Week in Review August 24, 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

According to Stateline, a group of leading anti-abortion organizations sent a letter to newly confirmed U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche urging him to review the U.S. Department of Justice's authority to use a 150-year-old anti-obscenity law, the Comstock Act, to prevent people from obtaining abortion medication or other related materials through the mail. Advancing American Freedom, a conservative advocacy group founded by former Republican Vice President Mike Pence, authored the Aug. 7 letter. The Comstock Act, enacted in 1873, made it illegal to send "obscene material" by mail, which included any "article or thing designed, adapted or intended for producing abortion." The act is considered a "zombie law," meaning it hasn't been repealed, but has not been enforced in many decades. In 2022, during the Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Justice issued legal guidance stating that Comstock did not prohibit the mail of certain abortion drugs when the sender does not intend for the recipient to use them unlawfully.

The Ohio Supreme Court this week unanimously dismissed without issuing an opinion a lawsuit filed by a Trumbull County domestic relations and juvenile court judge seeking to overturn an abortion and reproductive rights amendment adopted by voters in 2023. Judge David Engler had filed a lawsuit challenging the amendment, arguing it stripped him of his judicial-bypass proceedings held when a minor seeks to have an abortion over the objections of her parents. He said the law as it is now being enforced has made judicial-bypass proceedings obsolete.

AGRICULTURE

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODAg) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Monday announced the removal of a significant portion of the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) quarantine area in Clermont County -- marking what they called "encouraging progress in Ohio's effort against the invasive species." The newly-released 6.2-square-mile area includes the southeast portion of Tate Township south of State Route 125. This removal represents the reduction in regulations since the initial quarantine was established in 2011. ALB was first discovered in Tate Township in 2011, and since then, 118,306 infested trees have been removed to prevent the pest's spread.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Attorney General Andy Wilson announced that his office is accepting Teen Ambassador Board applications for the 2026-27 academic year. The board gives public, private, charter and online high school juniors and seniors interested in law and government firsthand experience with the Ohio Attorney General's Office and other elective offices. Teen ambassadors will meet with the attorney general and be advised by one of his AGs during their one-year term. They also will have the opportunity to attend events across Ohio, complete training on important matters and attend presentations on various topics. More information on the 2026 Teen Ambassador Board, including application and recommendation forms, can be found HERE.

FY26-27 BUDGET

Besides providing hundreds of millions of dollars for nursing home payments and reducing property taxes, the final version of budget corrections bill HB479 (Schmidt) includes a number of provisions addressing items such as the post-traumatic stress and debt service reduction funds. In addition to providing a $350 million cash transfer to the new Property Tax Relief Fund, the bill modified the homestead exemption calculation by determining the exemption amount before applying the inflation cap credit created by HB186 (Hoops-D. Thomas). The Legislative Service Commission's (LSC) fiscal note detailed how that will increase tax savings for the eligible homeowners, with an expected total of $44 million.

CHILDREN/FAMILIES

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) announced a partnership Monday with Wonderschool to launch a new family child care recruitment and mentorship program designed to expand access to child care across the state. Through this partnership, Wonderschool will identify communities with limited access to child care and host in-person and virtual recruitment events to attract prospective providers, among other activities.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Family members of those incarcerated in Ohio prisons under the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) gathered Wednesday afternoon on the Statehouse lawn to rally for transparency and accountability within the justice system. The rally was organized by Voices of the Incarcerated. "Today is not a political stunt. It's not about creating headlines ... today is about human lives," said Dakota Mullins, one of the rally's organizers. "Look around you. There's 20 names on these coffins. People who've died while in custody of the state of Ohio. Families who had to bury somebody they loved. Families who are still asking questions."

