Week in Review April 20, 2026

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This report reflects the latest happenings in government relations, in and around the Ohio statehouse. You’ll notice that it’s broad in nature and on an array of topics, from A-Z. This will be updated on a weekly basis.

Please feel free to share it with anyone else you believe may find it of interest, as well. Also, please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions, concerns or if we can be of any assistance.

AGRICULTURE

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), more states are debating laboratory-grown meat as food technology advances. Lawmakers are weighing how meat produced by cultivating animal cells in a lab, rather than through conventional livestock operations, should be regulated as products move closer to market. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversee food safety and inspection, with the states' retaining authority over food labeling, sales and consumer protection. Ohio joins those states that have enacted legislation. HB10 (Klopfenstein-Daniels), which took effect on Wednesday, March 18, specifies that food is misbranded as a meat product or egg product if certain conditions exist, including if the food contains a manufactured-protein food product or fabricated egg product and the label for the food implies that it includes meat or eggs without qualification. It also requires the Department of Education and Workforce and each public school and state institution of higher education to adopt a policy to prevent the purchase of cultivated protein food products or food misbranded as a meat or egg product.

BALLOT ISSUES

The group behind a proposed constitutional amendment to abolish property taxes said it will release updated numbers on its signature collection efforts next week and took a shot at legislative leaders who have said they are skeptical the group will succeed in getting on the ballot. AxOHTax, also known as the Official Committee to Abolish Ohio's Property Taxes, needs to collect 413,488 valid signatures by July 1 in order to make the November ballot, as well as needing to reach a certain signature threshold in 44 of Ohio's 88 counties. House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said last month he was somewhat skeptical about the campaign's prospects. AxOHTax said it plans the press conference for Thursday, April 23, in Kirtland Hills.

A broad-based statewide coalition, Ohioans to Protect Public Services, has formed to oppose the elimination of property taxes in the state, focusing on educating voters about "the serious consequences" of abolishing all property taxes on homes and businesses "with no plan to replace the revenue." The group notes "multiple experts say [that] would trigger big increases in income and sales taxes, massive cuts in essential local public services, or a combination of both." The coalition goes on to explain, "Property taxes make up nearly two-thirds of all local tax revenue - more than $21.4 billion annually. ... [I]t's reckless, unworkable, and dangerous to propose abolishing the foundational source of revenue for police, fire, emergency medical care, public schools, and care for seniors, vulnerable children and Ohioans with developmental disabilities -- with absolutely no plan to replace the lost revenue."

FY27-28 CAPITAL APPROPRIATIONS

The Ohio Department of Youth Service (DYS) wants to upgrade security and other needed renovations at its three high-risk juvenile correctional facilities (JCF), 33 county juvenile detention centers (JDC) and 11 community rehabilitation centers (CRC) in the approaching FY27-28 biennium, with its biggest capital proposal for Northeast Ohio. Well over half of the two-year, $30 million total will prioritize CRCs in advance of DYS's projected capital request of nearly $400 million in FY29-30. Led by Director Amy Ast, DYS says that it is working to comply with the governor's Juvenile Justice Working Group (JJWG) recommendations from 2023-24, the leading recommendation of which calls for "smaller, therapeutic, campus-style" facilities for better youth outcomes, as stated in the department's 48-page capital budget request.

Central State University (CSU) has requested funding for nine projects totaling $60.4 million over the next three budget cycles, though its request letter to the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) explained the university will likely submit a revised request in the coming weeks. The university has requested funds mainly for campus infrastructure improvements and basic renovations related to roofing, HVAC, information technology and building exteriors. With deferred maintenance issues and legal and contractual requirements "challenging the university budget," its request prioritizes projects representing the "most critical needs" of the institution which "cannot be funded by university reserves or external debt financing alone. … The capital needs of CSU are significant in relation to our small operating budget. Deferred maintenance alone exceeds our modest budget. This is an oppressive weight when reserves are low, state funding is being reduced and tuition restraints are in place," CSU's letter states.

