Week in Review August 3, 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.

AGING

The United States' population is aging rapidly. And as with other long-term shifts in social and economic conditions, the transition to an older population is already affecting state revenue and expenditures. Understanding and preparing for these ongoing changes will be critical to states' future fiscal sustainability, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts in a recent policy paper.

AGRICULTURE

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODAg) recently announced that 240 acres on two farms have been permanently preserved for agricultural use through the state's Farmland Preservation Program (FPP) during the second quarter of 2026.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Gaps in public records and a lack of standardized criminal reporting practices limit the state's abilities to glean a full and accurate picture of sex buyers in Ohio, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said Thursday morning during the seventh annual Human Trafficking Summit at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Columbus. "We can do such a better job at gathering and sharing information," he continued.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/URBAN REVITALIZATION

The Ohio Department of Development (DOD) announced Friday the 37th application round is now open for the Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program, assisting property owners and developers in turning underutilized historic buildings into "thriving community assets." That encourages reinvestment in the overall communities while preserving the state's heritage, DOD added. Applicants must have requested a pre-application meeting with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) by 5 p.m. on Friday, July 31, in addition to submitting an Intent to Apply document available HERE by 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 14. The deadline to hold the pre-application meetings is also Aug. 14 at 5 p.m.

Gov. Mike DeWine's administration announced Monday the approval of assistance for five projects expected to create 1,429 new jobs and retain 1,561 jobs statewide. During its monthly meeting, the Ohio Tax Credit Authority (TCA) reviewed economic development proposals brought by JobsOhio and its regional partners. The projects are expected to collectively result in more than $93 million in new payroll and spur more than $239 million in investments across Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Development (DOD) recently announced its selection of four new Tier 1 Minority Business Assistance Centers (MBACs) to help entrepreneurs around the state with business development and expert guidance to build toward long-term success. The new centers are focused on the Appalachia, Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton regions of Ohio. They include the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks, Cincinnati Hispanic Chamber of Commerce USA, Elevate Northland in the Columbus region and the Economic and Community Development Institute in the Dayton region. They will be serving as MBACs through June 30, 2027, and bring the total number of Tier 1 and Tier 2 MBACs to 15.

EDUCATION

The State Board of Education (SBOE) Tuesday announced four finalists out of the preliminary cohort of 11 District "Teachers of the Year" set to be considered for the 2027 Ohio "Teacher of the Year" award: District 1 - Kasey Church, who teaches special education students in grades 6-12 at Napoleon Junior/Senior High School; District 3 - Sarah Walters, a literacy instructional support specialist in Troy City Schools; District 6 - Taya Kidd, who teaches second grade students at French Run Elementary in Reynoldsburg City Schools; and District 11 - Angela Bowman, an intervention specialist with Cleveland Metropolitan Schools.

ELECTIONS 2026

Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor and former Ohio Department of Health director, announced Monday her support for a "conditional moratorium" on data centers based on their ability to meet benchmarks related to costs, union labor, transparency, environmental standards, community benefit agreements and development.

The gubernatorial campaign of Amy Acton announced the release of its first ad, "Tent." The 30-second ad highlights her childhood experiences of abuse, homelessness and neglect and how she struggled to put herself through college and medical school. It concludes, "As governor, I'll take on the corruption that's raising our costs and fight for an Ohio where your hard work pays off and you always come first." The ad can be seen HERE.

Cliff Winkel, a member of North Ridgeville City Council, will be Republicans' candidate for House District 52 after Sen. Nathan Manning's (R-North Ridgeville) withdrawal from the race to take a judicial appointment. Lorain County Republican Party Central Committee members voted Tuesday night to choose Winkel. Gregory Fanning, a former candidate for Elyria Municipal Court clerk, also competed for the nomination.

President Donald Trump and the war with Iran are increasingly unpopular with voters, a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found. In addition, a plurality of respondents said they would prefer Democrats to control the U.S. House. The poll includes results from 963 self-identified registered voters surveyed from July 23-27 and has a margin of error of 4.1 percent.

