NEW!353sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Ohio Green Party leaders have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to force state officials to re-recognize it as a political party and allow Green presidential candidates to run as independents this November.The lawsuit, filed late last month in U.S. District Court in Columbus, argues that the coronavirus pandemic is preventing Green Party leaders from gathering the needed signatures to re-gain minor-party status and allow presidential candidates Howie Hawkins and Dario Hunter to appear on this year’s general-election ballot.“Attempting to collect nominating petition...…NEW!353sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Ohio Green Party leaders have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to force state officials to re-recognize it as a political party and allow Green presidential candidates to run as independents this November.The lawsuit, filed late last month in U.S. District Court in Columbus, argues that the coronavirus pandemic is preventing Green Party leaders from gathering the needed signatures to re-gain minor-party status and allow presidential candidates Howie Hawkins and Dario Hunter to appear on this year’s general-election ballot.“Attempting to collect nominating petition...WW…

NEW!1,984sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Gov. Mike DeWine said he intends to work with state lawmakers to increase oversight over law-enforcement agencies in the state, including re-reviewing officers involved in deaths caused by police to see whether they should be fired.The governor’s comments, made during his Tuesday briefing, come as police have been deployed in cities around the state to respond to protests sparked by the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.DeWine, a Greene County Republican, proposed creating a centralized state-level board to regulate police, just as the state licenses...…NEW!1,984sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Gov. Mike DeWine said he intends to work with state lawmakers to increase oversight over law-enforcement agencies in the state, including re-reviewing officers involved in deaths caused by police to see whether they should be fired.The governor’s comments, made during his Tuesday briefing, come as police have been deployed in cities around the state to respond to protests sparked by the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.DeWine, a Greene County Republican, proposed creating a centralized state-level board to regulate police, just as the state licenses...WW…

NEW!4,140sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio--Motorists who don’t tell law enforcement about concealed handguns they have in their vehicle would no longer face any penalty, under legislation passed by the Ohio House 58-32 late Thursday night., which now goes to the Ohio Senate, is one of a introduced by House Republicans to relax the state’s gun laws.Right now, people who fail to notify an officer in Ohio that they have a gun with them face a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine, and suspension of their concealed-handgun license. HB 425 would eliminate that...…NEW!4,140sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio--Motorists who don’t tell law enforcement about concealed handguns they have in their vehicle would no longer face any penalty, under legislation passed by the Ohio House 58-32 late Thursday night., which now goes to the Ohio Senate, is one of a introduced by House Republicans to relax the state’s gun laws.Right now, people who fail to notify an officer in Ohio that they have a gun with them face a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine, and suspension of their concealed-handgun license. HB 425 would eliminate that...WW…

NEW!65,900sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—A bill allowing Ohio bars and restaurants to stay open until 4 a.m. on weekends and sell liquor on Sundays without a special permit passed the state House of Representatives 75-16 on Thursday., which now heads to the Ohio Senate, would also make it easier to establish or expand outdoor drinking areas, permit voters to allow 24-hour liquor sales, and ban authorities from revoking the liquor license of a bar or restaurant that violated Ohio’s coronavirus orders before June 1.Proponents of the legislation say the changes are designed to help bars and restaurants...…NEW!65,900sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—A bill allowing Ohio bars and restaurants to stay open until 4 a.m. on weekends and sell liquor on Sundays without a special permit passed the state House of Representatives 75-16 on Thursday., which now heads to the Ohio Senate, would also make it easier to establish or expand outdoor drinking areas, permit voters to allow 24-hour liquor sales, and ban authorities from revoking the liquor license of a bar or restaurant that violated Ohio’s coronavirus orders before June 1.Proponents of the legislation say the changes are designed to help bars and restaurants...WW…

NEW!940sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Plans to build the nation’s first freshwater wind farm in Lake Erie northeast of Cleveland took a major – and unexpected – step forward Thursday, as state regulators reversed their previous decision to limit the nighttime operation of the proposed wind turbines.But despite the Ohio Power Siting Board’s decision, there are still details that need to be worked out regarding how to mitigate the harm to animals from Icebreaker Wind, a that has been in the works for more than a decade.During a virtual meeting that involved a level of discussion and debate unusual for...…NEW!940sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Plans to build the nation’s first freshwater wind farm in Lake Erie northeast of Cleveland took a major – and unexpected – step forward Thursday, as state regulators reversed their previous decision to limit the nighttime operation of the proposed wind turbines.But despite the Ohio Power Siting Board’s decision, there are still details that need to be worked out regarding how to mitigate the harm to animals from Icebreaker Wind, a that has been in the works for more than a decade.During a virtual meeting that involved a level of discussion and debate unusual for...WW…

