Columbus
Ohio Capital Journal
What’s next after Supreme Court curbs regulatory power?
By Robin Kundis Craig, University of Kansas Federal Chevron deference is dead. On June 28, 2024, in a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court overturned the 40-year-old legal tenet that when a federal statute is silent or ambiguous about a particular regulatory issue, courts should defer to the implementing agency’s reasonable interpretation of the law. The […] The post What’s next after Supreme Court curbs regulatory power? appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Modern-day ‘Comstocks’ look to police travel, information as another strategy to end abortion
Mark Lee Dickson says he’s been home maybe once in the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court vanished federal abortion rights in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The 38-year-old director of Right to Life of East Texas in Longview has been on an endless road trip trying to set legal traps for people […] The post Modern-day ‘Comstocks’ look to police travel, information as another strategy to end abortion appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Abortion surveillance isn’t new but monitoring has increased post Dobbs, activists say
Abortion surveillance is something former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has said is up to states. But for abortion providers and advocates, surveillance and monitoring by anti-abortion activists has long been the reality. And post-Dobbs many states are actively trying to expand government surveillance. “There is a lot of confusion in our patient population […] The post Abortion surveillance isn’t new but monitoring has increased post Dobbs, activists say appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Biden administration announces new rule to protect workers from heat-related illnesses
WASHINGTON – Senior Biden administration officials announced a proposed rule Tuesday to prevent heat-related illness in the workplace, as climate change brings hotter temperatures around the nation. In a call to reporters Monday, officials spoke on background about the new rule, which the administration sent to the Federal Register Tuesday for review. Depending on the […] The post Biden administration announces new rule to protect workers from heat-related illnesses appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
‘No kings in America’: Biden slams U.S. Supreme Court ruling granting Trump immunity
Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision granting the presumption of criminal immunity for official actions taken by a president fundamentally altered U.S. democracy, President Joe Biden said from the White House Monday evening. Speaking for less than five minutes, Biden said the 6-3 decision contradicted the spirit of the country’s founding — set to be celebrated nationwide this week on […] The post ‘No kings in America’: Biden slams U.S. Supreme Court ruling granting Trump immunity appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio redistricting reform group submits more than 731,000 signatures, sets sights on November
Reporting more than 731,000 signatures submitted to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, Citizens Not Politicians said it cleared a massive hurdle in their plan to reform the state’s redistricting process by replacing politicians with a citizen commission. The group hoping to get a citizen-led redistricting commission inserted as an amendment to the Ohio Constitution […] The post Ohio redistricting reform group submits more than 731,000 signatures, sets sights on November appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio’s transgender bathroom ban bill could face legal challenges if it passed, attorney says
The Ohio House recently passed a transgender bathroom and locker room ban bill, but states that have passed similar bills have gone on to face legal challenges. Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Florida, and Utah all have laws on the books that ban transgender people from using the bathroom […] The post Ohio’s transgender bathroom ban bill could face legal challenges if it passed, attorney says appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio regulators continue piecemeal approach to HB 6 cases despite calls for big picture review
This monthly newsletter provides updates on Ohio’s ongoing utility corruption scandal. Was this forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe. Ohio utility regulators will continue to consider four FirstEnergy cases related to HB 6 separately, despite requests by the utility, customer advocates, and others to combine the cases. Meanwhile, intervenors say the timeline set in two of […] The post Ohio regulators continue piecemeal approach to HB 6 cases despite calls for big picture review appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio’s reasonable, rational voters have been abandoned by extremist gerrymandered lawmakers
Nobody, but showboating extremists in the Ohio legislature, gives a damn about which school bathroom is used by a minuscule number of transgender students. Ask anyone not cocooned in a right-wing media bubble of religious zealotry, fear, and grievance about bathroom policing of trans youth and chances are they couldn’t care less. Unlike state lawmakers […] The post Ohio’s reasonable, rational voters have been abandoned by extremist gerrymandered lawmakers appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Despite what some politicians say, crime rates are decreasing