ENERGY/UTILITIES

Gov. Mike DeWine is among the 23 governors announced this week by the Trump administration who signed on to the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, an agreement between states, utilities and "hyperscalers," or very large electricity users, that the White House called "a public commitment that hyperscalers, AI companies, and the utilities and data center developers behind them will build, bring or buy every kilowatt their facilities need -- and cover every dollar of the infrastructure that delivers it."

FEDERAL

U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) is among the many voices in Washington from across the political spectrum calling to shore up Social Security as recent federal forecasts project tens of millions of Americans could see smaller monthly Social Security checks within the next decade if Congress doesn't take action. The Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees published projections earlier this summer estimating that numerous federal programs will be forced to pay reduced benefits in the 2030s due to what they call significant financing issues.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

The City Club of Cleveland held an outdoor forum Wednesday addressing how Ohio's state government, particularly the Legislature, operates and what the general public can do to be engaged in and aware of that process. The forum included Rachel Coyle, founder of State Action Initiative, LLC and co-founder of How Things Work at the Statehouse; Greg Lawson, research fellow at the Buckeye Institute; Marty McGann, founder and principal at McGann Partners; and Gina Wilt, advocacy director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO). It was moderated by Cynthia Connolly, senior director of programming at the City Club of Cleveland.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

County agency errors constituted the bulk of issues contributing to Ohio's payment error rate for food benefits in the spring, according to new reporting required under a recent budget corrections bill. However, the review of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cases is not identical to the process used by the federal government to officially calculate Ohio's error rate, and the report so far encompasses only one month's worth of data. The first round of reporting, based on a review of SNAP cases from March, produced an error rate estimate of 6.87 percent, close to the 6.76 percent rate the federal government recently reported for Ohio for FFY25. Under HB434 (Willis), a budget corrections measure enacted in November, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is required to find a way to determine county-level error rates and distinguish among those caused by agencies, by SNAP beneficiaries or by Ohio Benefits, the IT system used to administer SNAP and other assistance programs. The information is to be included in quarterly reports on public assistance programs already required by law.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has nearly grown to rival social media as a source where U.S. adults turn for advice on health issues, according to the results of a recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). According to the KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust, 29 percent of U.S. adults say they now use AI tools or chatbots for health information at least monthly. That figure has grown from 17 percent of adults who reported the same two years ago.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) announced that a wide variety of no-cost health services will be offered to residents of Athens County and all Ohioans during the 2026 GuardCare weekend on Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 1-2 at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Heritage Hall, 191 W. Union St. in Athens. The services are made possible through a partnership between ODH, the Ohio National Guard, the Athens City-County Health Department, and local community partners.

Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff Thursday reported the state's third measles outbreak of 2026. The outbreak, which is defined by three or more related cases, includes four infected individuals: three in Ashtabula County and one in Tuscarawas County. All four individuals were unvaccinated, and the age range is from 4 to 30 years, according to ODH.

HIGHER EDUCATION

An Ohio State University (OSU) fraternity recently lost its registered student organization status after an incident that left a student hospitalized this past March. According to university spokesperson Chris Booker, OSU revoked the status of the Alpha Nu chapter of Pi Kappa Phi last Thursday, July 23. The status will remain revoked for a 10-year period, ending in July 2036. The fraternity has five business days to appeal the decision. The action follows a student conduct investigation which found students violated OSU standards in areas including hazing, endangering behavior and alcohol. In accordance with federal and state requirements, the matter has been reported to the appropriate authorities, Booker said in an emailed statement to Hannah News.

The University of Cincinnati (UC) recently announced Dr. David Gius as the new director of the UC Cancer Center. Gius officially stepped into his new role at the beginning of July, relieving Dr. Syed Ahmad from his position as interim director. Gius joins UC from Mays Cancer Center, home to the University of Texas Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, after what UC called a "highly competitive" national search. He brings his lab, two National Institutes of Health R01 grants and two active clinical trials for women with high-risk breast cancer, adding significant research momentum to a cancer center headed toward National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) recently announced a $4.1 million award to the new civics education institute at Ohio State University. The Salmon P. Chase Center, one of several higher education centers established by Republican lawmakers at state institutions in state budget bill 135-HB33 (Edwards), received the money to create endowed chairs and professorships. The NEH funding round also included support for projects at the State Library of Ohio and Oberlin College.

