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Writer's pictureFrank M. Strigari

Week in Review July 15, 2024


Ohio statehouse government affairs week in review January 2023


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.


ADDICTION/SUBSTANCE ABUSE


Members of the RecoveryOhio Advisory Council heard an update Tuesday on efforts to create a predictive analytics dashboard that RecoveryOhio Director Aimee Shadwick said could help show where overdoses may occur before they happen, reflecting one of the council's strategic initiatives. Erin Reed, assistant policy director in Gov. Mike DeWine's office, told the council dashboard information includes eviction filings, unemployment data, social determinants of health, Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS) pharmacy dispensation data, OVI arrests by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Department of Health (ODH) data, naloxone distribution and toxicology reporting from crime labs. They are also looking at barriers for getting into and staying in treatment.


The OneOhio Recovery Foundation Board received a lesson Wednesday in the origins of addiction and the prognosis for rehabilitation and sobriety. Dr. Richard Whitney, medical director of the Ohio Professionals Health Program (OPHP) in Columbus and central region director of the Federation of State Physician Health Programs (FSPHP), presented "Addiction 101" at the foundation's July board meeting. "Addiction is treatable. Addiction is not at this time curable. It is a long-term problem requiring long-term solutions," he told directors, describing its impact on the brain, body and personal interactions. "Physical, emotional and social changes are cumulative and progress as substance use continues." Whitney pointed to evidence of mild-altering chemicals in religious rituals as far back as 4000 B.C. and opiates use as far back as 9th century B.C., though he said fentanyl and other potent substances including refined cocaine and methamphetamine are quite new.


ATTORNEY GENERAL


Three of four officials charged in the apparent theft of $2.3 million from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium have now pleaded guilty and await sentencing in a criminal conspiracy investigated by Ohio Auditor Keith Faber and prosecuted by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Faber and Yost announced Monday that former Purchasing Agent Tracy Murnane of Westerville has pleaded to six felonies, including grand theft, and two misdemeanors for his role in defrauding Ohio taxpayers. His conviction follows the recent plea deal with former zoo Marketing Director Pete Fingerhut, who admitted to 16 felonies, including aggravated theft, and one misdemeanor.


AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY


The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and DriveOhio recently announced the opening of two new vehicle charging stations built using federal funds through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. The two new stations are located at Casey's Gas and Convenience near Interstate 75 and National Road near Lima and at Pilot Travel Center near I-71 and State Route 61 in Marengo. Both locations have four ports with at least 150 kW, capable of charging four electric vehicles simultaneously in around 30 minutes, according to ODOT.


BALLOT ISSUES


As it waits to find out if the signatures it submitted July 1 will be enough to make the November ballot, Citizens Not Politicians this week released a new video arguing why the redistricting reform amendment should be adopted. The minute-long video, which the campaign said it is paying to place on multiple digital platforms to reach voters all over the state, tells viewers that politicians are ignoring them because of unfair voting practices created by gerrymandering. "It's time we put citizens, not career politicians, in charge. With the Citizens Not Politicians amendment we'll restore politics to where it belongs: with Ohio citizens. Politicians can't ignore that," the video states.


Outlining their next steps after failing to submit signatures in time to make the November ballot, backers of a proposed constitutional amendment to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour said they plan to submit their signatures by the end of summer to qualify for the November 2025 ballot. Submitting the signatures by the end of the summer will allow Raise the Wage Ohio to mobilize voters to support candidates who support raising the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour in both 2024 and 2025, the group said Friday. The group said it had collected approximately 600,000 signatures, but did not submit them on Wednesday, July 3, the deadline to make the November 2024 ballot, because they did not meet the state's required signatures from 5 percent of voters who cast ballots in the last gubernatorial election in 44 counties. Raise the Wage Ohio said it plans to make up the shortfall by working with groups such as Indivisible Appalachia Ohio to complete the remaining signature collection in rural counties over the summer. They said that the amendment would still take effect by January 2026 whether it is passed in November 2024 or November 2025. The group will need 413,487 valid signatures in order to qualify for the ballot.