DATA CENTERS

Technology manufacturer NVIDIA announced Monday it will invest $105 billion toward the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus in Pike County -- part of an arrangement in which NVIDIA will supply equipment; SB Energy will build, own and operate a data center; and artificial intelligence (AI) development company OpenAI will lease the data center for at least 20 years. The U.S. Department of Energy previously announced SB Energy would build a 10 gigawatt (GW) natural gas generation plant for the new data center development. OpenAI said Friday it had entered an agreement to secure approximately 8 GW at the campus and the project will pay its specific infrastructure costs, use water responsibly and create local opportunities. OpenAI added the project is expected to create 2,500 long-term operating jobs and 35,000 construction jobs during the six years of buildout. The company is also investing $40 million in a community grant fund for local priorities, matching an earlier SB Energy contribution of $40 million, and OpenAI will spend $84 million on Codex credits through ChatGPT so all Ohio college students have access to it in the next academic year.

DISABILITIES

While a voter's choice between candidates on the ballot may come down to their stances on any number of political issues, those issues often take on a special significance for voters with disabilities when their ability to live a life of their own choosing depends largely on public policy in various forms. To provide disability voters with more information about not only the candidates on Ohio's November ballot, but also information about the rights that guarantee their own ability to cast a vote, the Ohio Olmstead Task Force (OOTF) led a forum in Columbus on Thursday and invited several statewide candidates to speak directly to the needs of the disability community. John Kulewicz, Democratic candidate for attorney general (AG), and Rep. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington), Democratic candidate for secretary of state (SOS), both appeared at the forum in person. Several candidates submitted video responses to a questionnaire tailored by forum organizers to each office including Auditor of State Keith Faber who is running for AG; State Treasurer Robert Sprague who is running for secretary of state; Secretary of State Frank LaRose who is running for state auditor; Democrat Annette Blackwell who is running for auditor; Democrat Seth Walsh who is running for treasurer; and Democrat Amy Acton who is running for governor. Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy did not appear nor submit a video.

DISASTERS

Gov. Mike DeWine Thursday said he has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to begin conducting damage assessments in Ohio as soon as possible due to the repetitive and ongoing storm impacts. According to the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA), FEMA and SBA typically conduct damage assessments after Ohio EMA has completed its own state assessments. Because ongoing storms have continuously caused increasing damage across Ohio, DeWine said he is requesting that joint preliminary assessment teams from FEMA and SBA begin assessments now. Later Thursday, U.S. Sens. Jon Husted (R-OH) and Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Pickerington) announced that they, too, had sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton and SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler "requesting they begin conducting damage assessments in Ohio as soon as possible due to the repetitive and ongoing storm impacts."

Nearly 400 residents of Crooksville in Perry County were displaced from their homes following the massive string of storms that passed through Ohio and the subsequent flooding caused, and many will never be able to return, DeWine told reporters on Thursday, Aug. 13, when he spoke from the Emergency Operations Center at the Ohio Emergency Management Agency in Columbus. Then heavy rains Wednesday, Aug. 19 exacerbated the flooding, closing I-70 between Columbus and Newark, reflooding areas that had been receding and washing out roads.

EDUCATION

The Center for Education Reform (CER) moved Ohio nine spots forward to ninth best state overall in its annual ranking of state-level charter school laws. CER cited "stronger fidelity to the intent and written word of laws already on the books" as motivating its decision. Oho received an overall grade of B- or 82 percent, achieving 44 out of 67 possible points in CER's scoring rubric.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced $8.8 million to support 17 projects in 14 counties through the Safe Routes to School program. The program helps communities to build and improve infrastructure like sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes and traffic-calming features. Approved projects include right-of-way acquisition, design and construction work from FY27 through FY30, as well as activity like school travel plans, public education and safety campaigns in FY28. According to ODOT, the program has provided nearly $100 million to improve student safety and active transportation.

ELECTIONS 2026

The Erie County Board of Elections could not reach agreement on certifying Erie County Treasurer Caleb Stidham as the new GOP candidate for House District 89, sending the matter to Secretary of State Frank LaRose for resolution. Rep. D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron) withdrew from his re-election campaign shortly before the deadline for replacement candidates to be named, as he is under consideration for a federal appointment. A committee of Republicans from the district decided Monday to select Stidham, who is also county party chair, to replace Swearingen. But at the Erie County board meeting Friday, a motion to certify Stidham failed on a 2-2, party-line vote.