The Bernard Osher Foundation recently donated $2.1 million for the Osher Center for Integrative Health (OCIH) at the University of Cincinnati (UC).

A filmmaker this week filed a federal First Amendment lawsuit against an Ohio State University professor captured on video tackling him to the ground, as well as another professor who witnessed the incident. Jonathan Newman in February of this year was trying to question former university President Gordon Gee, alongside D.J. Byrnes, the Ohio politics blogger known as The Rooster. Byrnes captured video of OSU assistant professor Luke Perez taking Newman to the ground as he tried to step around Perez to talk to Gee. Christopher Green, another professor at OSU's Chase Center, was present for the incident. "When Mr. Newman attempted to continue filming and questioning Gee, defendant Perez stepped into Newman's path, knocked him and his camera equipment to the ground, and struck him in the face while he was attempting to get up from the ground. Defendant Green subsequently alerted law enforcement, falsely blamed Newman for provoking Perez's physical attack, and had Newman banned from a public OSU building," states Newman's complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS

Both home sales and median prices increased in June compared to activity a year earlier, according to Ohio Realtors. The home sales total of 13,078 in June represented a 5.6 percent increase in sales from June 2025. The median sales price of $285,000 represented an increase of 3.6 percent from the $275,000 median price a year earlier. Active listings in June reached 37,492, a 1.9 percent increase from the 36,787 listings seen a year earlier.

IMMIGRATION

The U.S. Supreme Court decision paving the way for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to potentially revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants will result in a "mistake," Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday following the grand opening ceremony of the 2026 Ohio State Fair. The Supreme Court ruled last month in favor of the Trump administration's appeal of a federal court ruling that had at least temporarily prevented DHS from revoking the TPS enabling Haitians in cities like Springfield to remain in the U.S. because of poor conditions in their home country. According to DHS, the Haiti TPS designation termination became effective this past Monday. But DeWine, speaking with reporters, said that "federal officials are now telling us that they do not have any plans. They've received no instructions to have any kind of raids in Springfield."

JUDICIAL

The Ohio State Bar Association (Ohio Bar), Ohio State Bar Foundation (OSBF), Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit College of Law (ONU Law) and the University of Toledo College of Law (Toledo Law) will launch this fall "Lawyers = Justice: A Northwest Ohio Legal Collaborative," an initiative designed to bring more legal help directly to rural communities and build a stronger pipeline of attorneys committed to serving them.

The Ohio Supreme Court announced it recently recognized 38 court professionals who earned the Certified Court Manager credential, in partnership with the National Center for State Courts. Professionals from municipal, common pleas, juvenile, probate and appellate courts in roles ranging from administrators to clerks to magistrates to probation officers and program coordinators were among those recognized.

LIQUOR/ALCOHOL

A Newark homebrewing enthusiast who wanted to try his hand at making whiskey recently asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up his case challenging a federal law against home distilling. The Buckeye Institute has been supporting him in the case. John Ream, a former aerospace engineer who also opened a brewpub, planned only to use the liquor for his and his wife's personal consumption and to pay the federal tax on distilled spirits, according to his petition to the Supreme Court.

LOBBYISTS/ASSOCIATIONS

McKinley Strategies announced Wednesday that Brett Vike has been named manager of government affairs. Vike joins the firm after building his career working at the Ohio Statehouse, serving as staff in both the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber recently declared the city of Marion was in a state of fiscal emergency due to a budget deficit of around $2.4 million, with the announcement coming nearly eight months after he placed Marion on fiscal caution in November 2025.

