Week in Review April 27, 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.

ABORTION/REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Judge David Engler, a domestic relations and juvenile court judge in Trumbull County, filed a lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court, challenging Ohio's abortion and reproductive rights constitutional amendment passed in 2023. In the lawsuit, Engler argues that the amendment, approved by 57 percent of the voters, stripped him of his authority over judicial-bypass proceedings held when a minor seeks to have an abortion over the objections of her parents. With approval of the amendment, Engler argues that it is now being enforced to eliminate parental-consent statutes for minors, and thereby treating judicial-bypass proceedings as obsolete.

AGING

A Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC) discussion recently highlighted rising levels of housing insecurity facing Ohio's aging population. The conversation opened with a discussion of housing costs and rent climbing faster than fixed incomes and affordable housing construction lagging community needs resulting in aging Ohioans' spending "unsustainable portions of their income on housing." The other demographic Shannon Isom, president and CEO of the Community Shelter Board, mentioned are seniors’ moving through nursing homes and hospitals without “anywhere to go.” They are neither sick enough to stay in the hospital, nor well enough to go anywhere else, she said. “What ends up happening is they show up in our shelters, and the shelters – I like to remind us – were made for short-term destabilization of housing. It was not made for nursing homes. It was not made for respite. It was not made for long-term housing,” said Isom.

ARTS, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

The Ohio Museums Association (OMA) recently awarded the National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) two of its top awards -- Institution of the Year and Best Exhibition. The Institution of the Year award highlights the museum's new five-year strategic plan, and the opening of its Second Wave expansion, a building addition which introduced new galleries and spaces for community conversations, NMGL said. The museum’s Best Exhibition award honors its first large-scale temporary exhibition: Dark Waters: True Crime and Mystery on the Great Lakes.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Ohio Attorney General Dave marked Earth Day Wednesday with a new round of grant funding supporting his "Shine a Light on Dumpers" initiative to clean up and prevent rogue trash sites. Of $1 million in total funds, local governments can seek up to $100,000 for illegal dump cleanup and up to $20,000 for prevention, including signs, gates and barriers. "Local governments made it clear that they needed this program, and we listened," Yost said. "Illegal dumping is unacceptable, plain and simple. These grants help communities fight back, and Earth Day is the right time to double down on those efforts." Funding comes from settlement dollars secured by the AG's Environmental Enforcement Section (EES) and builds on last year's initial round of grants to 31 projects.

BALLOT ISSUES

Leaders in the effort to abolish property taxes in Ohio announced Thursday they had collected around 305,000 signatures, nearly half of the 620,000 they want as a "minimum goal." AxOHTax President Brian Massie said they are "on a pace" to reach the 413,488 valid signatures required by July 1 for inclusion on the November 2026 ballot but not that minimum goal. He also said they have surpassed the needed amounts in the required 44 counties and can collect in any county without worrying about that component. "If we fall short of our 620,000 goal, we will decide if we will risk turning in all of the signatures -- hoping we have met the required signature count of 413,488 -- or do we continue collecting signatures to ensure that we will get the amendment on the 2027 ballot," Massie said. He told reporters they would likely give an update on those plans in mid-June and that it would be a committee decision rather than just his own.

Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), chair of the Senate Finance Committee, responded to the AxOHTax announcement, telling Hannah News he thought the press conference was "was nothing but a stunt to breathe life into what I think is a failing effort to get valid signatures in time for July 1" and comparing the Oval Office setting to a "Saturday Night Live" skit. "I can't say it enough that it's an irresponsible approach ... they have no ideas how to replace the $24 billion of property taxes that are collected," Cirino said. He also contended that property taxes are "fees for services to the community that the community votes for" including police, fire, libraries and senior citizen services in addition to just schools.

BUSINESS/CORPORATE

The Ohio Department of Development (DOD) announced it is seeking partners around the state to assist entrepreneurs and emerging business owners through the state's Tier 1 Minority Business Assistance Centers (MBACs). Specific regions include Appalachia, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo. The MBACs provide free one-on-one advising, state certification help and training for minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-friendly and socially and economically under-resourced businesses so they can launch successfully, create jobs and generate revenue in their communities. Those interested in replying to DOD's Request for Proposal can visit HERE, which includes information on the full eligibility requirements and overall process. Proposals must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 29.