Violent crime in the United States dropped significantly in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the same period last year, according to the FBI’s Quarterly Uniform Crime Report released earlier this month. The FBI’s data, collected from nearly 12,000 law enforcement agencies representing about 77% of the country’s population, suggests violent crime dropped by […] The post Despite what some politicians say, crime rates are decreasing appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Presidential immunity extends to some official acts, Supreme Court rules in Trump case
WASHINGTON — U.S. presidents enjoy full immunity from criminal charges for their official “core constitutional” acts, but no immunity for unofficial acts, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, sending former President Donald Trump’s election interference case back to the lower courts. The justices left open the question of how far the boundaries of such official acts […] The post Presidential immunity extends to some official acts, Supreme Court rules in Trump case appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio Lt. Gov. Husted denies knowledge of corruption scheme in wake of FirstEnergy texts
Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted adamantly denied prior knowledge of the largest bribery scheme in state history after we discovered text messages from FirstEnergy executives alleging he led the push for House Bill 6. He also seemed aggravated by follow-up questions asking how he was ignorant of the plot. FirstEnergy spent $61 million dollars in […] The post Ohio Lt. Gov. Husted denies knowledge of corruption scheme in wake of FirstEnergy texts appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio House lawmakers introduce voting laws to fix dubious problems
Two potentially consequential election measures got their first hearing last week in the Ohio House, but it’s not clear the problems those measures seek to address are truly problems in the first place. The first proposal would require watermarks on ballots, a move that would cost millions and one that even the sponsor acknowledges no […] The post Ohio House lawmakers introduce voting laws to fix dubious problems appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio’s public colleges and universities receive $397 million from capital budget
Ohio’s public colleges and universities will get $397 million from the state’s capital budget. The $4.2 billion budget passed Wednesday in both chambers and Gov. Mike DeWine signed the budget into law Friday morning. The capital money is going toward things such as basic renovations, HVAC upgrades, restroom upgrades, infrastructure improvements, ceiling repairs and replacement […] The post Ohio’s public colleges and universities receive $397 million from capital budget appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
U.S. Supreme Court ruling on obstruction law helps cases of Jan. 6 defendants
WASHINGTON — A former Pennsylvania police officer who joined the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol that delayed the certification of the 2020 presidential election results cannot be charged with obstructing an official proceeding unless a lower court finds otherwise, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week. The ruling throws into question the […] The post U.S. Supreme Court ruling on obstruction law helps cases of Jan. 6 defendants appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Iowa Supreme Court lifts injunction on abortion law, allowing enforcement of six week ban
Most abortions will soon be illegal in Iowa after six weeks of pregnancy following the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision Friday to overturn a lower court’s block on the 2023 abortion law. The 4-3 decision allows enforcement of the law that was previously blocked by a temporary injunction in a case challenging Iowa’s law restricting most […] The post Iowa Supreme Court lifts injunction on abortion law, allowing enforcement of six week ban appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Federal regulators approve controversial Louisiana gas terminal project
A massive and contentious liquefied natural gas export project in coastal Louisiana and an associated pipeline got a key approval from federal regulators last week. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued an order granting permission for Venture Global to build and operate the CP2 terminal in Cameron Parish along the Gulf Coast and construct and […] The post Federal regulators approve controversial Louisiana gas terminal project appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Rural identity emerging as key factor in politics
Most observers link identity politics with Democrats, as underrepresented groups have used their common fate as a vehicle for political action since the movement politics of the 1960s & 70s. The political science literature has highlighted another key identity emerging in politics in recent years: rural identity. We have always had a rural/urban divide; think […] The post Rural identity emerging as key factor in politics appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Ohio senator J.D. Vance accused of playing Putin’s game
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance is auditioning to be former President Donald Trump’s running mate. And just as Trump has a history of taking positions that align with those of Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin, Vance’s critics say the Ohio senator’s words about Ukraine must be music to Putin’s ears. This year, Vance has taken to the […] The post Ohio senator J.D. Vance accused of playing Putin’s game 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.