CHILDREN/FAMILIES

Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) Director Kara Wente Tuesday told the Ohio Chamber of Commerce's Child Care Summit held in Columbus that while she shares the frustrations with advocates, there are "little wins" that have been making a path forward to help kids and families. She said what keeps her up at night is that there are families that don't have access to child care, whether due to not any available near where the families live, or because of eligibility. But she said she has hope because of improvements such as the launch of the Child Care Choice Voucher Program, which received funding in biennial budget bill HB96 (Stewart) as well as an increase in eligibility to 200 percent of the federal poverty line. She said there's now more than 8,700 kids and more than 5,000 families in the choice program.

Three Republican lawmakers Tuesday told the Ohio Chamber of Commerce's Child Care Summit that while there were strides in the last budget to address the issue, it is important for the business and child care community to continue their advocacy and educating lawmakers. Reps. Andrea White (R-Kettering), Nick Santucci (R-Niles) and Gary Click (R-Vickery) all spoke on what brought them to see the importance of addressing the child care issue but pointed to limited resources and turnover due to term limits as obstacles. Click said that more families are putting off having children in the current economy, where it takes two household incomes to survive. Click said that while advocates have been lobbying for 20 years, they've been advocating to different people over those 20 years. "Catching those freshmen as they come in, whether it's the House or Senate, and just making that appointment right away with your issues is going to be very important in maintaining those relationships throughout their tenure," Click added.

A recent study, published by the Dollywood Foundation, highlights the impact of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library on children and families. Findings show that books from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library significantly strengthen children's early literacy skills and family reading habits. The Imagination Library mails one free, age-appropriate book each month to children from birth to age 5. "This new research backs what Ohio families have been sharing with us -- that children with Imagination Library books inside the home love to read, and read often, and are better prepared when they get to kindergarten," said Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine, who has been a strong supporter over the years.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and legislators are seeking more transparency at JobsOhio, the state's private economic development organization, following its connection to the resignation of former Ohio State University (OSU) President Ted Carter due to what OSU described as an "inappropriate relationship" with a woman podcaster "seeking public resources to support her personal business." On Wednesday, Yost and Buckeye Institute President and CEO Robert Alt wrote an opinion piece for the Columbus Dispatch saying the podcast matter "revived legitimate questions about public transparency and accountability" at JobsOhio. Bills introduced since the podcast news broke include HB779 (Rader-Pizzulli), SB397 (DeMora) and SB420 (O'Brien), with all three calling for the auditor of state to audit JobsOhio on a regular basis.

EDUCATION

Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) Director Stephen Dackin held a press conference Wednesday to announce the launch of the new statewide attendance dashboard, a tool they said will provide an "unprecedented level" of attendance data to help schools, families and communities reduce chronic absenteeism across the state. The new voluntary tool -- created in partnership with DEW and the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network and designed to "initiate community conversation" addressing absenteeism rates -- has been underway, with DeWine mentioning it in his "State of the State" address last month and DEW detailing the technology during its public meeting only a couple weeks later. DeWine and Dackin both praised the efficiencies of the technology, noting in particular its timeliness in reporting attendance data.

The State Board of Education (SBOE) Monday received an update on its budget, following an overview detailing pupil activity permits and proposed changes to the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC), during Interim Supt. Jason Wagner's first superintendent's presentation before the board. The board is projected to face a $1.8 million deficit for FY26, Wagner said, noting that when the board transitioned to the occupational licensing fund, $6.19 million was transferred into the fund. "I think that's important context, because it lets us know we are not a net drain on this pooled fund yet," he said. But he went on to say that if the board did not move forward with budget adjustments, it would remain on a trajectory leading to a net drain. Later, Wagner stressed the need to shift focus to "year in, year out" balancing of the budget through expenditures and revenue.

Ohio Educational Service Center Association (OESCA) Executive Director Craig Burford told the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday that Ohio's regional delivery system for education initiatives ranks up there with its libraries and parks and is ready to help state leaders roll out their priority programs. Burford gave an information presentation to the committee at its hearing Tuesday, saying in addition to supporting Ohio school districts in many ways, ESCs are also providing direct instruction to tens of thousands of students and related services to hundreds of thousands of students with special education needs.