An NFIB small business survey released this month found the "Optimism Index" dropped by three points in March to 95.8, putting it below a historical average of 98 for the first time since April 2025. Another index on uncertainty rose by four points to 92, putting it far above that historical average of 68. State-specific data from the survey was not available. "Small businesses are absorbing higher input costs from the spike in oil prices, which has contributed to the decline in optimism and the rise of uncertainty in March. While financial pressure is increasing, Ohio's small business owners are working hard to minimize passing these higher costs along to their customers," said NFIB Ohio State Director Jared Weiser. The net number of business owners expecting better conditions fell for the third consecutive month to the lowest level since October 2024, marking the second-largest contribution to the Optimism Index's decline. The Employment Index fell from 103.5 to 101.6, but remains above the 2025 average of 101.2 and the historical average of 100.

CHILDREN/FAMILIES

For millions of domestic violence survivors, the most lasting injuries are not always visible. New research shows that concussions, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and other brain injuries caused by domestic violence are widespread, repetitive and frequently undiagnosed. A survey of 439 survivors conducted by the Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN) last summer showed that 79 percent reported being physically assaulted. Among those survivors, 97 percent reported being hit or injured in the head, neck or face by a current or former partner. Four out of five said they experienced repeated assaults, with 36 percent reporting it happened "too many times to count." Nearly 88 percent of the physically assaulted survivors reported being strangled by a current or former intimate partner. These assaults were typically reported but only 30 percent were reported after the first incident.

DEATH PENALTY

Gov. Mike DeWine Friday issued three more reprieves from execution for the following Death Row inmates:

• James O'Neal, who was scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. The new date of execution has been moved to Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2029.

• Jerome Henderson, who was scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026.The new date of execution has been moved to Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2029.

• Melvin Bonnell, who was scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026. The new date of execution has been moved to Thursday, Oct. 18, 2029.

According to his office, the governor issued these reprieves due to ongoing problems involving the willingness of pharmaceutical suppliers to provide drugs to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC), pursuant to DRC protocol, without endangering other Ohioans.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Ohio Department of Development (DOD) announced Tuesday approval of $2.6 million in Ohio Third Frontier grants to support research and commercialization of transformational early-stage technologies developed by startup companies and supported by research institutes across the state. Funds come from the Technology Validation and Start-up Fund (TVSF).

Wednesday's Columbus Metropolitan Club forum examined data centers, with panelists including Ohio Manufacturers' Association (OMA) President Ryan Augsburger, Ohio State University EmPOWERment Program Director Jeffrey Bielicki, Columbus City Council Public Utilities and Sustainability Committee Chair Christopher Wyche and Google Area Operations Manager Timothy Chadwick. Statehouse News Bureau Chief Karen Kasler, who moderated the discussion, opened by asking about how Ohio has 202 data centers with 114 in the Central Ohio region. Chadwick discussed how location factors include availability of land, power, long-haul fiber, workforce and what the tax structure looks like there. "Central Ohio really brings all of those together because of the efforts that the government has taken up to this point," he added. Wyche was then asked how communities benefit from data centers, and how to measure if expectations and promises associated with them are met. Wyche answered that the challenge they face is there are "actual economic benefits" to data centers such as construction and permanent jobs, but people want to see those benefits deepened and address energy usage and effects on the environment.

EDUCATION

The Educational Service Center (ESC) Center of Central Ohio's Governing Board Wednesday announced its plans to employ former State Board of Education (SBOE) Superintendent Michael Sawyers as its next superintendent, effective Aug. 1, at its upcoming meeting on Friday, April 24. "The ESC is excited to move forward with Mr. Sawyers and looks forward to his leadership in the agency," said Governing Board President Barry Alcock in a statement. "Mr. Sawyers stood apart as being best suited to take on the work ahead." Pending board approval, Sawyers will step into his new role with more than 34 years of public education experience spanning urban, suburban, rural and statewide settings. He has served as superintendent of New Albany-Plain Local Schools since 2016 and as a current ESC partner superintendent and mentor through the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA), Sawyers carries "firsthand knowledge of and deep commitment to ESC's mission and the 32 districts it serves."