FY24-25 BUDGET


Despite lagging tax revenues, investment earnings and underspending helped Ohio end the FY24 with a $1.1 billion balance. Preliminary revenue data from the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) for June, the final month of FY24, showed the tax revenue shortfall for the year growing to $484.6 million or 1.7 percent, with sales tax underperformance for the month exceeding over-estimate collections for the income tax. Total FY24 tax revenues came in just shy of $28 billion. The sales tax brought in $1.18 billion in June versus expectations of $1.23 billion, a variance of $53.1 million or 4.3 percent. The auto sales tax was off $39 million or 21 percent, while the non-auto sales tax was down $14 million or 1.3 percent. For all of FY24, sales taxes generated $13.7 billion, below estimates by $90.6 million or 0.7 percent. Income taxes generated $916.9 million versus expectations of $887.8 million, ahead of estimates by $29.1 million or 3.3 percent. For all of FY24, income taxes missed estimates by $457.8 million or 4.6 percent, with total collections of $9.5 billion.


CORONAVIRUS/MONKEYPOX


Economic difficulty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to a cascade of connected problems for some parents and resulted in mental health problems for their children, according to a recent study out of Ohio State University (OSU). Researchers found that economic insecurity was linked to higher levels of depressive symptoms for parents, which was then associated with poorer relationship quality for the couples. That was linked with more harsh parenting and then to increased internalizing behaviors for their children. "Pandemic-induced economic hardship had this downstream spillover effect that was ultimately linked negatively with their children's mental health," said Joyce Lee, lead author of the study and assistant professor of social work at Ohio State. "Our findings parallel with other descriptive research showing that children's mental health plummeted during the pandemic." The study was published online in the journal Child & Family Social Work and can be found at https://tinyurl.com/hb58zuyn.


COVID-19 case numbers reported by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) have been on the rise during June and the start of July, reaching 3,153 new cases in the data reported Thursday. This compares to 890 on May 30, when ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff discussed the potential for a summer increase in a virtual press conference. The March 14 weekly update was the last time new cases numbered above 3,000. There were 1,370 in the data reported June 13, approximately one month ago. Other data trends include the following:


  • 108 hospitalizations, compared to 53 on June 13.

  • Three ICU admissions, compared to one on June 13.

  • Two deaths, compared to three on June 13


CORRECTIONS


The Ohio Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE-Ohio) has recognized Columbus-based Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. (CEC) with its Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award for the Ross Correctional Institution Structural Improvement Project. The achievement award is given to recognize outstanding engineering achievements in manufacturing, construction or design, or combinations thereof.


DISABILITIES


Supporting employees with disabilities in the workplace has been a priority for the state of Ohio since Gov. Mike DeWine signed Executive Order 2019-03D moments after first taking office. To help provide employers with practical steps and strategies for creating inclusive workplaces, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) announced earlier this month the second half of its 2024 webinar series to help employers support disability inclusion in the workplace and correspond with OOD's Inclusive Employer Toolkit, which can be found at https://tinyurl.com/4m962m6e. The series also corresponds with criteria from the Governor's Inclusive Employer Award, and more information about that can be found at https://tinyurl.com/2tdnu38n.


ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/URBAN REVITALIZATION


JobsOhio recently released its 2023 annual report and a strategic plan for the rest of the year, including across the four strategic initiatives that include sites, talent, small business and communities, and innovation. The report said the four initiatives "provide companies and Ohio's towns with a competitive advantage." Regarding sites, the Ohio Site Inventory Program (OSIP) for site selection efforts completed 21 projects in 2023 and the 2024 goal is for completion of 22. Other goals include authenticating three SiteOhio properties -- one more than in 2023 -- and completing 50 site visits.


ECONOMY


The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced Friday that the nation added 206,000 jobs in June, with the unemployment rate little changed at 4.1 percent. Job gains occurred in government, health care, social assistance and construction. The monthly job increase was similar to the average monthly gain of 220,000 over the prior 12 months. BLS said the number of unemployed people, at 6.8 million, was also little changed. Those numbers were higher than a year earlier, when the jobless rate was 3.6 percent and the number of unemployed people was 6.0 million. Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult women (3.7 percent) and Asians (4.1 percent) increased in June. The jobless rates for adult men (3.8 percent), teenagers (12.1 percent), Whites (3.5 percent), Blacks (6.3 percent) and Hispanics (4.9 percent) showed little or no change over the month.