"To build a successful foundation, today's youth will need to critically evaluate information and to be offered opportunities to actively participate in complex diverse democracy," said Renee Willis, executive director of the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation at a recent City Club of Cleveland before beginning a discussion with Desmond Blackburn, president and CEO of Facing History & Ourselves (FHO). FHO is a global organization that provides student-centered curriculum resources and teaching strategies to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to racism, antisemitism and other forms of bigotry and hate, starting in the sixth grade. Blackburn said the most challenging part of their mission is not teaching history but the self-reflection that happens afterwards. He said his history as a teacher has fueled his objective to energize teachers, and to give them the resources to depolarize and depoliticize difficult topics in the classroom.

ELECTIONS

Sen. Lou Blessing (R-Cincinnati) this week introduced legislation to implement a system where the top three candidates in a primary election would move on to the general election, replacing the state's current partisan primary system. Blessing touched on the idea of the system during the floor debate for SB63 (Gavarone-DeMora) that bars the use of ranked choice voting in the state, a bill which he voted for while also saying he understood the sentiments of those who back a ranked choice voting system. He has since introduced SB395 to implement the "top three" primary system, saying that many who are concerned about political extremism in politics are feeling dejected after Gov. Mike DeWine signed SB63.

ELECTIONS 2026

Ohioans can expect to see advertising in support of U.S. Sen Jon Husted (R-OH) across most media ahead of general election day in November. The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) PAC announced last week that it would spend $79 million on advertising ahead of November's election between Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown, the highest amount to be spent in any of the eight states SLF is targeting. SLF specifically operates to reelect Republicans to the U.S. Senate, targeting seats in North Carolina, Maine, Iowa, Alaska, Michigan, Georgia and New Hampshire in addition to Ohio in 2026. Of the $79 million spend SLF announced last week, over $41 million was initially dedicated to reserve broadcast television airtime in markets statewide.

Sherrod Brown led all U.S. Senate candidates with $8.3 million in net contributions, spent $3.5 million, and has $16.5 million on hand. Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted reported $1.86 million in net contributions, with $632,607 in spending, and $8.2 million on hand. Brown's campaign had reported earlier in the month that it had raised $12.5 million in the first quarter of 2026, including $10.1 million in total receipts to the main Friends of Sherrod Brown campaign, with another $2.44 million going to affiliated committees. Husted, whose campaign reported $2.9 million in total receipts, and $3.7 million across his main campaign fund and affiliated campaign committees, said his cash on hand puts him ahead of where U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) stood at this point in his 2024 campaign when he unseated Brown.

Democratic attorney general candidate John Kulewicz Tuesday announced the release of his first advertisement of the 2026 campaign. The spot asks viewers if they are "cool with corruption in Columbus," "high electric bills," or "price gouging," before Kulewicz introduces himself, saying he is running to fight "for your paycheck and your family."

The following endorsements were made over the week:

• The gubernatorial campaign of Democrat Amy Acton announced the endorsement of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) District 1199.

• The gubernatorial campaign of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy announced the endorsement of the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) and the Buckeye Firearms Association PAC.

• The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Action Fund endorsed Dontavius Jarrells, Charity Martin-King, Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, Meredith Lawson-Rowe, Christine Cockley, Anita Somani, Mark Sigrist, Crystal Lett, Tristan Rader, Sean Brennan, Chris Glassburn, Scott DeMauro, Davida Russell, Nicole Sigurdson, Eric Synenberg, Daniel Troy, Cecil Thomas, Ashley Bryant Bailey, Rachel Baker, Karen Brownlee, Derrick Hall, Desiree Tims, Erika White, Michele Grim, Krista Allison, Graig Bansek, Matt Lundy, John Boccieri, Eli Wenzel, Krista Magaw, and Jeff Clapper for the Ohio House; and Stacie Baker, Catherine Ingram, Latyna Humphrey, Bride Rose Sweeney, and Kent Smith for the Ohio Senate.

• The campaign of Republican congressional candidate Eric Conroy announced the endorsement of President Donald Trump for the 1st Congressional District.