Ohio High School Athletic Association (OSHAA) members will consider a number of changes to the OHSAA constitution in the body's upcoming annual referendum voting period from Friday, May 1 to Friday, May 15, 2026. In March, OHSAA approved for referendum during the annual period a proposed modification to the body's constitution that would immediately authorize the OHSAA Board of Directors to change the organization's bylaws or constitution in accordance with any potential proposed or adopted legislative action or court order that modifies an existing bylaw or article of the OSHAA constitution. That proposed change follows several hearings this spring in the House Education Committee on HB661 (Bird-Odioso), to prohibit middle or high school students from earning compensation from the athlete's name, image, or likeness (NIL). The referendum period includes voting on eight total proposed high school bylaw changes, including two specifically concerning amateurism and NIL.

Attorney General Dave Yost waded into a dispute over the Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee candidacy of a member of the Delaware County Board of Elections, urging the Ohio Supreme Court to uphold a board of elections ruling disqualifying her from the ballot. Melanie Leneghan, a member of the Delaware County Board of Elections who is running for State Central Committee's 19th Senate District committeewoman, sued in the Ohio Supreme Court after the board upheld a protest to her candidacy on April 10. The board's two Democrats voted to uphold the protest and disqualify her for the ballot, as well as strip her of her voter registration, finding that she did not reside at the home listed on her registration, while the board's other Republican voted against the protest, with Leneghan abstaining.

While state support for preschool education hit record highs in enrollment and funding across the nation in the 2024-2025 school year, the National Institute for Early Education Research's (NIEER) latest report on preschool grouped Ohio with states that saw their enrollment numbers dropping by more than 1,000 children. On Wednesday, NIEER released its "2025 State of Preschool Yearbook," providing an annual snapshot of state funded preschool across the country. Despite record-breaking numbers, the report found the pace of growth to have slowed compared to the prior year, with many states continuing to fall behind pre-pandemic enrollment levels. Ohio preschools enrolled 23,594 children last academic school year, decreasing by 4,550. State spending also dropped, totaling roughly $120 million, down about $1.3 million, adjusted for inflation, since last year. State spending per child increased by $781, adjusted for inflation, equaling $5,110 per child.

Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Stephen Dackin Monday announced that 304 Ohio schools earned the Purple Star designation as part of the Class of 2026. The honor is given to schools that demonstrate a significant commitment to serving students and families connected to the nation's armed forces. This year's class includes 153 schools earning the Purple Star designation for the first time and 151 schools earning Purple Star renewals for their continued dedication to Ohio's military families, according to DeWine's office. In total, Ohio is now home to 839 active Purple Star schools, with each school's designation valid for three years.

ELECTIONS 2026

Votes for Republican gubernatorial candidate Heather Hill will no longer count during the Tuesday, May 5 primary, after her lieutenant governor running mate filed paperwork to withdraw from the race Wednesday, the secretary of state's office confirmed. Stuart Moats, who filed to run as lieutenant governor with Hill in February, posted a video of himself outside of the secretary of state's office where he filed the paperwork to withdraw from the ballot, calling it a "good day." A feud between Moats and Hill blew up over the weekend, with Hill's campaign accusing Moats of using racial slurs and other inappropriate conduct. Moats responded by calling Hill a "deranged lunatic" who was trying to do a "nuclear explosion on his character."

New campaign finance reports filed by Thursday's deadline show Democrat gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton bringing in more contributions in the first half of 2026, but trailing Republican frontrunner Vivek Ramaswamy due to his head start and his infusion of $25 million of his own money into the race. Thursday was the deadline for all candidates on the Tuesday, May 5 primary ballot to report their fundraising and spending totals from the beginning of the year through April 15 as part of their pre-primary campaign finance reports. Those filing included candidates for governor, state auditor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, and Ohio Supreme Court, as well as candidates for the General Assembly. Acton, who is unopposed in the primary, reported nearly $5.2 million in contributions, with her campaign spending $3.28 million, and has $5 million on hand. Ramaswamy, who announced his numbers earlier in the week, showed on his report $5.01 million raised, $12.57 million in expenditures, and $30.74 million on hand, which includes $25 million he lent the campaign from his own personal funds.

A new poll by the Democracy and Public Policy Network in the Department of Political Science at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) finds a tight gubernatorial race between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton, while voters are not sure who to back in the down ticket primaries for state office next month. The web-based poll put the gubernatorial race between Ramaswamy and Acton in a statistical tie, with 48 percent behind Ramaswamy and 47 percent backing Acton, with 5 percent choosing someone else. Still, 60 percent said despite who they prefer, they expect Ramaswamy to win. In the U.S. Senate race, 50 percent back U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, while 47 percent back former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, with 3 percent choosing someone else. Fifty-three percent say they expect Husted to win.

