The Ohio Senate adopted Wednesday afternoon a bill that will effectively end most second-trimester abortions in the state. Senators voted along party lines, 24 to 9, for Senate Bill 145, which now heads to the House, likely for consideration after the summer recess. The bill bans dilation and evacuation procedures, performed typically between 13 and […]
Rep. Pelanda backs legislation to streamline in-person absentee voting process
June 26, 2017 by
The Ohio House of Representatives today passed legislation that updates various laws pertaining to voter registration, as well as procedures for casting, processing and reviewing in-person absentee ballots. The goal of House Bill 41, sponsored by Rep. Dorothy Pelanda (R-Marysville), is to ensure that in-person absentee voters are afforded the same streamlined process as Election […]
Supporters of Marsy’s Law submit signatures for constitutional amendment
June 23, 2017 by
Victims’ rights advocates submitted 563,556 signatures to Secretary of State Jon Husted’s office Thursday, aiming to put a constitutional amendment called Marsy’s Law for Ohio on the November ballot. Husted’s staff will review the signatures in support of the amendment, checking names and making sure addresses match with voter registrations. At least 305,591 valid signatures […]
State lawmakers set to finish up new budget with another $20 million left to cut
June 23, 2017 by
Updated projections released Thursday confirmed Ohio lawmakers will have to close a budget hole a little bigger than $1 billion. The budget bill passed by the Ohio Senate Wednesday already had that goal in mind — senators trimmed spending by about $1 billion. Senators and representatives on the conference committee working on a budget compromise […]
Ohio Senate proposes easing high school graduation requirements
June 21, 2017 by
The state Senate is looking to stave off a possible high school graduation “crisis” by allowing students to graduate even with poor scores on state tests. The Senate Finance Committee included exemptions from test score requirements in its new version of the state budget bill today. Those must still pass the full Senate and also […]
Senate Democrats propose ending Ohio small business tax break to fill State budget hole
June 16, 2017 by
Senate Democrats on Thursday pitched their idea to patch the $1 billion state budget hole — eliminate Ohio’s small business tax break. Repealing the business income tax deduction, phased in since 2013, would generate $2.2 billion over the next two years, according to analysis from the nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission. Democrats said the money would […]
Ohio tax revenues down again, mostly from lower personal income taxes
June 7, 2017 by
Ohio tax revenues continued to come in below estimates in May but budget officials say the state will still finish the fiscal year in the black. But another month of revenues lagging estimates, which were already adjusted downward last year, is not good news for state lawmakers revising the next two-year state budget bill. State […]
Rep. Pelanda steps down as Ohio House Majority Floor Leader
June 2, 2017 by
State Representative Dorothy Pelanda (R-Marysville) announced that she will be stepping down from her role as Majority Floor Leader for the Ohio House Republican Caucus, effective Thursday. “It has been a tremendous honor to be elected Majority Floor Leader by my colleagues in the House, and it will be an opportunity that I will always […]
Lawmakers approve Ohio Sales Tax Holiday for back-to-school items
May 26, 2017 by
Ohio consumers will again get a back-to-school sales tax break on clothing, school supplies and instructional materials in August. The Ohio House and Senate on Wednesday approved the third annual sales tax holiday for Aug. 4-6. The bill cleared the House in a 92-1 vote and the Senate in a 30-1 vote. If Gov. John […]
Amid budget crunch, small business tax break cost nearly $400 million more than expected
May 24, 2017 by
Ohio’s “small business” tax break cost the state about $943 million in taxdollars in 2015, according to the Ohio Department of Taxation. That’s nearly $400 million more than estimated. That year, 605,890 taxpayers claimed the business income deduction for income earned from sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability corporations and s-corporations. The cost for the tax […]