GAMING/GAMBLING

Saying he didn't expect it to surprise members of the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC), Executive Director Matthew Schuler announced at Wednesday's meeting he intends to retire on Sunday, May 31. He said the organization will be in good hands after he steps down. Schuler has led the commission since 2011, the year it was created. Observing there is "an abundance of talent" on both the commission and organization staff, Schuler said he had "no qualms or concerns about departing" though he didn't like the terms "retire" or "resign."

OCCC announced Tuesday it plans to seek a $5 million civil penalty or fine against online prediction market KalshiEX for operating "unlicensed sports gaming in Ohio." "The commission takes its regulatory responsibilities to ensure compliance with the law and the integrity of sports gaming in Ohio seriously. Kalshi's refusal to stop offering sports gaming in Ohio necessitated the commission to take action to uphold the requirements of Ohio law," OCCC said. "As this matter is ongoing, the commission will not comment further on this proposed administrative action against Kalshi or the administrative process governed by Chapter 119 of the Ohio Revised Code."

Speaking after a Tuesday hearing, Senate Select Committee on Gaming Chair Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) told reporters he thought the Center for Christian Virtue-backed proposal by Reps. Gary Click (R-Vickery), Riordan McClain (R-Nevada) and Johnathan Newman (R-Troy) to limit sports gambling was "a little short-sighted and would do more harm than good." The proposal was announced April 8 but hasn't been formally introduced yet. Manning said he wanted to communicate with Gov. Mike DeWine's office about legislative changes on gambling as well. He also told reporters there are concerns about the idea of expanding sports gambling and that if there was an expansion, it would likely not be during this General Assembly.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

Along a strict party-line vote of 24-9, the Ohio Senate Wednesday passed legislation that would allow individuals to seek punitive damages against cities that pass gun ordinances found in violation of the Second Amendment. Sen. Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) said his SB278 is needed because currently there is nothing preventing municipalities "from continually running this gauntlet and restricting the rights for citizens" by passing laws that infringe on the gun rights. He said currently, it is up to citizens to challenge and repeal "these detestable restrictions" often through the judicial process "and unfortunately, out of their own pockets." Democrats argued that the legislation will hurt local governments who are the ones left with the task of addressing gun violence.

All other bills on the Senate's agenda passed unanimously, including the following:

• HB392 (Click-Brewer) requiring community-based correctional facilities and programs and halfway house organizations to assist inmates in obtaining state identification cards prior to release, something senators said was inadvertently left out of 135-SB198 (Lang-Manning), which addressed assisting inmates from jails and prisons in obtaining identification cards.

• HB462 (Richardson) to authorize the procurement and emergency use of additional types of epinephrine delivery systems by schools, school districts and camps.

• SB162 (Blessing) regarding the timeframe for health insurer recoupment from health care providers, which sponsor Sen. Lou Blessing (R-Cincinnati) said would reduce the timeframe from two years to one when provider payments are final and clawbacks are initiated, and adds time to the appeals process from 30 to 60 days.

• SB320 (Roegner) to enter the state into the Athletic Trainer Compact.

• SB321 (Schaffer) to allow special peace officers to carry a firearm while on duty at premises controlled by the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health or the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.

• SB364 (Patton) to designate a portion of U.S. Route 322 in Cleveland as the "Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter Memorial Highway."

Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) Tuesday focused on Ohio's recently allocating of over $200 million for rural health initiatives at a press conference to kick off the second Ohio Black Maternal Health Summit at the Statehouse. Hicks-Hudson co-chairs the Black Maternal Health Caucus along with Sen. Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati).

Former Rep. Bill Patmon (D-Cleveland) died Sunday at the age of 80. He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, siblings, and a host of extended family members, friends, and colleagues. He was elected to the Ohio House in 2010, serving until term limits in 2018. He also served on Cleveland City Council, and had a number of unsuccessful runs for Cleveland mayor. Visitation is set for Monday, April 20 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Mt. Zion Baptist Church (47 Locust St., Oberlin) and the funeral will be held on Tuesday, April 21 at the church at 11 a.m.