Citing a national mood that appears to favor Democrats going into the November elections, Cook Political Report has shifted its predictions for three of Ohio's congressional races to be less in favor of the Republican incumbent. Cook reported it shifted the races for Ohio's 15th District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Mike Carey (R-Columbus), as well as Ohio's 10th District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Dayton), from "Solid Republican" to "Likely Republican." Cook also shifted its prediction for Ohio's 7th District, currently represented by U.S. Rep. Max Miller, from "Likely Republican" to "Toss Up."

A memo sent this week by the campaign arm of the U.S. Senate Republican caucus warns U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) is vulnerable because of opposition to data centers among Ohio voters. The memo from the National Republican Senate Committee was first reported on Wednesday by Axios, which said that the private memo was sent to top artificial intelligence (AI) companies. It states that polling shows a dead heat between Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown, with Husted pulling ahead when voters "hear Brown's positions and his record," but it added that the "new ingredient (and the new problem) is data centers." "Ohio is one of the leaders in building these AI factories. Brown has made his opposition to them the centerpiece of his campaign against Husted," the memo states. "Brown is using it because it works. More than any other thing in this race, data centers are the anchor hanging around Husted's neck. If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice -- and they will not go near the next one."

Corruption at the Statehouse is a major factor in driving up the costs of everyday living that so many Ohioans are struggling with, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton said at a campaign stop in Columbus on Wednesday, and she will take action via executive order on day one of her administration to start to put an end to the cost of corruption. The three executive orders that Acton said she would issue on the first day of her administration include the following:

• Create an Anti-Corruption Task Force.

• Close the "revolving door" and clean up appointments.

• Expand disclosure and transparency.

Republican attorney general nominee Keith Faber Wednesday released the first policy proposal of his campaign: a plan to create a "health insurance denial resolution program" that the campaign said would help patients resolve wrongly denied health insurance claims and get the benefits they paid for.

Citing a need for consistent rulings from the bench and a stable legal environment, Ohio's major business groups including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, NFIB Ohio, Ohio Business Roundtable, Ohio Farm Bureau and Ohio Manufacturers' Association held a joint press conference Tuesday to announce their endorsements of Justice Dan Hawkins and Colleen O'Donnell in this year's Supreme Court races. Hawkins is running for re-election and faces Democrat and First Appeals Court Judge Marilyn Zayas, while O'Donnell is seeking to unseat Justice Jennifer Brunner, the last statewide Democratic elected official.

With the stated goal of making civic engagement approachable, exciting and accessible, the League of Women Voters of Ohio (LWVO) this week embarked on its "Your Voice, Your Vote, Your Power" tour of nearly 40 college campuses in Ohio to register young people to vote before November's election. For the third straight year, LWVO will visit campuses large and small around the state to register voters, share nonpartisan election information and energize new and first-time voters. The group will travel between campuses in a themed 20-foot Caravel trailer made by Ohio-native Airstream.

The following endorsements were made over the week:

• The Alliance for Retired Americans endorsed Sherrod Brown for U.S. Senate.

• The campaign of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton announced the endorsement of the Upper Ohio Valley Building and Construction Trades Council (UOVBCTC).

ENERGY/UTILITIES

The state's leading electric utility and data center giants Amazon, Meta/Facebook, QTS, SoftBank Energy and Google announced a "first-of-its-kind" program Tuesday that will collectively provide more than $18 million in energy assistance over five years to Ohio consumers and $8.5 million in 2026 alone. Contributions will support AEP Ohio's long-running "Neighbor to Neighbor" program administered by Dollar Energy Fund of Pittsburgh, which partners in utility assistance initiatives with 18 states including Ohio and other members of PJM Interconnection.

