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Ohio Capital Journal
In Wisconsin, Biden underlines plans to help college students with ‘unsustainable debts’
WASHINGTON — During a speech in Madison, Wisconsin on Monday, President Joe Biden touted his administration’s efforts to provide student debt relief through several new proposals, such as canceling accrued interest. “While (a) college degree still is a ticket to the middle class, that ticket is becoming much too expensive,” Biden said. “Things are a […] The post In Wisconsin, Biden underlines plans to help college students with ‘unsustainable debts’ appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Trump says abortion policy should be left to the states, backing away from national ban
WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump announced a shift in his views on abortion laws Monday, releasing a video advocating for state legislatures to make those decisions, not Congress — and was immediately met with strong criticism from an influential anti-abortion group that said it should remain a national debate. “My view is now […] The post Trump says abortion policy should be left to the states, backing away from national ban appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Indicted former Ohio utility chair Sam Randazzo reported dead by suicide
Sam Randazzo, Gov. Mike DeWine's first pick to chair the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, has died by suicide, The Columbus Dispatch is reporting. Randazzo's body was found Tuesday in a Franklin County warehouse he owned, the paper reported. A spokesman for Franklin County Coroner Nathaniel Overmire couldn't immediately be reached. The post Indicted former Ohio utility chair Sam Randazzo reported dead by suicide appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Former Ohio Supreme Court justices lead redistricting reform effort against gerrymandering
Former Ohio Supreme Court justice Yvette McGee Brown remembers when the Ohio General Assembly was run by Vern Riffe and Stan Aronoff, bipartisan leaders in the days before term limits and the Republican supermajority. Brown remembers stories of the former Senate president and House speaker meeting for a drink at the end of the day […] The post Former Ohio Supreme Court justices lead redistricting reform effort against gerrymandering appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio consumer watchdog blasts AEP rate hike
Correction: The electric security plan that the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio approved last week will allow AEP to increase customer rates by up to $8 a month by 2028. The original version of this story contained incorrect information. It’s been updated. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio last week approved yet another rate increase […] The post Ohio consumer watchdog blasts AEP rate hike appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio Supreme Court takes Columbus’s appeal in local gun law case
The Ohio Supreme Court has accepted an appeal from the City of Columbus in a dispute over local firearm ordinances. In 2022 the city approved a handful of laws banning large capacity magazines and requiring safe storage of firearms in the home. Columbus officials argue their home rule authority gives them the latitude to enforce […] The post Ohio Supreme Court takes Columbus’s appeal in local gun law case appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Do Ohio Republicans support Trump’s election lies, violent rhetoric, and promises for retribution?
Former Ohio Senator Rob Portman led off a national magazine article that generated quite a buzz recently. But not in a good way. The Atlantic piece by editor Jeffrey Goldberg, titled “A Study in Senate Cowardice,” featured Portman on his high horse about a low legacy of authoritarian appeasement. Ouch. The Ohio Republican was one […] The post Do Ohio Republicans support Trump’s election lies, violent rhetoric, and promises for retribution? appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Biden proposes new student debt relief plan for millions of borrowers
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday will announce the rollout of a student debt forgiveness proposal that the White House believes is narrowly targeted enough to survive legal challenges. The plan, if finalized, would include a one-time cancellation of all accrued interest for 23 million borrowers. It would also cancel the full amount of […] The post Biden proposes new student debt relief plan for millions of borrowers appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Israel-Hamas war sets progressive and young voters on collision course with White House
Joe Biden has a problem. Seven months ahead of the presidential election, some progressives, young voters and Muslim American voters are showing serious reservations about the Democrat’s reelection campaign as his administration backs Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. “For some of those people — maybe a critical number — what’s happening in […] The post Israel-Hamas war sets progressive and young voters on collision course with White House appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
In Maryland appearance, Biden pledges federal support to rebuild collapsed bridge
DUNDALK, Maryland — President Joe Biden traveled to Maryland on Friday to tour the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge by helicopter before meeting with the families of the construction workers who are presumed or confirmed dead after the collapse last week. Biden said he understood the families’ pain of losing their loved ones, and pledged […] The post In Maryland appearance, Biden pledges federal support to rebuild collapsed bridge appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
The IRS is testing a free method to directly file taxes. But not everyone is thrilled.