Assistant Springfield Mayor Tracey Tackett announced she is running as an independent candidate for the 4th Congressional District seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Urbana), who is running for re-election. In order to make the ballot, Tackett will have to collect at least 2,836 signatures by Monday, May 4; her campaign said it has collected more than 1,500 signatures as of April 12. Tackett was elected to the Springfield City Commission in 2023, defeating a 30-year Democratic incumbent and receiving over 60 percent of the vote.

Greg Levy, a community organizer, singer, veteran, and self-described socialist, is aiming to make the November ballot for U.S. Senate as an independent. Levy will need to collect at least 5,000 valid signatures by Monday, May 4, in order to qualify for the ballot.

Cincinnati dentist Steven Erbeck said Monday he is suspending his campaign for Congress after President Donald Trump endorsed Republican primary opponent Eric Conroy for the 1st Congressional District. Erbeck was among a number of candidates seeking the

nomination to potentially take on U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Cincinnati) in November.

The following endorsements were made over the week:

• The secretary of state campaign of Democrat Bryan Hambley announced the endorsement of former Ohio Gov. Richard Celeste.

• The gubernatorial campaign of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy announced the endorsement of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association.

• The campaign of Republican congressional candidate Eric Conroy announced the endorsement of former U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot for the 1st Congressional District.

• In a fundraising email, former U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he is supporting Democrat Amy Acton for governor.

  
  

EMPLOYMENT/UNEMPLOYMENT

Ohio's unemployment rate fell from 4.3 percent in January to 4.2 percent in February, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) said Friday, while the state shed 5,400 nonagricultural wage and salary jobs over the month. The February numbers were released later than usual due to annual benchmark revision processing, which was further delayed because of the federal government shutdown in October 2025, ODJFS said. The drop in the unemployment rate came largely due to a drop in the number of unemployed workers, which ODFJS said was 251,000, down from 255,000 in January 2026. The number of unemployed has decreased by 39,000 in the past 12 months from 290,000. The February unemployment rate for Ohio decreased 0.7 percentage points from 4.9 percent in February 2025. The U.S. unemployment rate for February 2026 was 4.4 percent, up from 4.3 percent in January 2026 and up from 4.2 percent in February 2025.\

ENERGY/UTILITIES

Nuclear energy is poised to be a large part of Ohio's energy future, and policymakers are focusing on communicating the positives of nuclear power to Ohioans as both the energy and policy infrastructures are put in place. At its meeting on Friday, the Ohio Nuclear Development Authority (ONDA) continued work on its strategic plan to inform Ohio's public about its role in the state's fast-coming energy future, emphasizing nuclear energy's safety and ONDA's role in statewide workforce and infrastructure development.

Summer electric bills starting Monday, June 1 will track two competing energy charges including Ohioans' local standard service offer (SSO), which will decrease 3-10 percent depending on the electric distribution utility (EDU), and "capacity" costs to ensure power 24/7/365, which will retain a baked-in 22 percent price spike from summer 2025. FirstEnergy will lead Ohio this summer with the lowest SSO charge of 8.7 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), followed by AES Ohio at 9.2 cents/kWh, Duke Energy Ohio at 9.4 cents/kWh, and American Electric Power (AEP) of Ohio at 9.6 cents/kWh. Though electric use generally rises during the summer cooling season when children spend more time at home, the annual industry standard for average residential consumption is 1,000 kWh per month. While FirstEnergy consumers will enjoy the lowest absolute kWh price starting June 1, Duke customers will see the biggest decrease of 10 percent from 10.5 cents/kWh last summer, followed by FirstEnergy savings of 6 percent; AEP, 4 percent; and AES, 3 percent.

FEDERAL

U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) recently announced he had been appointed to the Senate Appropriations Committee and six of its subcommittees, following former Sen. Markwayne Mullin's (R-OK) leaving the Senate and being confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The appropriations committee drafts legislation allocating federal funds to agencies, departments and organizations each fiscal year, and its subcommittees review the president's budget request and hear testimony as well. Husted was appointed by Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME).