NEW!1,823sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the Ohio House are preparing to introduce legislation to repeal House Bill 6, the $1.3 billion nuclear bailout law at the center of on Tuesday.Republican state Reps. Mark Romanchuk of Richland County and Laura Lanese of suburban Columbus are currently soliciting other co-sponsors for a repeal bill, Lanese confirmed via text message Wednesday morning.Separately, Democratic state Reps. Mike Skindell of Lakewood and Michael O’Brien of Warren announced in a release Wednesday they intend to file their own repeal bill.All...…NEW!1,823sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the Ohio House are preparing to introduce legislation to repeal House Bill 6, the $1.3 billion nuclear bailout law at the center of on Tuesday.Republican state Reps. Mark Romanchuk of Richland County and Laura Lanese of suburban Columbus are currently soliciting other co-sponsors for a repeal bill, Lanese confirmed via text message Wednesday morning.Separately, Democratic state Reps. Mike Skindell of Lakewood and Michael O’Brien of Warren announced in a release Wednesday they intend to file their own repeal bill.All...WW…

NEW!40,774sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder was arrested Tuesday morning ahead of an announcement about a $60 million federal racketeering case related to Ohio’s new nuclear bailout law, according to sources and media reports.FBI agents, who were assisted by the Perry County Sheriff’s Department, were deployed to Householder’s property in Glenford, . The investigation centers on the $1 billion-plus ratepayer bailout of two Ohio nuclear power plants owned by FirstEnergy Solutions () that Householder helped push through last year with the help of , according to...…NEW!40,774sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder was arrested Tuesday morning ahead of an announcement about a $60 million federal racketeering case related to Ohio’s new nuclear bailout law, according to sources and media reports.FBI agents, who were assisted by the Perry County Sheriff’s Department, were deployed to Householder’s property in Glenford, . The investigation centers on the $1 billion-plus ratepayer bailout of two Ohio nuclear power plants owned by FirstEnergy Solutions () that Householder helped push through last year with the help of , according to...WW…

NEW!3,165sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration on Monday issued a new health order indefinitely extending the state’s mass-gathering ban and social-distancing rules for a wide range of businesses.The new order, signed by interim Ohio Department of Health Director Lance Himes, is different from previous state coronavirus orders in that it has no set end date. Rather, the order states that it will remain in force until DeWine lifts the state of emergency in early March.Besides that, the only major change to the latest order alters language so school buildings can reopen this...…NEW!3,165sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration on Monday issued a new health order indefinitely extending the state’s mass-gathering ban and social-distancing rules for a wide range of businesses.The new order, signed by interim Ohio Department of Health Director Lance Himes, is different from previous state coronavirus orders in that it has no set end date. Rather, the order states that it will remain in force until DeWine lifts the state of emergency in early March.Besides that, the only major change to the latest order alters language so school buildings can reopen this...WW…

NEW!546sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday he has commuted the sentences of “Coingate” convict Tom Noe and six other inmates.Noe, 65, is currently in year 14 of for looting a $50 million rare-coin investment portfolio he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. He’s incarcerated at the Marion Correctional Institution, where 217 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus, as well as 95 staffers ().DeWine said Noe had a “spotless” prison record, adding he will have to report to a parole officer every six months and will have to make restitution.“I felt...…NEW!546sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday he has commuted the sentences of “Coingate” convict Tom Noe and six other inmates.Noe, 65, is currently in year 14 of for looting a $50 million rare-coin investment portfolio he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. He’s incarcerated at the Marion Correctional Institution, where 217 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus, as well as 95 staffers ().DeWine said Noe had a “spotless” prison record, adding he will have to report to a parole officer every six months and will have to make restitution.“I felt...WW…

NEW!119sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Legislation to codify student religious expression freedoms, and to not require third-graders to repeat the grade due to their reading-test scores, is on its way to Gov. Mike DeWine after passing a final legislative vote Thursday., also known as the Ohio Student Religious Liberties Act of 2019, would allow public school students to pray, attend religious clubs and “” gatherings, distribute religious material, wear religious clothing and turn in work expressing their faith beliefs.State Rep. Timothy Ginter, a Mahoning County Republican and ordained minister...…NEW!119sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio—Legislation to codify student religious expression freedoms, and to not require third-graders to repeat the grade due to their reading-test scores, is on its way to Gov. Mike DeWine after passing a final legislative vote Thursday., also known as the Ohio Student Religious Liberties Act of 2019, would allow public school students to pray, attend religious clubs and “” gatherings, distribute religious material, wear religious clothing and turn in work expressing their faith beliefs.State Rep. Timothy Ginter, a Mahoning County Republican and ordained minister...WW…