ENVIRONMENT

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) and local entities in Northwest Ohio recently announced a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protect Agency (USEPA) to use more than $37 million to support continued restoration and remediation efforts near the federally recognized Area of Concern (AOC) surrounding the Maumee River. The funding will be used to complete two specific projects already underway in the Maumee and Ottawa rivers with most of it for use by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority to dredge approximately 121,000 cubic yards of sediment from a one-mile area along the Lower Maumee River.

The Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA) earlier this month announced it had approved over $19 million in low interest loans for nine projects across the state to improve wastewater and drinking water infrastructure and make water quality improvements.

GAMING/GAMBLING

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) met Wednesday morning, with interim Executive Director Andromeda Morrison offering updates on OCCC's litigation with prediction market company Kalshi and new methods for training agency staff. Regarding the ongoing litigation with Kalshi, Morrison said the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held oral arguments in late July, and she thought the Solicitor General's office did "an excellent job" representing OCCC interests. A decision is expected in the coming months, she added. Separate litigation at the state level is also ongoing, with Morrison telling commissioners she expects to have an update toward the end of September after a preliminary injunction hearing.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

The Council of State Governments (CSG) this week announced two Ohio lawmakers as members of the 2026 class for the Henry Toll Fellowship. Reps. Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) and Christine Cockley (D-Columbus) are among 48 public officials across 32 states and territories selected for the 2026 class. According to CSG, the fellowship recognizes public officials "who have demonstrated exceptional promise and a commitment to collaborative leadership and public services."

House Speaker Rep. Matt Huffman (R-Lima) announced on Wednesday the upcoming first meeting of a study group created by the General Assembly to focus on the placement process for adjudicated delinquent youth in Ohio. The Study Committee to Evaluate the Placement of Delinquent Children in Residential Facilities was created in 135-HB315 (T. Hall) to evaluate children who are alleged to be or have been adjudicated delinquent or are in custody of a public children services agency or private child placing agency in the following ways:

• Evaluate the placement of such children in residential facilities.

• Evaluate the existing system, resources, and services used to support such children.

• Identify gaps in the availability of appropriate residential facilities, resources, and services to serve such children.

• Make recommendations for changes to meet the needs of such children.

HB315 calls for the study group to issue a report of its findings and recommendations to the governor and General Assembly. The group's first meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026 in Statehouse Hearing Room 121.

GOVERNOR

Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel held events in Cleveland and Youngstown Monday to promote Ohio's first-in-the-nation ranking by CNBC, part of a tour set to include other cities in the coming weeks. The events will include regional panel discussions about support for new economic and workforce success. The "Heart of Opportunity" tour saw DeWine and Tressel join Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik and Team NEO CEO and former Sen. Matt Dolan at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, followed by remarks at America Makes in Youngstown -- both on Monday. An event in Toledo was held Wednesday.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) released data Thursday showing 5,874 cases of cyclosporiasis so far since Jan. 1, up from 5,452 in the previous update. August numbers rose from 40 to 74. The count for July continued to rise from 4,042 to 4,332 as past cases were identified, along with other increases of 1,351 to 1,447 for June, and 19 to 21 for Jan. 1 through May 31. Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by a microscopic parasite after consuming food or water that contains it. Diarrhea is one of the usual symptoms.

HIGHER EDUCATION

The University of Toledo (UToledo) officially announced earlier this year the launch of the state's first master's degree program in forensic toxicology. After receiving approval by the UToledo Board of Trustees last September and thereafter from the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the new fully online degree program is set to admit its first cohort of students this upcoming fall semester. UToledo cited the growing demand for qualified forensic toxicologists, noting that crime labs, medical examiners' offices, public health agencies and private forensic laboratories are increasingly seeking candidates with graduate-level credentials.