The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) announced it will be holding an Earth Day Fossil Tour at the Statehouse from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 26. The tour will be guided by experts Dale Gnidovec, curator of the Ohio State University Orton Geological Museum, and Mark Peter, paleontologist at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Division of Geological Survey. Those interested are asked to RSVP HERE by Monday, April 20.

In other legislative action, the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee reported out SB181 (Wilkin) which establishes regulations for underground mining of limestone and dolomite; the Senate Education Committee reported out SB290 (Patton-Reynolds) which requires schools to install an exterior key box; the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee reported out SB218 (Roegner) which addresses day care providers certified by a branch of the U.S armed forces; HB311 (E. White-Hoops) which designates EMS Week; and HB359 (C. Thomas-Gross) which addresses statewide alerts for children with disabilities; the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee reported out SR271 (Weinstein-Lang) supporting the U.S. of Kindness Initiative; and the Senate Transportation Committee reported out highway designation bill SB365 (Cutrona) and SB280 (Johnson) dealing with registration for Humvees.

GOVERNOR

"History teaches us the great evil, like antisemitism, flourishes amid silence," said David Heller, national campaign chair of the Jewish Federations of North America, at the start of the 46th Annual Governor's Holocaust Commemoration at the Statehouse on Monday. The event took place in the Atrium, with no empty chairs and people lined up against each wall. Many of the people who came were high school students from around the state. "Antisemitic acts and speech around the world, and here in Ohio, still continue. Such instances prove we must take time purposefully to reflect on critical lessons of the Holocaust so as not to repeat them," Gov. Mike DeWine said during his opening remarks.

HANNAH NEWS RACES TO WATCH

Vivek Ramaswamy has been the frontrunner to win the Republican nomination for Ohio governor for more than a year since announcing his candidacy in early 2025 shortly after leaving a position with the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). And while much of Ramaswamy's campaign since then has focused on his potential opponent in November's general election, Amy Acton, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary, voters in Ohio's Republican primary will first weigh two other competitors to Ramaswamy. In addition to Ramaswamy and his running mate Senate President Robert McColley (R-Napoleon), Ohio's Republican primary voters will also see on their ballot Heather Hill and running mate Stuart Moats as well as Casey Putsch and running mate Kimberly C. Georgeton.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Dr. Director Bruce Vanderhoff Tuesday announced the launch of a new dashboard that makes Ohio's kindergarten immunization data easily accessible to the public. The dashboard, titled "Annual Ohio Kindergarten Immunization Level Assessment" is now live on the state's DataOhio Portal which can be found HERE. "This interactive dashboard gives Ohioans a wealth of important, accessible information," Vanderhoff said during a Tuesday news conference. "By making this data easier to understand and explore, we hope to support informed decision making that will help protect children and families from vaccine preventable diseases."

HIGHER EDUCATION

The state's movement in assisting fiscally challenged Central State University (CSU), Ohio's only public historically Black university, has been an "all-hands-on-deck" approach, Rep. Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland), president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, told Hannah News in an interview. Upchurch has been working closely with the university's leadership and the governor's administration in ensuring CSU moves out of fiscal emergency. He said conversations have reviewed the university's path leading up to this point and have considered what needs to be done to navigate its current challenges.

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College generates $1.3 billion annually, double its contributions a decade ago, for the Greater Cincinnati region, according to a new study conducted by the Cincinnati Regional Chamber Center for Research and Data. The study found one in every 142 jobs in the region to be supported by the college, its alumni, or students. Alumni account for the largest share of Cincinnati State's economic influence, contributing $1.1 billion overall. Among all 22 Ohio community colleges, Cincinnati State graduates -- 85 percent of whom remain in the region -- are ranked first in average earnings, with contributions in the workforce supporting more than 7,400 jobs. The college expects alumni contributions will continue to increase, given its enrollment is increasing.