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

Members of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) were briefed on several events and projects set to take place around the Statehouse during the board's public meeting Thursday. Members additionally voted on two proposed rule changes. The meeting began with CSRAB Executive Director Megan Wycuff highlighting recent and upcoming Statehouse events intended to showcase the history of the state. In review of current capital projects, CSRAB Assistant Director of Operations John Hutt said the electrical project at the Statehouse is near completion, with one more electrical panel left to be replaced.

GREAT LAKES

Loose sand, clay, silt and gravel from the bottoms of Ohio's Lake Erie ports accumulate to the tune of 1.5 million tons of sediment annually, the majority of which comes from the Port of Toledo in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB). Formerly, that dredged material was often deposited in Ohio's portion of Lake Erie, but 131-SB1 (Gardner-Peterson) prohibited that practice as of 2020 as part of an effort to alleviate harmful algal blooms (HAB) in the WLEB. The dredged sediment from Toledo Harbor has since been stored in a confined facility, but that facility has a limited capacity of 10 years. Faced with an accumulating amount of dredged sediment, researchers with Bowling Green State University (BGSU) and the Ohio Department of Higher Education's (ODHE) Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative (HABRI) posited the dregs could be repurposed and applied to farm fields that drain into the WLEB to reduce the flow of nutrients that contribute to HABs.

GUNS

Rep. Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland) Tuesday joined leaders of the Cleveland Public Library, Cuyahoga County Office of Violence Prevention and the Academy of Medicine of Cleveland and Northern Ohio to offer free safe gun storage devices at three Cleveland Public Library branches. As part of a yearlong pilot program, gun locks and safes will be given for free at the Lorain, Rice and Glenville locations while supplies last. Those branches will also provide educational materials and host programming to connect residents with violence prevention organizations and services. This follows similar programs in other library systems around Ohio that have succeeded. The success of this effort will be evaluated for potential expansion as well.

HANNAH NEWS RACES TO WATCH

Democrats will be choosing between a Southwest Ohio oncologist new to running for public office and the former House Minority Leader to be their nominee for secretary of state during the Tuesday, May 5 primary. Bryan Hambley, who said his work for a failed 2024 redistricting amendment led him to ultimately run for the office, will face Rep. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington), who is serving her final term in the Ohio House before term limits kick in. Hambley works as an oncologist specializing in leukemia in Cincinnati. He lists getting rid of gerrymandering in the state as his top priority, but also wants to eliminate corporate political action committee money from politics. He says he is running a grassroots campaign, having attended hundreds of events, mostly what he said are house parties in backyards or living rooms. Russo, who has been running since last August and who said she has campaigned in at least 76 counties, said she is running because she understands the job of the secretary of state's office is to be an advocate for voters no matter who they vote for.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Legislation unveiled on Thursday by Rep. Eric Synenberg (D-Beachwood) and other advocates looks to add Ohio to the growing list of states in which a terminally ill patient near the end of their life can call on a medical professional and a lethal mix of prescription drugs to end their life at a time of their choosing through a practice called medical assistance in dying (MAiD). Synenberg told reporters that the bill is about autonomy, compassion, freedom and dignity for Ohioans who wish to make their own end-of-life decisions. The yet unnumbered bill outlines a tightly regulated framework for MAiD similar to what exists in other states that have allowed the practice, said Synenberg. A patient would have to be terminally ill and within six months of their death, as judged by the patient's own and an additional physician.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Ohio State University (OSU) Tuesday released the report on the investigation of the circumstances surrounding the resignation of former President Walter "Ted" Carter Jr. Requested by the university's Board of Trustees immediately following his decision to step down over an "inappropriate relationship" with personal associate and podcaster Krisanthe Vlachos, the investigation confirmed that for almost two years, Carter "misused his position" to seek resources from the university and its partners to "make wide-ranging efforts to assist Vlachos both inside and outside the university." The investigation was conducted jointly by the Office of University Compliance and Integrity and the Department of Internal Audit at the direction of the university's general counsel, OSU said in a statement, noting them to be "independent functions for the university" reporting to the board's Legal, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee.

OSU recently announced Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton, a former Ohio Solicitor General and legal scholar who has served on the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals for 23 years, will become the new Distinguished Professor of Jurisprudence at the university's Moritz College of Law. Sutton's appointment is the first under Ohio State's new Game Changer Scholars initiative, a program to recruit "world-class" faculty in line with the university's Education for Citizenship 2035 strategic plan.