HUMAN SERVICES

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) announced that Ohio recently received one of 10 awards given for the Predictive Analytics in Child Welfare Demonstration Grant from the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Ohio -- as well as seven other states, the District of Columbia and the Muscogee Creek Nation -- will receive $600,000 to spend through September 2029 to develop, implement and evaluate a statewide predictive analytics initiative to equip the state's children services professionals with data-driven insights that enhance the escalation of cases for higher-level supervision, guide service planning and support effective interventions, according to DCY. ACF uses technology tools like predictive analytics to support the A Home for Every Child initiative with the goal to improve the ratio of foster homes to children in need of care by helping keep families together when it is safe to do so.

A new bill, HB984, introduced by Reps. Justin Pizzulli (R-Franklin Furnace) and Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland) would establish a statewide reimbursement framework for foster care placement, the co-sponsors said Wednesday during a press conference unveiling the legislation. The new framework would create caps on how much foster care providers can charge local counties for care. Under the bill, DCY would be responsible for establishing reimbursement rates through collaboration with county officials and foster care providers.

JUDICIAL

The city of Columbus Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over what it said was a threat to withhold federal anti-terrorism grants if states and local governments did not enact a number of election procedures. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and joined by the city of Nashville as well as Davidson County, TN; Harris County, TX; and El Paso County, TX, claims that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has conditioned the latest round of the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) funds on states' and counties' adopting a series of five mandatory changes to their election procedures involving voting equipment and the means by which voters cast their ballots, post-election audits, ballot reconciliation, voter-roll citizenship checks, and election worker citizenship checks. According to the lawsuit, FEMA will withhold 20 percent of every state's HSGP, or about $200 million nationwide, unless states agree to those and other election conditions, and has suggested the federal agency may cancel the entire HSGP award for a state unless a state complies with the conditions.

Federal appellate judges ruled recently that they lacked jurisdiction to consider police officers' appeal of a trial court decision holding they lacked qualified immunity in a case alleging excessive force. The case stems from events in February 2021, when Mark Lovell was arrested after a night visiting two bars during which he "drank heavily." An officer with the Williamsburg Police Department reported that Lovell was staggering with slurred speech, resisted handcuffing and kicked at the door and divider inside the cruiser, according to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals' recounting of the events.

Just as they were overruling one local official's attempt to block a data center referendum in the village of Ashville, justices of the Ohio Supreme Court were asked to intercede in another municipal battle on the issue. The latest case focuses on a proposed charter amendment in Trenton, a city in Butler County. Five city residents are suing the city council and mayor over their rejection of a petition to put before voters a municipal prohibition on data center construction. Trenton Council held a special meeting in early August to vote on the petition for the proposed charter amendment. While the plaintiffs argue that the petition needed at least 128 valid signatures, or 10 percent of the votes cast in the most recent municipal election, city officials said the petition needed at least 820 signatures, or 10 percent of the people eligible to vote in the most recent election.

Jurisdictions in Central Ohio's "Silicon Heartland" are asking the Ohio Supreme Court to settle a multi-million-dollar revenue fight between a municipality and township starred for Microsoft's latest data center complex in Licking County, expanding Microsoft's capital-area foothold to nearly 1,000 acres alongside Google, Amazon, Meta/Facebook and other Big Data giants. The dispute examines Ohio's byzantine tax laws on "inside" versus "outside" millage, municipal "exclusion" versus municipal annexation, "paper" townships without levies or services, after-voted township levies following exclusion, and the meaning of "and" in tax reparations statute R.C. 709.19 (B) governing annexation and exclusion of township land.

Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy cited a litany of vulgar remarks to prosecutors, probation officers and court staff and "glaring conflict[s] of interest" in Wednesday's 5-2 decision removing Republican Judge Jon Ickes from the Sandusky County Common Pleas Court and suspending him from the Ohio bar for two years without stay. Appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine in July 2020 and elected to a full six-year term that year, Ickes encouraged an unprofessional work environment in the Sandusky County court, engaged in repeated sexual innuendo to court officers, and failed to recuse himself from two cases in which his police detective son testified, Ohio Disciplinary Counsel Joseph Caligiuri stated in a 17-count complaint filed against the judge in January 2025. Leading the majority opinion, Kennedy said the record shows Ickes uttered numerous and regular vulgarities. Some, including references to the child rape of an 18-month-old, went beyond the pale.

