Ohio lawmakers kicked off hearings for a new data center committee Wednesday. Stakeholders from the industry, utility regulation, and state agencies shared their views on data centers’ impact on the cost of power, the environment, and the economy.
More than 150 opponents flooded an Ohio House committee this month with written and spoken testimony against new legislation that looks to tie college and university funding to the higher education overhaul passed by state lawmakers last year.
Ohio House Democrats are pitching a plan to temporarily freeze utility rates and provide a $150 credit on Ohioans’ electric bills, as affordability takes center stage in a hotly contested midterm election.
Several Ohio professional sports teams are wading into a debate over foreign nationals owning land in Ohio. The state’s professional basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer teams say their players and staffers could be unfairly punished.
Ohio House Republicans passed a bill recently that would effectively bring back the state’s 24-hour waiting period for abortion care, despite a previous 24-hour law being blocked for violating the constitutional amendment passed by Ohio voters in 2023.
An Ohio Republican lawmaker wants to tie compliance to a new higher education law that bans diversity efforts and regulates classroom discussion to state funding for universities.
An Ohio Republican lawmaker has proposed a measure heightening penalties for people who commit crimes while concealing their identity with a mask or disguise. Ohio Democrats would like to see the same restrictions applied to law enforcement officers.
Ohio has a handful of education bills still under consideration by state lawmakers, including a proposal to require students watch a video produced by an anti-abortion group, and another to allow displays of the Ten Commandments in schools, and require it if it is donated.e
A pair of Ohio Republican lawmakers want public schools and public universities to teach positive impacts of Christianity on American history. No other religion is mentioned in the bill.
Two Democrats want to prohibit Ohio lawmakers from accepting free or reduced-price tickets for professional sporting events. The proposal comes on the heels of state lawmakers committing $600 million to a new multi-billion-dollar stadium for the Cleveland Browns. The owners of the team, Jimmy and Dee Haslam, are major political campaign donors.