HUMAN SERVICES

Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) Director Kara Wente recently announced a new partnership between DCY and Ohio 211 to expand services to all 88 counties, ensuring every Ohioan can access local community resources no matter where they live. The statewide expansion will be fully implemented by the end of June 2026. Ohio 211 is a free, 24/7 service that connects callers to support for nutritional assistance, housing and shelter, medical services, government programs, transportation, legal assistance, counseling, disaster recovery, and other everyday needs. To receive assistance, folks can dial 888-Ohio-211, text their ZIP Code to 898-211 or click the link found HERE.

JUDICIAL

The Supreme Court of Ohio accepted a case asking: What do you call an entity that, like a public utility, installs and maintains meters and distribution lines; buys, sells, bills and disconnects electricity to submetered tenants; operates a call center; and offers payment plans to certain customers? And the Court ruled unanimously Wednesday that is a public utility, and specifically an "electric light company" subject to full regulation by the state via the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). The Court's ruling in Ohio Power Company v. NEP/PUCO ends a long-running debate dating back more than a decade.

MARIJUANA/HEMP

Two hemp retailers who had sought an injunction against the enforcement of SB56 (Huffman) will be allowed to continue operations using their existing inventories while the court considers broader relief, according to a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued Wednesday by Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey M. Brown. The owners of hemp retailers Happy Harvest, based in Delaware County, and Get Wright Lounge, based in Columbus, had brought suit against several state and local officials on March 30 alleging that SB56 violated the Ohio Constitution on multiple grounds. The TRO issued Wednesday says that while the businesses may continue to conduct business operations with their existing inventories, they shall not execute new contracts for the purchase of new inventory pending a preliminary injunction hearing in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 4, 2026. Additionally, the TRO says the plaintiffs shall not sell, display or advertise any hemp-derived product that is "confusingly similar" to any candy, nor can any inventory use packaging primarily directed to children.

An order signed by President Donald Trump's acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday will reclassify state-licensed medical marijuana as a Schedule III drug under the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from its previous classification as a Schedule I drug. Schedule III drugs are thought to have a moderate potential for addiction and misuse, with examples including anabolic steroids, ketamine, Vicodin, Tylenol with relatively small amounts of codeine, and buprenorphine. As a Schedule I drug, marijuana was prohibited from being prescribed to patients by health care providers for its high risk of abuse and addiction. Other Schedule I drugs include heroin, LSD, and MDMA. Ohio is one of 24 states where marijuana has been legalized for both recreational and medical use. Medical use only of marijuana has been legalized in 16 additional states.

MENTAL HEALTH

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce unveiled Thursday a "Mental Health Toolkit for Employers," designed to help companies of all sizes meet mental health challenges their workers may face. Demetrius Thomas, executive director of the Ohio Chamber Research Foundation, and Dr. Andrew Thomas, chief clinical officer at Ohio State University (OSU) Wexner Medical Center, discussed the toolkit at a press conference. D. Thomas said the state's "mental health crisis" represents a barrier to growth, costing employers money in terms of productivity effects and hurts families. The toolkit is meant to connect businesses and workers to resources, best practices and statewide expertise, and has specific information based on business size and their resulting needs. It is free for all, regardless of Ohio Chamber membership. The toolkit "meets people where they are" and can connect people to immediate support such as the 988 crisis line if needed, he continued. It is available HERE.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Wild turkey season hunting began over the past weekend throughout most of Ohio as hunters age 17 and under checked 1,941 birds in during the state's special youth-only weekend, April 18-19. The 1,941 turkeys checked this year are well above both the 2025 total of 1,625 turkeys taken and the three-year average of 1,681 turkeys taken. The youth-only weekend took place in the state's south zone, comprising 83 of Ohio's 88 counties, excluding Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Trumbull counties, which are in the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' (ODNR) northeast zone. The youth-only turkey hunting season in the northeast zone is scheduled for Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26, 2026.