Ohio State University (OSU) announced on Wednesday that it had reached settlements with 13 additional survivors in cases involving sexual abuse by former university physician Richard Strauss. The settlements announced on Wednesday totaled $1.8 million, or an average of more than $138,000 per survivor. That brings the total number of settlement agreements between OSU and survivors of Strauss to 317, totaling more than $61 million, or an average of nearly $200,000 per survivor. Previous rounds of settlements involving Strauss victims were announced in February 2026; April and July 2022; and October, May, and March 2020.

Following a national search, University of Cincinnati (UC) President Neville Pinto announced Rudolph Buchheit as the university's next executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, effective June 1, allowing John Weidner to step down as interim. Buchheit joins UC from the University of Kentucky, where he has served as dean of the College of Engineering since 2018. As dean, Buchheit led a comprehensive academic and administrative portfolio that included faculty affairs, academic programs, research and graduate education, budget and facilities, as well as advancement and external partnerships, according to Pinto's announcement.

JUDICIAL

The Supreme Court of Ohio has adopted proposed rule changes clarifying who can and cannot receive guardian ad litem (GAL) reports and protecting against their unauthorized disclosure. Judges appoint GALs for children in certain domestic relations and juvenile cases to safeguard a child's best interests and to communicate those interests to the court. Under the current Rules for the Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio, they submit reports to the judge, to legal counsel, and to unrepresented parties. Amended Rule 48.06 takes effect on Wednesday, July 1.

Monetary sanctions on continuing legal education (CLE) non-compliance will fully double, and attorneys on active military duty will no longer be exempted from new-lawyer training or have CLE requirements prorated if proposed rule changes are approved by the Ohio Supreme Court. Court commissions are recommending several amendments to Rule X of the Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio and Appendix I of the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio and have released their proposals for public comment. Comments on CLE and attorney registration amendments to the Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio should be submitted in writing to Michel Jendretzky, Supreme Court of Ohio, 65 S. Front St., Columbus 43215, or to RuleAmendments@sc.ohio.gov. Comments on specialized docket changes to the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio should be submitted in writing to Sam Campbell, Supreme Court of Ohio, 65 S. Front St., Columbus 43215, or to SpecializedDocketsComments@sc.ohio.gov. All rules packages can be found HERE.

Italian American organizations filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Columbus, seeking the reinstallation of the Christopher Columbus statue removed from City Hall grounds in 2020 and placed in storage, all, they say, without a public or City Council vote. The groups went on to explain that the 20-foot bronze statue was cast by Italian sculptor Edoardo Alfieri in Genoa, Italy and was unveiled in 1955 in Columbus. They say the statue was removed from City Hall in 2020 amid civil unrest and placed into storage.

LOBBYISTS/ASSOCIATIONS

The Ohio Township Association (OTA) announced Monday Kyle A. Brooks will be its new executive director, replacing Heidi Fought, after a unanimous vote by its board of directors. Brooks currently serves as OTA's director of government affairs, a position he has held since 2023. During his tenure with the OTA, he has led the passage of over a dozen key legislative priorities benefiting Ohio's 1,308 townships, the group said.

MARIJUANA/HEMP/KRATOM

The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) heard from four proponents Monday on an Ohio Board of Pharmacy (OBP) rule package to make synthetic kratom and related products a Schedule I substance. The rule is a permanent replacement for an emergency rule the Ohio Board of Pharmacy approved in December after Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order to ban synthetic forms of kratom, also known as mitragynine.

MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM

A day after presenting their plan to the Senate Medicaid Committee to change the Medicaid managed care system to an administrative services only (ASO) system, Sens. Louis Blessing (R-Cincinnati) and Beth Liston (D-Dublin) joined Rep. Karen Brownlee (D-Cincinnati) to make their case to the public. Blessing and Liston presented SB386 (Blessing-Liston) on Tuesday, saying their proposal is based on the Connecticut model, which would have Ohio self-insure its Medicaid system with the potential of using a managed care organization (MCO) to serve as a third-party administrator. In a press conference held Wednesday on the legislation, Blessing said their bill is a "solid bipartisan reform" that will save Ohio a significant amount of money and will lead to better health outcomes. Liston said anyone who has looked at Medicaid in Ohio realizes how complicated the system is, "and we have a very limited view of how money is actually being spent by the organizations that control the bulk of it, the managed care organizations."