MARIJUANA/HEMP

Hemp and marijuana businesses are sparring in Butler County Common Pleas Court over accusations the former are undermining the latter's "regulated legal" market. While marijuana companies assert "deliberate and coordinated" misconduct by the hemp industry, a new filling in the case from a hemp business includes private investigatory records that allege widespread flouting of THC limits at marijuana dispensaries. State regulators say the limits established in administrative rule are higher than those cited in the report, but hemp businesses retort that those higher limits weren't yet in effect when investigators visited dispensaries. Meanwhile, a hemp business owner involved in multiple lawsuits over new state laws thinks federal changes are imminent.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Visitors to Mosquito Lake State Park will now have even more opportunities year-round to learn about the area's natural environment and recreational opportunities after the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) joined local groups in cutting the ribbon on the park's new nature center. The new nature center features one building housing exhibits and displays on local wildlife, and a second building offers space for classes, programs and other community events.

Nine people have been killed in boating accidents in Ohio so far this year, according to a report provided to the Ohio Waterways Safety Council during its quarterly meeting Wednesday. The council, a citizen advisory group that provides input on boating issues for the ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft, received an update during its virtual meeting from the division's Pat Brown, who told the council that the nine fatalities occurred in eight separate incidents. He also noted that there are two cases that ODNR is currently investigating that will likely add to those fatality numbers -- including an incident near Conneaut and one on the Great Miami River. He said many of the accidents noted in the report involved a boat capsizing or an individual falling overboard; in many cases individuals were not wearing a life vest. He said the trend that sticks out most is that the watercraft capsized, and that included all types of watercraft, not just paddleboats.

PENSIONS

The State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) Board of Trustees re-elected its chair and vice chair Tuesday and heard Executive Director Steve Toole issue a general call to tone down rhetoric and avoid misinformation. Board Chair Michael Harkness was re-elected to his post, as was Vice Chair Pat Davidson. Ohio lawmakers included in the most recent biennial budget an overhaul of the STRS board structure that would, among other changes, prohibit system beneficiaries from serving as chair or vice chair, but it is tied up in court. Both Harkness, a teacher from Akron, and Davidson, a teacher from Berea, would be barred if that provision of HB96 (Stewart) takes effect.

PEOPLE

Les Wexner, 88, has stepped down as chairman of the Wexner Medical Center Board, according to Ohio State University, but will maintain a role on the board as chair emeritus. According to information provided by the university, Robert H. Schottenstein will now serve as chair.

The Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) announced Wednesday that Sean McGlone, senior vice president and general counsel at OHA, will become the organization's next president and chief executive officer effective Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. He will succeed Mike Abrams, who joined OHA as president and CEO in February 2012. Abrams announced his retirement earlier this year.

The Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance announced it has named Jenn Bushby as director of the Hospitality Institute of Ohio, aka Hospitality Ohio, a workforce development foundation meant to strengthen Ohio's hospitality talent pipeline. In addition, Sonya Delaney was promoted to senior manager of workforce programs and operations for the institute.

POLITICS

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) recently released a ranking of legislators' votes on nine "key" bills, rating votes by all legislators on four bills, Senate votes on two bills and House votes on three bills. Eighty legislators -- 22 Republican senators and 58 Republican representatives -- received a perfect 100 percent. The four bill votes all legislators were reviewed for included HB15 (Klopfenstein) on energy reform, SB33 (Wilson-Lang) regarding labor law notices posted online, HB105 (Craig-J. Thomas) on third-party litigation companies and SB50 (Schaffer), which would've expanded youth working hours but was vetoed by Gov. Mike DeWine. The NFIB supported each of those bills.

