Ohio Politics & News
Ohio news from The Daily Signal, covering state politics, voting law battles, industrial policy, and the Buckeye State’s pivotal role in national elections and conservative strategy.
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news
Ohio Teachers Union Officials Paid Twice as Much as Teachers
Ohio’s largest labor union is in the business of selling worker “solidarity,” and for union bosses, business is good. Ohio Education Association president Becky Higgins was paid $209,039 to preside over a union that took member dues and mandatory fees from 121,625 teachers during the fiscal year ending Aug. 31. Regular OEA dues for full-time teachers are… -
news
Ohio Attorney General Talks Allegations That Planned Parenthood Disposed of Aborted Babies in Landfills
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine discussed on Fox News Tuesday his office’s allegation that Planned Parenthood has disposed of aborted babies in landfills, which has prompted a lawsuit from Planned Parenthood. Asked to respond to Planned Parenthood’s statement that the allegations were “flat-out false,” DeWine said, “It’s rather strange, because Planned Parenthood’s own lawyers told… -
news
Ohio Bakery Owner Who Posted ‘Politically Incorrect’ Sign on Stores Explains Why He Did So
A sign posted outside an Ohio bakery eschewing political correctness has gone viral. Schuler’s Bakery posted signs outside of its four Ohio locations that read: Notice: This store is politically incorrect, we say Merry Christmas, God Bless America, we salute our flag and give thanks to our troops, police officers and fire fighters. If this… -
news
Ohio May Legalize Marijuana Today
As voters across the United States move to elect their next state leaders Tuesday, Ohio residents are weighing whether the Buckeye State will become the latest to legalize marijuana. If voters approve the measure, Ohio will become the fifth state to legalize recreational weed and the first in the Midwest. But Issue 3, which would add… -
opinion
This Ohio City Council Made Possession of Cigarettes for Those Under 21 a Crime
Should a 20 year-old’s possession of cigarettes within any 1.33-square-mile area be a crime? Lawmakers in Grandview Heights, Ohio, thought so until some vocal opponents changed their minds. One lesson of overcriminalization is that federal, state and local legislators, prosecutors, agency regulators and even judges can contribute to making virtually any conduct a crime. If lawmakers don’t… -
news
Homeowners in This Ohio Town Had Their Front Yards Seized By the Government
Fort Meigs Road in Perrysburg, Ohio, is too narrow and needs widening, as almost all would agree. But homeowners along the road don’t agree with how it should be widened, nor do they agree with the “quick take” eminent domain process the city used to claim people’s front yards. What these residents find even harder to stomach is the… -
news
Ohio Might Be the Next State to Defund Planned Parenthood
Ohio could become the next state to defund Planned Parenthood. The Ohio Senate approved legislation on Wednesday that would prevent state and certain federal funds from going to Planned Parenthood. The legislation was approved in a 23-10 vote and was sent to the Republican-led state House for consideration. In a statement, Ohio Senate President Keith Faber,… -
news
Ohio Conservative Builds a Farm Team of Future Leaders
VALLEY VIEW, Ohio—It's the morning after the first Republican presidential debate and Adam Josefczyk is full of energy. Following a late night in Cleveland, the 26-year-old is not wasting any time as he seeks to build a stronger conservative movement in the Buckeye State. Frustrated by the political establishment and career politicians devoid of principles,… -
news
Pot Legalization Will Be on Ohio Ballot in November
Ohio residents will have the chance to vote on marijuana legalization this November after a petition secured enough signatures to get a spot on the upcoming election ballot. Pro-weed advocacy group ResponsibleOhio delivered 320,267 signatures to Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted Wednesday, surpassing the minimum needed by more than 14,000 signatures. The group spent more… -
opinion
Can You Oppose Gay Marriage and Be a Good Judge? The Chilling Opinion of Ohio Court’s Board
