The morning newsletter of the Ohio Capital Journal
Reporting for the People
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By David DeWitt | Editor-in-Chief
Good morning Ohio!
An Ohio Republican lawmaker says a bill that would eliminate capital gains taxes would make Ohio "a place that rewards investment and economic success, not one that discourages it.” But Policy Matters Ohio says it’s yet another giveaway to the rich.
The Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.)
By Marty Schladen
Ohio House Bill 617 introduced by state Rep. Tom Young, R-Washington Township, would eliminate capital gains from state and local taxes. Capital gains are profits from selling things like stocks, bonds, real estate, artwork and jewelry.
By Nick Evans
Ohio Senators are thinking outside the box to encourage new power generation in the state. In a Tuesday committee hearing, they took up one bill establishing a community power pilot program and another allowing what’s known as virtual net metering.
By Morgan Trau, WEWS
A candidate running to be Ohio's Republican nominee for governor has a new social media video targeting frontrunner Vivek Ramaswamy — and it is raising concerns due to racist language and the use of a weapon.
By Megan Henry
A Franklin County judge granted a temporary restraining order to allow two smoke shops to sell off their products less than a month after Ohio Senate Bill 56 took effect, which bans low-level THC hemp products and changes the state’s marijuana laws.
COMMENTARY
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original story.)
By Denis Smith
Even though most state constitutions like Ohio ban the use of public funds to support religious schools, Republican outreach to evangelical Christians has fueled the transfer of public funds to private and religious schools in the form of educational vouchers.
STATELINE
The big challenges and policy issues that cross state lines.
By Shalina Chatlani
The Trump administration is taking aim at what it calls rampant fraud in state Medicaid programs. But by focusing almost exclusively on Democratic-led states, it has handed ammunition to critics who say it mainly wants to embarrass its political enemies, not save taxpayer dollars.
By Kevin Hardy
Though public scrutiny of data centers is growing, 14 states do not disclose how much revenue they lose to data center tax breaks.
By Chip Brownlee, The Trace
Six states have prohibited enforcing red flag law judicial orders — and in some cases, prescribed fines or criminal charges for officials who try. Three other states are considering similar bans in 2026.
THE RUNDOWN
News from other states
By Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury
Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax fatally shot his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before taking his own life early Thursday at the family’s home in Annandale, Fairfax County police said, in what authorities described as a sudden and tragic act of domestic violence amid a pending divorce.
NATIONAL NEWS
By Shauneen Miranda
The U.S. House on Thursday passed a measure that would extend Temporary Protected Status for Haiti for three years, in a rare rebuke by the GOP-led Congress to President Trump’s mass deportation campaign. Ohio Republican U.S. Reps. Mike Turner and Mike Carey voted for the extension.
By Ashley Murray
The approval gap on President Donald Trump’s war in Iran narrowed slightly Thursday in the U.S. House, when a War Powers Resolution gained a handful of votes, though still falling just short of passage.
By Ashley Murray
An effort to force President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval for further war actions in Iran failed in the U.S. Senate for the fourth time Wednesday, with all but one Republican continuing to support the president’s Middle East conflict.
By Jennifer Shutt
The White House budget director on Wednesday defended the administration’s latest request for Congress, testifying before the House Budget Committee that a 43% increase in defense spending and a 10% cut to domestic programs is the best path forward.
By Ashley Murray
The 2026 tax filing season closed Wednesday with the Trump administration and Republicans on Capitol Hill hailing success under last year’s massive tax cuts law, while Democrats said any benefits have been wiped out by skyrocketing gas prices, inflation and more.
SCIENCE FRIDAY
"Stephen Hawking's black hole information paradox could be solved — if the universe has 7 dimensions." Read more from Livescience
CATCHING OUR EYE
Medicaid. The Statehouse News Bureau's Jo Ingles reports, "Sponsors say two bills would save Ohio Medicaid millions by removing 'middlemen'."
A bipartisan group of state lawmakers want to tackle that problem by moving away from private corporations called managed care organizations, or MCOs. Those were implemented in Ohio in 2005 with the goal of administering Medicaid while reducing costs. But critics say the MCOs themselves are part of the problem. A group of bipartisan lawmakers has come up with a plan to do away with MCOs altogether.
Sen. Bill Blessing (R-Colerain Twp.) said Senate Bill 386 would do away with MCOs which act like middlemen in the Medicaid system. That legislation and its companion House Bill 780 would move Ohio to an Administrative Services Organization (ASO). Blessing said it's similar to the system in Connecticut.Medicaid at risk. The Columbus Dispatch's Laura A. Bischoff reports, "Medicaid shake‑up could impact 3 million Ohioans and billions of dollars."
Ohio's Medicaid program faces a potential loss of up to $3 billion in state and federal funding over the next two years. Federal policy changes will alter how states can tax healthcare providers to fund Medicaid, impacting Ohio's budget.New federal rules will also introduce work requirements for approximately 760,000 Ohio Medicaid recipients. State lawmakers have proposed legislation to shift Ohio Medicaid away from its current managed care model to save money.
Lake Erie. Cleveland.com's Sabrina Eaton reports, "Why Ohio is urging Congress to renew Great Lakes funding before this critical September deadline."
Ohio officials have urged Congress to reauthorize the soon-to-expire Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), describing it as a crucial tool for protecting drinking water, fighting invasive species and supporting a regional economy worth trillions.ICE in schools. The Cincinnati Enquirer's Gillian Stawiszynski reports, "Officer claiming to be ICE visited Cincinnati schools, district says."
A law enforcement officer claiming to be working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement visited multiple Cincinnati Public Schools on April 15, according to an email from the district.
Cincinnati Public Schools sent families and staff an email stating that an "out-of-town law enforcement officer," who said they were working on behalf of ICE, visited a small number of schools that were not named by the district.
THE POD
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW, FOLKS.
Mahalo!
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