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Ohio Capital Journal
Ohio teachers’ pension fund board member resigns amid controversy
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A member of the chaotic teachers’ retirement pension fund board in Ohio has resigned amid the ongoing controversy — possibly changing power dynamics within the system. Steve Foreman, known as a “reformer,” stepped down as of last Friday, he told OCJ/WEWS. This tip came as a now-archived video meeting was obtained proving […] The post Ohio teachers’ pension fund board member resigns amid controversy appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
“Absurd and unnecessary,” Transgender Ohioans, allies react to House passage of bathroom ban bill
Transgender Ohioans and allies are outraged the Ohio House passed a bathroom ban bill at the 11th hour of a marathon session Wednesday night before going on summer break. The bill would require Ohio K-12 schools and universities to mandate that students only be able to use the bathroom or locker room that matches their […] The post “Absurd and unnecessary,” Transgender Ohioans, allies react to House passage of bathroom ban bill appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio leaders react to NTSB’s criticism of Norfolk Southern’s East Palestine response
Federal officials tasked with investigating last year’s East Palestine train derailment painted a damning picture of the company responsible for the crash. During a board meeting in East Palestine on Tuesday, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy described Norfolk Southern’s actions as “unconscionable.” In March, Homendy told a U.S. Senate committee the “vent and […] The post Ohio leaders react to NTSB’s criticism of Norfolk Southern’s East Palestine response appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Immigration policy fought over by Biden and Trump in Atlanta debate
Immigration occupies center stage in the 2024 presidential campaign and also was a major focus during the first presidential debate Thursday night between President Joe Biden and the presumptive GOP nominee, Donald J. Trump. Immigration is a top issue for voters and for Trump, while the Biden administration has struggled to deal with the largest […] The post Immigration policy fought over by Biden and Trump in Atlanta debate appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
U.S. Supreme Court sends Idaho abortion case back down to lower courts
As expected after the court said it inadvertently uploaded the opinion prematurely on Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision Thursday remanding a case about emergency abortions in Idaho back to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for now. The decision was 6-3, with conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissenting. […] The post U.S. Supreme Court sends Idaho abortion case back down to lower courts appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Delayed Supreme Court ruling makes Trump trial on 2020 charges unlikely before election
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to rule on whether presidents enjoy total criminal immunity, delaying one of the most consequential legal decisions in U.S. history and likely closing the door on former President Donald Trump facing his federal election interference trial before November. Trump, the presumed Republican presidential nominee who is entangled […] The post Delayed Supreme Court ruling makes Trump trial on 2020 charges unlikely before election appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Concern for shortage of rural lawyers exposes Ohio’s disproportionate white male rule
Several weeks ago, State Rep. Brian Stewart lamented on social media that 75% of Ohio’s lawyers are concentrated in the six largest counties. For many Ohioans, that fact oozes with unfairness. It suggests that people in rural communities aren’t receiving adequate legal representation. Who wouldn’t sympathize, right? That is, until realizing that Stewart had just […] The post Concern for shortage of rural lawyers exposes Ohio’s disproportionate white male rule appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
House Speaker Johnson, Betsy DeVos lead attack on Title IX rule that protects LGBTQ+ kids
WASHINGTON — Prominent members of the GOP on Wednesday strongly criticized the Biden administration’s final rule for Title IX, including U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. As the fate of a key Biden administration effort to protect LGBTQ+ students from […] The post House Speaker Johnson, Betsy DeVos lead attack on Title IX rule that protects LGBTQ+ kids appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio House passes transgender bathroom and locker room ban for K-12 schools and colleges
The Ohio House passed a bill late Wednesday night amid its last session before going on summer break that would ban transgender students from using the bathroom and locker rooms that match up with their gender identity. House Bill 183 was added to Senate Bill 104 as an amendment on the House floor Wednesday night, […] The post Ohio House passes transgender bathroom and locker room ban for K-12 schools and colleges appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio lawmakers pass $4.2 B capital budget, providing millions for community projects
