Columbus
Ohio Capital Journal
With GOP opposed, U.S. Senate panel advances bills to combat AI in elections
Members of the U.S. Senate are sounding the alarm about the threat that artificial intelligence poses to elections through its ability to deceive voters. But the prospects for legislation that can meaningfully address the problem appear uncertain. In a Wednesday hearing, the Senate Rules Committee advanced three bills designed to counter the AI threat. But […] The post With GOP opposed, U.S. Senate panel advances bills to combat AI in elections appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
U.S. Senate GOP tries to block states from spending some of their COVID relief cash
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected efforts to roll back guidance from the Treasury Department regarding how state and local governments can spend funding approved by Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 46-49 vote on the Congressional Review Act resolution ended an attempt by several GOP senators to block the Biden administration from […] The post U.S. Senate GOP tries to block states from spending some of their COVID relief cash appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Advocates press U.S. House to act soon on compensation for nuclear testing victims
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers and advocates rallied outside the U.S. Capitol Thursday, urging House lawmakers to extend a fund for victims of U.S. nuclear testing that is set to expire in less than a month. But critics say the program is too expensive and should be winding down, and it’s not clear if the House will […] The post Advocates press U.S. House to act soon on compensation for nuclear testing victims appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
New Ohio Senate resolution asks feds not to include sexual orientation, gender identity in Title IX
A recently offered resolution in the Ohio Senate urges the federal government to keep sexual orientation and gender identification out of anti-discrimination rules used in education funding. State Sen. Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, brought forth the resolution, Senate Concurrent Resolution 11, on Tuesday, asking the United States Department of Education to “exclude sexual orientation and gender […] The post New Ohio Senate resolution asks feds not to include sexual orientation, gender identity in Title IX appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Recent changes in Ohio make it easier to force landowners to allow oil and gas drilling
Ohio has seen a big jump in the number of agency orders forcing property owners to allow oil and gas development on their land, whether they want it or not. The number of so-called “unitization” orders issued by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has surged in recent years, peaking at 112 in 2022 and […] The post Recent changes in Ohio make it easier to force landowners to allow oil and gas drilling appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost files lawsuit to remove members of teachers’ pension board
Attorney General Dave Yost filed a lawsuit Wednesday against two State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio (STRS) board members, saying they must be removed from their roles for breaching their fiduciary duties. He accused them of being a part of an attempt “to hijack” the pensioners’ retirement accounts. Defendants Wade Steen and Dr. Rudy Fichtenbaum […] The post Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost files lawsuit to remove members of teachers’ pension board appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs legislation to limit cellphones in schools
At a Dublin middle school Wednesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation ordering school districts around the state to develop written policies for cellphones on campus. The state education department will write it’s own model policy that districts may adopt, but so long as they come up with something to keep cellphone use “as limited […] The post Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs legislation to limit cellphones in schools appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio House Higher Education begins hosting science of reading testimony as rollout begins
As Ohio public school districts are starting to implement the science of reading, colleges and universities across the state will be examining their teacher preparation programs. The Ohio House Higher Education Committee recently started hosting testimony from educators and policy experts about the science of reading, which is based on decades of research that shows […] The post Ohio House Higher Education begins hosting science of reading testimony as rollout begins appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio legal weed launch a rare example of true representation being carried out in state government
In a rare example of Ohio government functioning representatively, legal adult-use marijuana is coming soon to store shelves, and reasonable bipartisanship has prevailed over the machinations of gerrymandered extremists. This past November, 57% of Ohio voters approved a new law for adult-use marijuana in the Buckeye State for those 21 and over. Even though marijuana […] The post Ohio legal weed launch a rare example of true representation being carried out in state government appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Legal fights leave question marks over ballot access in presidential battleground states
In Wisconsin, voters don’t yet know whether the ballot drop boxes that were in use in the state for years will be allowed this fall. Georgians are waiting to find out whether much of their state’s sweeping 2021 voting law, which imposed a range of restrictions, will be in place. In North Carolina, procedures for […] The post Legal fights leave question marks over ballot access in presidential battleground states appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
CNN sets first Biden-Trump presidential debate for June 27 in Atlanta
WASHINGTON — CNN announced on Wednesday morning that it will host a debate between President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the network’s Atlanta studios on June 27. CNN said there would be no audience present for the debate and moderators will be announced later. A second debate will be hosted by […] The post CNN sets first Biden-Trump presidential debate for June 27 in Atlanta appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Five-year FAA bill clears U.S. House, boosting flights into Washington, D.C.