MILITARY AFFAIRS

In a video released Monday, Gov. Mike DeWine described attending recent funerals and burial services for the three Ohio Air National Guard personnel killed in the March crash of a KC-135 Stratotanker in Western Iraq, saying he and First Lady Fran DeWine have spent time with the families to learn more about their loved one. He also described what he learned from those who served with the three personnel -- Capt. Seth Koval, Capt. Curtis Angst and Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, who was promoted posthumously. The three have been recognized through SR299 (Schaffer) and HR378 (K. Miller), SR301 (Koehler) and HR370 (Stewart), and HR365 (Humphrey-Abdullahi).

DeWine also noted Ohio National Guard members "are prepared for any emergency" in the state and that 147 remain at the nation's Southern border. Overseas deployments include 200 soldiers and 66 airmen in the Middle East, 97 airmen and three soldiers in the Indo-Pacific region, 55 soldiers and three airmen in Europe, and six soldiers in Africa. Four soldiers are at Fort Hood, TX preparing for deployment to the Middle East as well.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Gov. Mike DeWine's working group pushed past final disagreement over current state park safety and added support for area first responders in its final meeting to forge draft recommendations for improved law enforcement, EMS and fire response to South Bass Island State Park and other recreation areas managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). The Public Safety in State Parks Working Group, co-chaired by Director Andy Wilson of the Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Director Mary Mertz of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), has met for five months. During a recent two-hour meeting, the working group adopted draft recommendations including a FY27-28 grant program for EMS, fire and law enforcement agencies that serve state parks, "parity" equalizing lodging tax enforcement across varying jurisdictions statewide, and a pilot program supporting drones as first responders (DFR) to state parks.

OHIO HISTORY

More than a decade of effort went into gaining recognition by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) of Ohio's Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks as the state's first World Heritage Site and just the 26th such site in the U.S. Recently, TourismOhio released a guide to the series of sites across Ohio that comprise the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks. The Ohio World Heritage Trail begins for historically-minded Ohioans at the collection of sites that comprise the Newark Earthworks in Licking County, including the Great Circle, Wright Square and Octagon. "Mounds weren't only built for the deceased. They were also sometimes built to mark when significant events had occurred at a place," says Chief Glenna J. Wallace of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe. "Newark Earthworks is a good place to see the various types." Visitors to the area are invited to join a guided tour to hear historians breathe life into the past.

PENSIONS

The State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) and the School Employees Retirement System (SERS) told lawmakers overseeing pension boards this week they've dropped the last of their investment holdings in companies doing business in Iran and Sudan. In brief memos dated Tuesday for SERS and Wednesday for STRS, directors of the systems wrote to Rep. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) and Sen. Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario), respectively chair and vice chair of the Ohio Retirement Study Council (ORSC), to report that, as of the beginning of the month, their holdings in scrutinized companies now stand at zero.

The Human Resources Committee of the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) Board of Trustees voted to recommend Wednesday a framework for evaluating the work of the system's relatively new executive director, Steve Toole. Under the evaluation plan, Toole will be assessed on progress toward strategic goals, such as engagement, operations and oversight, sustainability and risk management, as well as strategic initiatives, like developing staff leadership capacity, improving or replacing the system used to administer STRS, and guiding the board to adoption of a framework for improving benefits and system finances.

The STRS Board of Trustees Thursday unanimously selected retired school psychologist Joan Bellner to fill the open board position for a retired teacher member at the board's regular meeting. The STRS Board seat was vacant following the February decision in Franklin County Common Pleas Court that former Chair Rudy Fichtenbaum and former trustee Wade Steen breached their fiduciary duty to the pension fund in their dealings with investment firm QED.

PEOPLE

JobsOhio recently announced its Senior Managing Director for Talent Kristi Clouse will step down effective Friday, May 1, ending her work “defined by major investments in workforce development and talent innovation.” Director of Talent Attraction Molly Moses will serve as the interim managing director while JobsOhio conducts a national search for the position. JobsOhios aid Clouse was part of its start-up team and has been involved in “nearly every function” such as sales, project and program management, talent, site selection, research, compliance, operational processes and software and IT work.