Local governments across Ohio's 32-county Appalachian region can now apply for the Appalachian Regional Commission's (ARC) 2026 READY Local Governments training and grant program, the Ohio Department of Development (DOD) announced earlier this month. The nine-week virtual course helps community leaders build the skills needed to identify, secure and manage federal grants that support local economic development projects. A READY Local Governments program overview can be found HERE.

The Ohio Supreme Court recently held oral arguments in the latest test case of home rule powers, Columbus v. State. In Columbus, the state capital and 20 other cities including Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo claim the General Assembly's general law in 135-HB33 (Edwards) enacting exclusive "statewide regulation" of tobacco and "alternative nicotine products" contravenes Columbus' asserted right to proscribe flavored e-cigarettes or "vapes."

Ashville residents opposed to development of an EdgeConneX data center are asking the Ohio Supreme Court to overturn city officials' decision to reject a referendum on a municipal ordinance related to the project. The case involves residents represented by a man who's also campaigning to ban large centers outright via constitutional amendment and has drawn the support from former Attorney General Marc Dann as well.

MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM

Ohio Medicaid leadership talked with advocates Tuesday about DeWine administration priorities related to child and family wellness and how they can help to keep them going under a new gubernatorial administration amid federal budget pressures. Groundwork Ohio hosted a virtual presentation from Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) Director Scott Partika and Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives Bridget Harrison on the outcomes of programs related to maternal and infant care, home visiting, multi-system youth and quality improvement.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES (NCSL)

Personal relationships, focusing on policy not personality, acknowledging disagreement, and realizing the perspectives the other person brings to the debate are among the ways a panel of governors and legislative leaders said policymakers can turn a disagreement over issues into something that is productive. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima), and Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-PA) opened the 2026 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) annual meeting in Chicago Monday in a bipartisan discussion on how to lead through polarized times. The panel was moderated by Susan Urahn, the president and CEO of the Pew Charitable Trusts.

LinkedIn’s Sharat Raghavan, Connecticut Sen. James Maroney and Utah Rep. Doug Fiefia all agreed that artificial intelligence (AI) has not proven to be quite the job disrupter that was feared two years ago at a similar session at the 2024 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit: Raghavan pointed out that ChatGPT first surfaced four years ago and questions are still being asked about how to incorporate it into the workforce, while Maroney described questions around AI as not about job losses but job changing. Their comments came Monday during the NCSL session on “AI and the Future of Work” in Chicago.

As states across the nation grapple with how to address child care challenges ranging from affordability and access limitations to workforce shortages and low wages, a panel of legislative leaders gathered Monday afternoon in Chicago to discuss a new report released by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) presenting policy recommendations to help states tackle the multifaceted issue. Moderated by Jenna Bannon, NCSL associate director of the Children and Families Program, the panel brought together Maryland State Del. Aletheia McCaskill; North Carolina Sen. Jim Burgin; Linda Smith, executive director of the Child Care Trust; New Mexico Sen. Linda Trujillo; and South Dakota Sen. Tim Reed for a conversation focused on the report, “Child Care at a Crossroads: A State Legislative Framework for Strengthening Child Care Systems.”

Sara Slane repeatedly found herself on the defensive Monday morning as lawmakers and fellow panelists challenged her argument that prediction markets such as Kalshi are fundamentally different from gambling. The discussion at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) annual summit often shifted to a debate, with panelists interrupting one another, shaking their heads and openly disputing each other’s characterizations of the rapidly growing industry. Slane, who serves as head of corporate development at Kalshi and secretary of the Coalition for Prediction Markets, was the only panelist representing the industry. Sitting alongside her were two outspoken critics: Michael Hoenig, the vice president and associate general counsel for gaming for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in California, and former Trump administration official Mick Mulvaney, who now leads an advocacy group called the Gambling Is Not Investing Coalition.

With energy demand increasing, one answer may lie within local communities, and one Ohio state representative said the interest in the private sector is there. Rep. Sharon Ray (R-Wadsworth) joined a panel at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) annual meeting in Chicago to talk about distributed energy resources (DERS) and her legislation that would create a community energy pilot program.