WASHINGTON — Many U.S. taxpayers in a dozen states for the first time can electronically file their federal returns directly to the Internal Revenue Service for free — but critics insist the new federal benefit is not needed and will even harm both users and states. More than 50,000 taxpayers in Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, […] The post The IRS is testing a free method to directly file taxes. But not everyone is thrilled. appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
It’s Eclipse Day in Ohio, here’s what state officials want you to know
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine joined several state agency chiefs Friday to discuss planning for today’s solar eclipse. State officials don’t know exactly how many people will be coming into the state or how many Ohioans will be out looking for a good viewing spot. They’ve gotten estimates ranging from 100,000 to half a million. But […] The post It’s Eclipse Day in Ohio, here’s what state officials want you to know appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Abortion issues pushing through Ohio, national courts
Reproductive rights, including abortion, continue to be hot topics in Ohio and in the country as a new lawsuit seeks to reverse state law related to abortion, the battle over the six-week abortion ban goes through the courts and the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to decide a case on abortion medication. Since the establishment of […] The post Abortion issues pushing through Ohio, national courts appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio Republican squabbling keeps marijuana off shelves months after legalization
Five months after Ohio voters legalized the use of recreational marijuana, the product remains unobtainable — and Republican infighting is the likely culprit. Issue 2 passed 57-43% in November and went into effect a month later. It allows for adults 21 years of age and older to smoke, vape and ingest weed. Individual Ohioans would […] The post Ohio Republican squabbling keeps marijuana off shelves months after legalization appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Is this the least productive congress ever? Yes, but it’s not just because they’re lazy
Congress has once again been making headlines for all the wrong reasons, with multiple news outlets in recent months touting the current 118th Congress as possibly the least productive in the institution’s history. In 2023, Congress only passed 34 bills into law, the lowest number in decades. Congress was only recently able to pass a […] The post Is this the least productive congress ever? Yes, but it’s not just because they’re lazy appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
March jobs report shows strong labor market with job gains in health care and government
The sturdy labor market continued to chug along in March, with an unemployment rate of 3.8%, marking the 26th straight month of an unemployment rate under 4%. The economy added 303,00 jobs, according to the monthly report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. Economists, researchers, and policy experts say that the strong but no […] The post March jobs report shows strong labor market with job gains in health care and government appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Health and Human Services increases loan forgiveness for OBs, midwives who practice in rural areas
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday a $25,000 increase in loan forgiveness available to primary care providers in designated underserved areas. That means qualifying individuals are eligible for up to $75,000 in forgiveness if they commit to two full-time years of service. The amount is available to medical and osteopathic doctors, including OB-GYNs, pediatricians, […] The post Health and Human Services increases loan forgiveness for OBs, midwives who practice in rural areas appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Raise the Wage Ohio is trying to get a minimum wage constitutional amendment on the ballot
Ohioans could have a chance vote to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. Raise the Wage Ohio is collecting signatures to put a proposed constitutional amendment on this year’s ballot that would raise the minimum wage to $12.75 an hour starting Jan. 1, 2025, and then it would go up to […] The post Raise the Wage Ohio is trying to get a minimum wage constitutional amendment on the ballot appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Second COVID-19-related case returned to lower court by Ohio Supreme Court
The Ohio Supreme Court has asked a lower court to review a second case in which an Ohio State University student asked for a refund of fees paid to the university during the COVID-19 pandemic, when closures affected the school year. Third-year dental student Morgan McDermott filed a case against the university in 2021 with […] The post Second COVID-19-related case returned to lower court by Ohio Supreme Court appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio trans candidates spur Dem bill to protect them and GOP bill they say unfairly targets them
After the candidacy of three transgender women in Ohio was debated due to them only including their legal name and not their “dead name” on petitions, Ohio Democrats introduced legislation to fix the little-known law so that LGBTQ+ individuals don’t face barriers to run. But the candidates’ Republican opponents introduced their own bill that would […] The post Ohio trans candidates spur Dem bill to protect them and GOP bill they say unfairly targets them appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
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The Ohio Capital Journal is a hard-hitting, independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to connecting Ohioans to their state government and its impact on their lives. The Capital Journal combines Ohio state government coverage with relentless investigative journalism, deep dives into the consequences of policy, political insight, and principled, progressive commentary. All those cheesy journalism aphorisms about reporters being the eyes and ears of the people in the halls of power? We believe them, deeply. We also deeply believe in sharing the stories of people outside the halls of power, connecting the actions of state leaders to their impacts on Ohioans. The Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. The Ohio Capital Journal retains editorial independence.
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