POLLS/STUDIES

In light of its recent poll showing most Ohio voters believe all Americans should have access to affordable cancer screening and treatment regardless of health insurance type, the American Cancer Society (ACS) Cancer Action Network (CAN) released a statement urging Ohio lawmakers to increase tobacco prevention and cessation funding. ACS CAN's polling indicated 83 percent of Ohio voters feel cancer screening and treatment should be accessible and affordable for all Americans, with 91 percent reporting they believe health care policies should aid in the process of getting care. The full polling memo can be viewed HERE.

STATE GOVERNMENT

The Controlling Board's meeting Monday included the addition of an Ohio Secretary of State (SOS) request for $388,002 from the board's emergency fund to publicize information on Issue 3 and arguments for and against it in newspapers, as required by the Ohio Constitution. SOS Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Leslie Piatt said the late addition was a result of the Ohio Ballot Board's approving Issue 3 language after the submission deadline for Monday's Controlling Board meeting and that they can't wait until the scheduled Sept. 14 Controlling Board meeting given mandated deadlines.

The Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS) recently released its annual report for FY26. The report highlights trends and achievements across six areas: Office of Information Technology (OIT); human capital and planning; General Services Division (GSD); first responder communications initiatives; Office of Data and Efficiency (ODE); and agency operations. The report also reviews FY26 expenditures, which totaled $800.8 million. General Revenue Fund (GRF) dollars only account for about 5 percent of that total, the report notes. OIT accounted for the bulk of spending, at more than $500 million, followed by the General Services Division at $162 million. Debt service accounts for $63 million of agency spending.

The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) met Thursday, hearing a report from OFCC Executive Director Joy Bledsoe on activity during July including preparations for the Ohio State Fair. Bledsoe said the agency was "very busy" in July, approving 39 contracts that represent over $68 million in support of state and local construction projects. That brings the OFCC total to 285 active projects around the state and more than $5 billion in economic activity. The OFCC was also briefed on how there were four ribbon cuttings in July in conjunction with the Ohio State Fair, including the Children's Carousel, Agriculture Center, renovated Dairy Building and Showcase Building.

TECHNOLOGY/AEROSPACE

Federal appellate judges decided this week to keep in place a court ruling that blocked Ohio's social media age restrictions for youth while further legal battles play out. In 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Algenon Marbley ruled that a provision of 135-HB33 (Edwards) requiring consent of a parent before a child under age 16 uses social media is unconstitutional. But earlier this summer, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the state and against NetChoice, a trade group for the technology sector. However, the Sixth Circuit decided Monday to grant NetChoice's motion for a stay in the case. Under the latest court order, the lower court ruling that blocks the social media law will remain in place to allow time for NetChoice to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case, and for the Supreme Court to issue a decision.

TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), citing changes in the biennial budget, will no longer accept a form long-used by transgender Ohioans to update the gender marker on their driver's licenses or state identification (ID) cards. The BMV said it now will only accept a birth certificate in order to change the gender marker, instead of a form that had been previously allowed, citing changes in biennial budget HB96 (Stewart) that the BMV says makes Form 2369 no longer compatible with Ohio law. HB96 established state policy under Ohio Revised Code 9.05, "recognizing only two sexes, male and female, which are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality."

The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission Monday received an update from staff about its long-term asset management plan that will help determine how the commission will maintain and rebuild its pavement, bridges, and other buildings along the toll road for the next decade. Executive Director Ferzan Ahmed during his report outlined plans to build new maintenance buildings along the turnpike following a 2024 vote of the commission directing staff to work with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission on specifications and planning for the facilities. Ahmed noted that the eight maintenance facilities are more than 70 years old and no longer suited for the modern equipment and turnpike fleet.

Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced $21 million in grants that will go to support 17 bicycle and pedestrian safety projects in 16 counties. The grants are being awarded through the state's Transportation Alternatives Program, which provides funding for projects defined as transportation alternatives, including on- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities; infrastructure projects for improving non-driver access to public transportation and enhanced mobility; community improvement activities; and environmental mitigation; recreational trail program projects; and safe routes to school projects. A list of projects receiving grant money can be found HERE.

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