Lawmakers should consider focusing more on prevention of problem gambling behaviors and include support for research and monitoring in their sports gambling laws, panelists at a National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit session said. The session, “Beating the Odds of Sports Betting Addiction,” featured a discussion among Rachel Volberg, research professor of epidemiology who specializes in gambling issues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst; Anthony D’Angelo, head of responsible gaming for Fanatics; and David Sasaki of the American Institute for Boys and Men.

As energy demand booms in part due to data center growth and increasing electrification, one expert told an audience at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) annual meeting that there is a risk that the causes of increased energy costs will be misdiagnosed and lead to shortsighted response strategies. Ryan Wiser, a senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, spoke on a panel addressing the balancing act of energy demand and affordability, saying that while there is plenty of discussion about an affordability crisis when it comes to energy, the data tells a more nuanced story with “significant regional differences.”

A map used for redistricting is only as good as the process behind it and the data that informs that process, according to a panel on redistricting Monday at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit in Chicago. The demographic and geographic data that inform states’ legislative and congressional maps begin with decennial census data from the U.S. Census Bureau (USCB), but that data is by no means counted just once every 10 years.

What is it like to wield the gavel of a state’s House of Representatives? It’s a lonely position that can be misunderstood by the public and fellow members, but it can be energizing when you see how policy can impact people’s lives. That is among the insights four chamber leaders from around the country shared during a panel at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), which featured Oregon Speaker Julie Fahey, Utah Speaker Mike Schultz, Delaware Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, and Kentucky Speaker David Osborne.

House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) won a leadership post with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) that puts him on track to serve as the organization's president two years from now. NCSL announced Wednesday during the 2026 Legislative Summit in Chicago that Huffman was elected vice president. He will serve one year in that post, move up to president-elect, and then assume the presidency at the 2028 summit. Meanwhile, Rep. Marilyn John (R-Shelby) announced that she was appointed to serve on the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is made up of 63 members, including 41 legislators, 21 legislative staff members, and one nonvoting ex officio member representing international affiliates. The committee oversees NCSL by providing strategic direction and guiding policies and finances.

Federal policy changes, economic trends and geopolitical challenges are clouding states’ budget outlooks, but their healthy reserves and history of strong management practices could still make for a forecast of partly sunny. “I’ve always wanted to be a meteorologist,” joked Savannah Gilmore of credit rating agency S&P Global, who presented at a session titled “State Budget Forecast: Cloudy Days Ahead” during the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit.

Former U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Butigieg told state legislative Democrats that the question that haunts him when President Donald Trump leaves office is “then what?” Speaking at a luncheon for Democratic legislators at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) annual meeting on Wednesday, Buttigieg spoke on topics ranging from speaking in spaces that may be more hostile towards Democratic ideas to what the next president may face. He told lawmakers that after Trump leaves office, there will be a “muscle memory” among Democrats to go back to the old system while calling that a mistake.

The future of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and their effect on public transit was discussed by speakers at a National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) panel Tuesday, with views from industry, labor and an academic expert. Panelists included Joseph Schwieterman, director of the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University in Chicago; Brian McGuigan, head of public policy campaigns at Waymo; and Andrew Gena, director of strategic research at the Amalgamated Transit Union. The panel was moderated by Ben Nasta, a senior legislative director overseeing NCSL’s Transportation Committee.

Amtrak had historic ridership in 2024 and 2025, and thanks to a recent program through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), more states are looking to add new routes and services, a representative of the passenger rail service said this week. Rob Eaton, a senior director of government affairs for Amtrak, spoke on the increased popularity of the service during a panel at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) annual meeting that examined some successes in expanding and reviving passenger rail around the country, highlighting recent growth and potential new corridors under study.

Some of the conference rooms hosting panels at the 2026 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit are more popular among attendees than others. As there are approximately 4,000 data centers and questions and concerns about them proliferate around nearly every state, Monday’s panel entitled “Data Center Debate: Hype or Real Deal?” was nearly standing room only.