POLLS/STUDIES

While Ohioans are only slightly more optimistic than pessimistic about the future, according to a poll recently commissioned by Ohio Northern University (ONU), large majorities of respondents say that it's unacceptable to at least some degree to publicly shame someone or lose a relationship because of a difference in political beliefs. "Political civility has become a critical civic priority following a series of high-profile incidents of political violence," said Dr. Keith F. Durkin, professor of sociology and director of ONU's Institute for Civics and Public Policy. "These include the murder of Charlie Kirk; the killings of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband; the arson attack on the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; and the attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald J. Trump."

Poll results released by Quinnipiac University on Wednesday find 51 percent of voters blamed President Donald Trump "a lot" for the increase in gas prices following the U.S. conflict with Iran and 14 percent said he is somewhat to blame, while 11 percent said they did not blame him much and 23 percent said they do not blame him at all. Among Republicans, 22 percent blamed Trump either a lot (9 percent) or somewhat (13 percent), while 76 percent blamed him either not much (23 percent) or not at all (53 percent).

PUBLIC SAFETY

The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) recently announced a new tool that connects the next generation of troopers directly with a recruiter. Anyone interested in a career as an Ohio State Trooper can now begin their journey by simply texting "joinOSHP" to 614-654-OSHP. As part of a broader effort to modernize and streamline the recruitment process, this text-to-join feature allows potential applicants to connect with a recruiter, receive immediate information regarding the application process and get scheduled for an upcoming recruitment event directly on their phones. For more information, text "joinOSHP" to 614-654-OSHP, follow OSHP on social media or visit the OHSP recruitment webpage here.

A new national study, published recently in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, provides the first comprehensive understanding of pediatric capabilities of emergency medical services (EMS) and fire-rescue agencies across the United States. The results, which reflect the participation of 7,000 agencies, suggest progress and opportunity to strengthen prehospital care for the 3 million children who receive care annually. Advanced life support and intermediate life support agencies made up 72 percent of respondents, of which approximately half (53 percent) were fire-based agencies. Nearly 30 percent of agencies that responded to the assessment serve rural and frontier communities. In addition, over 40 percent rely on at least some volunteers to staff ambulances.

SECRETARY OF STATE

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has returned from an overseas deployment, according to a social media post he made Wednesday. LaRose is a member of the U.S. Army Reserve and was called up to serve with the Ohio National Guard. For security reasons, details of that activation were not released. LaRose is currently running unopposed in the Republican primary for state auditor.

TECHNOLOGY/AEROSPACE

Describing it as "the state's definitive day in tech," OhioX has released details for this year's Tech Summit to be held Thursday, May 14 at the Ohio State University (OSU) Ohio Union. This year's focus has programming tracks of enterprise technology; startups and venture; and talent and workforce. The event is geared toward tech executives; founders and investors; policymakers and civic leaders; and people looking to enter the workforce. There will also be networking opportunities throughout the day. More details are available HERE.

The Senate Financial Institutions, Insurance and Technology Committee on Tuesday continued the "learning process" first undertaken last fall concerning competing bills on how the Legislature might approach parental approval for children to download and install apps on their devices. Tuesday's hearing again compared the approaches to that end of SB167 (Reynolds) and SB175 (Patton), mirroring the approach the committee took to hearing about both bills in October. In proponent testimony, Chris Rinkus of Meta called SB167 the App Store Accountability Act, noting it has now been signed into law in Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Utah, in addition to advancing in the House Energy and Commerce Committee at the federal level. Rinkus said SB167 is better than SB175 because SB175 does not require parental approval for teens to download apps to mobile devices, whereas SB167 allows parental controls at the app store-level over what app a teen can download. Sen. Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) argued that teens are clever enough to get around the protection SB167 would put in place with "two clicks."

[Story originally published in The Hannah Report. Copyright 2026 Hannah News Service, Inc.]