POLITICS

The Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee has elected Dave Johnson, longtime chairman of the Columbiana County Republican Party, as Ohio's new Republican National Committeeman, the Ohio Republican Party said Monday. Johnson succeeds Jim Dicke, who announced his resignation earlier this year after serving in the role since 2015. The State Central Committee convened to fill the vacancy, selecting Johnson to represent Ohio before the Republican National Committee (RNC). As National Committeeman, Johnson joins Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou and National Committeewoman Sen. Jane Timken (R-Canton) as Ohio's three representatives on the RNC. Together, they will represent the state's interests as Ohio heads into the 2026 midterm elections and the national party prepares for the 2028 presidential cycle.

POLLS/STUDIES

A new Quinnipiac University Polling Institute survey released Wednesday weighed Americans' thoughts on higher education, including the worth of a college degree and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by college students. Among respondents with a college degree, 78 percent said getting their degree was worth it despite the costs, while 20 percent said it was not worth it. Given four possible reasons for their thinking their degree was worth it, 67 percent said it led to more or different career paths or job opportunities as a major reason; 65 percent said the quality of their education was a major reason; 61 percent said earning more money was a major reason, and 44 percent said the quality of their social connections, networking, and personal development was a major reason.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Recent DeWine administration awards to Ohio law enforcement agencies bring Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program funding since 2021 to more than $87 million. Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Andy Wilson announced $3.4 million in grants to 44 jurisdictions in 28 counties for investigative overtime, new technology for crime reduction, targeted patrols in crime-ridden areas and other initiatives.

STUDIES/POLLS

The Buckeye State was fifth in the nation in a recent report by personal finance website WalletHub comparing state and local taxes paid to spending received per state as a measure of their return on investment. That put Ohio first among its neighbors, followed by Indiana, eighth; Michigan, 16th; Pennsylvania, 18th; Kentucky, 24th; and West Virginia, 29th. The four highest states were New Hampshire, Florida, South Dakota and Missouri. The five lowest were New York, North Dakota, Hawaii, California and New Mexico. The overall rank reflected Ohio's coming in ninth nationally and first among neighbors for total taxes paid per capita, with a 25th national ranking for overall government services that was third among neighbors.

In a nod to Earth Day 2026, a recent report from personal finance website WalletHub placed Ohio 31st nationally for "greenest states" and third among its neighbors. Michigan led them at 17th nationally, followed by Pennsylvania, 28th; Indiana, 39th; Kentucky, 47th; and West Virginia, 50th. The five highest states were Vermont, Hawaii, California, New York and Washington. The five lowest were Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, Louisiana and West Virginia. The report ranked states on three subcategories, with Ohio 27th nationally and second among neighbors in climate change contributions; 30th nationally and third among neighbors in environmental quality; and 37th nationally and third among neighbors in eco-friendly behaviors.

A recent report by personal finance site WalletHub ranked Ohio 40th among the "most innovative" states, with the District of Columbia also included and ranked first nationally. Ohio was fourth among its neighbors, with Michigan 18th nationally followed by Pennsylvania, 28th; Indiana, 30th; Kentucky, 44th; and West Virginia, 49th. The top five states were Massachusetts, California, Colorado, Washington and Maryland. The five lowest were Iowa, North Dakota, West Virginia, Louisiana and Mississippi. As part of the report, states were grouped into two subrankings as well. Ohio was 37th nationally and fourth among neighbors in innovation environment; and 40th nationally and fourth among neighbors in human capital.

A recent report by personal finance site WalletHub placed Ohio 36th in the nation and lowest among neighbor states in terms of their dependency on the federal government. Kentucky led the region at second nationally, followed by West Virginia, third; Indiana, eighth; Pennsylvania, 18th; and Michigan, 30th. The top five states were Alaska, Kentucky, West Virginia, Mississippi and Louisiana. The five lowest were Kansas, Utah, Delaware, Massachusetts and New Jersey. States were also ranked on their residents' and governments' dependency on the federal government, with Ohio 44th nationally and lowest among neighbors for residents' dependency and 22nd nationally and second-lowest for government dependency.

TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE

With recent toll collection system upgrades and updates to the technology used by the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission, the commission's headquarters is in need of expansion and major renovations, staff said during Monday's commission meeting. Executive Director Ferzan Ahmed said the commission is celebrating 70 years, and a renovation of its headquarters is among the items that need to be addressed. He said at some point they may have to "make some choices," when it comes to funding, but couched that by saying if it comes down to fixing a road or bridge and the renovation of the headquarters, "the road or bridge wins." The commission also discussed efforts, especially among commercial vehicles, to avoid tolls.

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