The U.S. House voted 387-26 Wednesday to clear a bill to reauthorize $105 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration for the next five years — and to finalize a hotly debated deal adding flights at busy Washington Reagan National Airport. Advocates for the bill, which won votes from every ideological corner of the often-divided House, […] The post Five-year FAA bill clears U.S. House, boosting flights into Washington, D.C. appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Congressional panel debates who should foot the bill for rebuilding Baltimore bridge
Conservative members of Congress at a hearing on Wednesday raised questions about using federal dollars to pay for rebuilding a state tollway, as the head of the Federal Highway Administration reiterated that the Biden administration is seeking congressional approval to reimburse 100% of the costs of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Congress […] The post Congressional panel debates who should foot the bill for rebuilding Baltimore bridge appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio’s congressional Dems demand vote on contraception protection
Democrats from Ohio’s U.S. Congressional delegation want the right to contraception codified into federal law, an effort that’s now in its third attempt on Capitol Hill. U.S. Reps. Joyce Beatty, Emilia Sykes, and Greg Landsman met on a Tuesday press call to talk about the measure, and to demand a vote from the Republican majority. […] The post Ohio’s congressional Dems demand vote on contraception protection appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Transgender Ohio Statehouse candidates line up behind bill allowing people to run under legal name
This year a handful of transgender candidates filed to run for state office in Ohio, but they faced challenges to their candidacies over the names they used on their paperwork. Under Ohio law, candidates must list any prior name they’ve used in the last five years on their petitions. Notably, the form itself makes no […] The post Transgender Ohio Statehouse candidates line up behind bill allowing people to run under legal name appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio Democrats move to ban semi-automatic weapons, GOP lawmakers sticking to their guns
Ohio Democrats, without any success in recent years, continue to propose legislation to curb gun violence. The latest bill would ban “weapons of mass casualty,” or semi-automatic firearms that can or could be adapted to fire more than 31 rounds. Unsurprisingly, the Republicans are sticking to their guns. The gunman who killed nine people, and […] The post Ohio Democrats move to ban semi-automatic weapons, GOP lawmakers sticking to their guns appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
New list rates the most bipartisan members of Congress—and the least
WASHINGTON — Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick were the most bipartisan members of Congress last year, according to a newly released analysis from the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. The least bipartisan House lawmaker was Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, while Alabama’s Katie […] The post New list rates the most bipartisan members of Congress—and the least appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Analyzing Ohio’s two $15 minimum wage proposals
Last week, Senate Bill 256 was referred to the Ohio Senate’s Ways and Means Committee. At a time when momentum is growing to increase Ohio’s minimum wage via ballot initiative, this new bill puts forth an alternative to increasing the minimum wage. Senate Bill 256 has a few key differences from the proposed ballot initiative. […] The post Analyzing Ohio’s two $15 minimum wage proposals appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues
WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers are taking turns supporting former president and presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in his trial in Manhattan criminal court, where he is charged with covering up payments intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Dressed alike in navy blue suits and red ties, North […] The post GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
New federal rule will overhaul transmission planning as electric grid strains
A divided Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday issued a long-awaited overhaul of how regional electric transmission lines are planned and paid for, a move cheered by clean power groups but blasted by a conservative commissioner who said it was driven by “special interests” and exceeds the commission’s authority. The commission’s final rule on transmission planning and […] The post New federal rule will overhaul transmission planning as electric grid strains appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio Capital Journal
5K+
Posts
57M+
Views
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.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.