start up at state universities.
THE RUNDOWN
News from other states
By Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator
The Louisiana House of Representatives approved a congressional redistricting bill Thursday that increases Republican representation in Congress ahead of this year’s midterm election.
NATIONAL NEWS
By Jonathan Shorman
A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from moving forward with a fund that opponents fear will be used to pay off the president’s political allies.
By Ashley Murray
Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund has attracted scrutiny for its corruption potential, including whether pardoned Jan. 6 defendants who assaulted police officers can claim a slice of the pie and be rewarded for political violence.
By Shauneen Miranda
A pair of U.S. senators reached a bipartisan agreement on a sweeping bill aimed at tackling many of the biggest issues surrounding how to compensate players in college sports.
CATCHING OUR EYE
Public school funding. WVXU’s Zack Carreon reports, “Can Ohio's teachers unions turn the tide on school funding?”
The relationship between Ohio's public school teachers and state lawmakers these days can only be described as adversarial. Many school districts statewide are cutting jobs to avoid massive budget deficits, while also actively suing the state for spending more than $2 billion on vouchers for students to attend private schools.
In the midst of this funding battle, local unions representing public school teachers and staff have been among the loudest advocates for their districts, encouraging communities to put consistent pressure on lawmakers to direct more funds toward public education.Transparency? Cleveland.com’s Alison Hartzell reports, “Ohio Supreme overturns public records ruling against Dave Yost.”
The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned a ruling against Attorney General Dave Yost from a years-long legal feud over a public records release.
The case involved a battle between Yost and progressive watchdog group the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) that began in March 2020. The CMD is a watchdog group that focuses its efforts on corporate lobbying activities.Ohio county auditors. Denise G. Callahan reports for the Dayton Daily News, “Auditors to Ohio lawmakers: Pause new property tax reforms.”
County officials are asking state lawmakers to pause on passing additional property tax reforms as they work to adjust to the complexity of five bills passed last year…
The County Auditors Association of Ohio was one of the main advocates for reform, but during a recent hearing on House Bill 504 — a measure that would phase in future significant value spikes over three years — Vinton County Auditor Cindy Waugh, who serves as the CAAO president, asked for a time-out.
THE POD
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW, FOLKS.
Mahalo!
Thanks for reading The Eye-Opener. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.