Secretaries of state and legislators from both sides of the aisle weighed in at a National Conference of State Legislatures (NCLS) summit panel on two topics that have dominated elections administration discussions this year – when and how to verify voters’ citizenship status, and whether states should count absentee ballots that arrive after polls close. NCSL’s Katy Owens Hubler, director of elections and redistricting, moderated the discussion among Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan, Mississippi Sen. Jeremy England and Virginia Sen. Aaron Rouse.

An Ontario, Canada lawmaker drew applause Tuesday after bluntly challenging the Trump administration’s claims about tariffs and warning that the United States’ relationship with Canada could take years to repair. “I’m sure that there’s going to be some Americans in here who think I’m a jerk for this,” Member of Provincial Parliament Dave Smith said during a panel at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) conference in Chicago. “The narrative that your president is putting out is that there is no financial impact on the residents of the United States,” Smith said. “Your data 100 percent disproves what he is saying.”

States continue to address housing issues in 2026 as the nation faces a shortage of 4 million housing units, with no state having a sufficient supply of rental or owner-occupied housing. A panel at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) addressed how states are looking to close the housing gap, with NCSL policy specialist Cameron Rifkin opening the session with an overview of state policies.

Anybody who claims to know what effect the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) may have, even within the next 10 years, is crazy, according to British-Canadian computer scientist and psychologist Geoffrey Hinton -- “the godfather of AI” -- at the NCSL Legislative Summit. While AI advances potentially carry the risk of massive job losses, even within the next few years, leading governments to lose their tax base with the loss of workers, Hinton said AI could even bring fake videos that could influence elections, an increase in mass surveillance or deadly viruses manufactured more easily.

Few issues transcend state, federal and even partisan boundaries like military and veteran support, and one of Ohio’s legislative main leaders in the arena joined legislators from other states on Monday to discuss the ways states are stepping up to support those who served. Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville), who chairs the House Veterans and Military Development Committee, discussed Ohio’s initiatives with Maryland State Delegate Mike Rogers, Washington House Deputy Minority Whip Mari Leavitt and South Dakota State Sen. Larry Zikmund.

Pet policies are quickly evolving in legislatures across the country, but a panel of dog experts at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) annual meeting warned against creating one-size fits all policies and following emotions rather than the data. Described as “quite possibly the cutest session,” with members of the four-legged community in attendance, Jennifer Clark of the American Kennel Club (AKC) and Jerry Klein, head emeritus of emergency veterinary medicine at MedVet Chicago, discussed various policies involving dogs across the country, from abuse to vicious dogs.

State lawmakers and broadband officers came together Tuesday afternoon for a National Conference of State Legislatures (NCLS) session focused on the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, a $42.5 billion federal grant initiative aiming to boost high-speed connectivity and support the construction of reliable Internet infrastructure across the country. Moderated by Washington Rep. Cindy Ryu, the panel featured comments from Wisconsin Rep. Rob Summerfield, Colorado Broadband Office Executive Director Brandy Reitter and Veneeth Iyengar, executive director of ConnectLA, Louisianna’s Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity.

The good news when it comes to addressing transportation infrastructure is that states are putting in more funding and searching for new ways to address their deferred maintenance backlogs. The bad news is that the costs are rising and the investment gap is widening. A panel at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) annual meeting examined where the nation is on supporting transportation asset management and sustainable transportation investment.