Ohio lawmakers have passed a $4.2 billion capital budget, with millions going to community projects like the Cleveland Land Bridge, Cincinnati Open Tennis Tournament and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Wednesday was the last session before summer recess, which means the lawmakers tried to pass as much as they could. Nearly unanimously, in […] The post Ohio lawmakers pass $4.2 B capital budget, providing millions for community projects appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio House pass bills on sextortion, Enact Campus Act, human trafficking expungement, among others
The Ohio House passed a slew of bills during a marathon session on Wednesday before going on summer break. The Enact Campus Act bill (House Bill 606) was woven into Senate Bill 94 earlier this week during House Finance Committee. State Sens. Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, and Al Landis, R-Dover, introduced S.B. 94, which passed in […] The post Ohio House pass bills on sextortion, Enact Campus Act, human trafficking expungement, among others appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Sponsor of controversial higher ed bill doesn’t want to discuss it with Ohio House Speaker
The Republican lawmaker behind a massive higher education bill is not interested in meeting with House Speaker Jason Stephens about his bill, saying there’s “no purpose in wasting that time.” Senate Bill 83 has seen no movement since it passed in the House Higher Education Committee a couple weeks before Christmas. The House had their […] The post Sponsor of controversial higher ed bill doesn’t want to discuss it with Ohio House Speaker appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Biden to pardon vets discharged for same-sex relationships
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will pardon U.S. military veterans who were discharged or convicted under military law for consensual same-sex relations, the administration announced Wednesday. The White House could not provide an exact number of veterans who will be pardoned, but the administration estimates thousands were convicted over several decades and may be eligible. […] The post Biden to pardon vets discharged for same-sex relationships appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
SCOTUS rejects Missouri lawsuit alleging feds bullied social media into censoring content
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected arguments by Missouri and Louisiana that the federal government violated the First Amendment in its efforts to combat false, misleading and dangerous information online. In a 6-3 decision written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the court held that neither the states nor seven individuals who were co-plaintiffs in […] The post SCOTUS rejects Missouri lawsuit alleging feds bullied social media into censoring content appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Calm, conservative, confident: What GOP senators want in Trump’s vice presidential pick
WASHINGTON — Republican members of the U.S. Senate striving for a takeover of their chamber in the November elections have a wish list for what they’d like to see in Donald Trump’s running mate. A “little calmer” than Trump. Confident. Conservative. Military experience. Good relationships with senators. Ready to take over as chief executive if […] The post Calm, conservative, confident: What GOP senators want in Trump’s vice presidential pick appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
What if Ohio had cleaner rivers, lakes, and streams?
In 2022, a childhood friend of mine was married in Denmark. I flew out to Copenhagen with a few of my friends and we spent the week seeing a very different life than we were used to living in Ohio. As someone whose primary mode of transportation is my bicycle, I was of course impressed […] The post What if Ohio had cleaner rivers, lakes, and streams? appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
NTSB: Norfolk Southern controlled burn of toxic chemicals in E. Palestine derailment unnecessary
Norfolk Southern and its contractors erred when they made the call to release and burn toxic chemicals leaking from rail cars following the 2023 derailment of a train in East Palestine, Ohio, the National Transportation Safety Board said during a Tuesday hearing. In addition, the railroad stymied investigators repeatedly over the course of the 17-month […] The post NTSB: Norfolk Southern controlled burn of toxic chemicals in E. Palestine derailment unnecessary appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Massive higher education bill is not on the last Ohio House agenda before summer break
The Ohio House will be voting on more than 30 bills during Wednesday’s session, but a massive higher education bill isn’t on the agenda. Senate Bill 83 — known as the Enact Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act to supporters and the Higher Education Destruction Act to those who oppose it — is not among the […] The post Massive higher education bill is not on the last Ohio House agenda before summer break appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio House lawmakers consider gun bills with different agendas
Ohio lawmakers are rushing headlong into summer recess, but on the way out the door, one committee took up two firearm provisions aiming in different directions. Given the timing of their introduction, both measures face an uphill climb for passage before the current session ends. Still, as political messaging goes, the bills stake out important […] The post Ohio House lawmakers consider gun bills with different agendas appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu — a move that’s aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to […] The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks 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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