Are people who publicly affirm that marriage is the union of one man and one woman unfit to be judges? The Ohio Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Conduct came close to saying just that in a recent advisory opinion in the wake of the Supreme Court’s national redefinition of marriage. According to the Board, a… -
news
Christian Judge’s Objection Prompts Ohio Supreme Court’s Board to Tell All Judges to Perform Gay Marriages
A Toledo judge who cited his religious faith in declining to perform same-sex marriages has agreed to follow an advisory body’s decision that he—and all judges in Ohio—must do so to remain impartial. “I will abide by that opinion. In other words, I will perform same-sex marriages if requested,” Judge C. Allen McConnell told an… -
news
At This Ohio County Fair, Contempt for Washington
LISBON, Ohio—Prize-winning cattle are more popular than politicians at the Columbiana County Fair. “Government is broken from the very bottom to the very top,” says Theresa Bosel of Lisbon, Ohio. At least that was the case on this overcast Thursday afternoon, hours before 17 Republicans were preparing for two debates 90 minutes north in Cleveland. En route… -
news
Ohio Lawmakers Push to Drug-Test Welfare Recipients
Ohio lawmakers are expected to formally introduce legislation Wednesday that will require welfare recipients to pass a drug test before receiving benefits. Republican State Representatives Tim Schaffer and Rob Maag are sponsoring the bill that, if passed, will implement a two-year pilot program in three counties within the Ohio Works First (OWF) cash assistance program…. -
news
Ohio Moves to Ban Late-Term Abortions
The Ohio Senate has passed legislation that would prohibit late-term abortions in the state. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would ban abortion after 20 weeks—roughly halfway through a pregnancy. The Republican-controlled Senate approved the legislation last week in a 23-9 vote along party lines. The bill will be considered by the House, which is… -
news
How Ohio Aims to ‘Set a National Race’ for Transparency
Last December, the Ohio State treasurer, Josh Mandel, launched OhioCheckbook.com, a website specifically dedicated to showing taxpayers exactly where their dollars are going. However the journey to this new endeavor wasn’t as simple. “I identified a problem in our state government that everyday taxpayers couldn’t see how money was being spent,” Mandel said at a… -
news
Ohio Bill Would Ban Abortion Based on a Fetal Down Syndrome Diagnosis
A bill has been introduced in the Ohio legislature that would prohibit abortion based on a fetal diagnosis of Down syndrome. House Bill 135, titled “The Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act,” would prohibit abortion because of “a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome in an unborn child.” The legislation was introduced by Reps. Sarah LaTourette, R-Bainbridge, and… -
news
Ohio Makes State Government Spending Data Publicly Available Online
Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel is seeking to “set a new national standard for transparency” with a website that allows users to study how funds are being spent in the state. OhioCheckbook.com enables users to examine over $400 billion dollars in state spending over seven fiscal years in state spending. Information is presented in interactive charts… -
news
Ohio Oil Production Sputters, Complicating John Kasich’s Agenda
Ohio’s oil production since 2012 has been far short of state officials’ projections. That’s according to a new report from Opportunity Ohio. Low production plus sharply lower prices could complicate Gov. John Kasich’s plans to pay for a statewide income tax cut by hiking energy taxes, said Matt Mayer, president of the free-market think tank Opportunity Ohio…. -
news
Map Reveals Where Americans Moved in 2014 (Hint: It Wasn’t Ohio)
More families moved out of Ohio than moved into the state last year, according to reports from three of the nation’s largest moving companies. While each company’s records show only a small subset of all relocations across state lines, their annual reports offer a glimpse at interstate migration before the release of the U.S. Census… -
news
FBI Arrests Ohio Man for Plotting Attack on U.S. Capitol
The FBI has arrested an Ohio man for allegedly plotting an “ISIS-inspired” attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to ABC News. The FBI said agents arrested Christopher Lee Cornell, 20, in Ohio as he allegedly was taking the final steps toward traveling to the nation’s capital to carry out the plan. ABC reports that government…