More than 60 bills seeking to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) companions have emerged across the country in less than two years, a legislative sprint driven partly by a fear that states waited too long to confront the harms associated with social media. Now Michigan lawmakers are trying to determine how far the state can go to protect minors from chatbots that imitate friendship, emotional support or intimacy — and how companies can reliably know when the person on the other end of the conversation is a child. Austin Jenkins, a technology policy reporter with Pluribus who moderated a panel on child safety and artificial intelligence at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ annual summit, said he wrote his first story about efforts to regulate AI companions in January 2025, before any state had introduced such legislation.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Two Columbus men have each entered 20 guilty pleas in a Franklin County court related to instances of poaching in Columbus metro parks following an investigation by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

As part of Gov. Mike DeWine's H2Ohio initiative, Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz announced Tuesday nearly $87,000 in grant funding will be awarded to 12 liveries across the state of Ohio to support river clean ups. The funds will be awarded through the H2Ohio Healthy Rivers Livery Grant, which provides up to $10,000 to a livery for cleanup supplies, special waste disposal, and event promotion. The program supports livery owners in removing trash from rivers and addressing long-standing cleanup needs.

OHIO STATE FAIR

Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) Public Affairs Unit Lt. Brice Nihiser and Ohio State Fair Deputy Director of Operations and Experience Alicia Shoults briefed reporters Tuesday on public safety protocols for the fair, particularly a new rule to ensure groups don't impede foot traffic amid issues of "teen takeovers" involving groups of young people at community events.

Spirits were high Wednesday morning as state officials, agency leaders and members of the Ohio Expositions Commission (OEC) joined Gov. Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine for the official ribbon cutting ceremony opening the 171st Ohio State Fair. "Well, my fellow Ohioans, welcome to the new Ohio State Fair," DeWine said as he took the podium. "This was truly an all Ohio all-team effort." His remarks praised the dedication of a number of people who all contributed to the process of envisioning a new State Fair experience, which now features several new attractions for Ohioans to visit.

As part of the 250th anniversary celebration of the founding of the United States, and for the first time in Ohio history, the locations of approximately 4,000 graves of the state's first military veterans have been documented by the Ohio History Connection (OHC), which recently released the final result of its year-long project to seek out, document and clean the gravesites of Revolutionary War veterans within Ohio.

PENSIONS

The state and educator unions will argue their cases in September in the dispute over a now-frozen governance overhaul at the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS). Judge Carl Aveni of Franklin County Common Pleas Court has scheduled a trial in the case to begin 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22 in Courtroom 6A.

PUBLIC SAFETY

The Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO), in partnership with the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), unveiled a new rollover simulator designed to educate Ohioans about the importance of safety belt use at the 2026 Ohio State Fair in Columbus, running now through Sunday, Aug. 9. According to OTSO, The rollover simulator is an educational tool that replicates the motion and impact forces experienced during a low-speed rollover crash. By safely demonstrating how occupants move inside a vehicle during a rollover, the simulator provides a powerful, real-time look at how safety belts prevent serious injuries and save lives."

STATE GOVERNMENT

The Controlling Board's meeting Monday included discussion of Next Generation 911 funds, an Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) land purchase and settlement agreement, an Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) contract request and multiple higher education funding items. The board approved all but one item on the agenda without objection, excluding an Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction request that had previously been deferred.

TECHNOLOGY/AEROSPACE

The Ohio Innovation and Technology Association (OITA) held a summit Thursday on artificial intelligence (AI) and innovation topics, with speakers including Sens. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin) and Brian Chavez (R-Marietta). Reineke spoke one-on-one with OITA President Bobby Kovey, who noted Reineke is likely the next Senate president. Regarding technology, Reineke commented that national security is an element to data center issues and spoke to how Ohio's improved its workforce development programs.

A lawmaker and state agency leaders discussed their approaches to putting artificial intelligence (AI) into practice while guarding against its risks Thursday during the Ohio Information Technology Association's annual AI & Innovation Summit at Ohio State University. Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission Executive Director Ferzan Ahmed moderated the panel discussion among Rep. Heidi Workman (R-Rootstown), vice chair of the House Technology and Innovation Committee and sponsor of multiple bills on technology; Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Director Matt Damschroder; Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) Chief Integration Officer Chris Woolard; and Mark Edwards, chief information officer for the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday he's asked the Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) Board of Directors to approve a projected $1 billion dividend to Ohio businesses. Board approval would bring the total paid to private and public employers during the DeWine administration to $10.2 billion, exceeding the amount employers have paid in premiums since 2019.

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