EDUCATION


Lawmakers authorized a $600 million infusion for the state to assist with local school building projects, cleaned up a calculation error in the new funding formula, mandated cash ticket sales at school sporting events and tweaked grade band changes from the biennial budget, among a raft of education policies sent on to Gov. Mike DeWine's desk in the flurry of lawmaking before summer break at the end of June. Notably not among the legislative enactments was millions of dollars the State Board of Education (SBOE) said it needs to stave off major increases to teacher licensure fees or big staff cuts. The board had requested $10 million and the House added $4.6 million to SB117 (Cirino-McColley), which the Senate did not take up. Controlling Board action as an avenue to bridge the board's shortfall appears unlikely in the near term, and both the DeWine administration and Senate leadership have suggested spending at the board is too high. The board pushed off for now consideration of major fee hikes or staff cuts after getting some breathing room from higher fee revenue and greater than expected operational savings in FY24, but still must grapple with a multi-million dollar deficit this fiscal year. The House and Senate calendars on the final day included a handful of education bills apiece, but they included numerous other policies wrapped into those vehicles as amendments. Among the bills that cleared both chambers were HB147 (Fowler Arthur-A. Miller), SB168 (Reynolds), SB29 (S. Huffman), HB214 (Holmes) as well as the capital appropriations bill, HB2 (Cutrona-Upchurch).


Schools can be reimbursed for hiring bonuses they offer to attract military veterans to open teaching positions, under an award program funded by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) and Ohio Department of Veterans Services (DVS). The agencies are taking applications now for the Military Recruit Award for hiring in both FY24 and FY25. With funding from the biennial budget, HB33 (Edwards), DEW will reimburse schools $1,500 for recruitment and/or hiring activities directed at eligible military individuals, or $3,000 for hiring bonuses offered to eligible new hires. Reimbursement for those bonuses will also include additional funds to cover payroll costs for retirement system contributions and Medicare. Application materials, information on award eligibility and documentation required to be submitted to collect the awards are at https://tinyurl.com/54ce9arv.


Variable monthly revenue streams and reverberations of the COVID lockdown complicate the State Board of Education's task of closing its multi-million dollar FY25 deficit, Superintendent Paul Craft told board members Monday as they opened their monthly meeting with budget talks. "We do ask that we get these folders back, so we can continue to reuse them," Craft said at the beginning of the Budget Committee meeting, putting a finer point on the budget challenges. The board projects an FY25 shortfall of about $3.5 million, which is an improvement from when the board started wrangling with its budget problem months ago. The board found shy of $700,000 in operating cuts, mostly from dropping four staff positions, while licensure fee revenue came in about $1 million ahead of estimates in FY24. But in the new K-12 governance hierarchy created in HB33 (Edwards), the board lost funding support for some functions that had been paid for with General Revenue Fund money when the board was part of what's now the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW).


Craft also discussed the growing expense of RAPBACK, a system administered by the attorney general's office that generates reports when a licensee is arrested or convicted. Under HB33, additional school employees who are not licensed are now covered in RAPBACK. Craft said he's happy to see the state acting to ensure anyone who interacts with children is enrolled in RAPBACK, but noted it comes with a cost to the board without any corresponding fee revenue. The board pays $5 annually per person enrolled in RAPBACK. The expansion includes personnel like bus and van drivers, food service workers, custodians, building secretaries and other contractors or employees who interact with students. About 120,000 additional enrollees are expected as part of the expansion, at a cost of about $600,000.


As Ohio schools move to widely adopt the Science of Reading (SoR) principles outlined in HB33 (Edwards), a report released Wednesday by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute both details the progress schools are making toward fully implementing the changes and offers suggestions for optimizing the state's literacy reform effort. More than a year after Gov. Mike DeWine called for a commitment to Science of Reading principles in his 2023 "State of the State" address, budget bill HB33 allocated $169 million to position schools in Ohio to follow Science of Reading principles starting in 2024-25. Literacy reforms that were funded by the $169 million include $64 million for high-quality instructional materials, $86 million for professional development, $18 million for literacy coaches and $1 million for teacher preparation.


The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) greenlit new building construction, renovation or demolition projects for 18 local school districts throughout the state on Thursday through its programs using various combinations of state and local funding.

A Central Ohio man recently pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiring to commit bank fraud in fraudulently using funds from two charter schools he founded to help purchase his New Albany home. Abdirizak Y. Farah founded Focus Learning Academy of Northern Columbus (FLANC) in 2007. FLANC serves approximately 700 inner city and immigrant students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Focus Learning Academy of Central Columbus (FLACC) was founded in 2020 for pre-K through third grade students. Farah also served as superintendent of both schools. Farah was also employed as a senior policy advisor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and previously worked for the city of Columbus under Mayor Michael B. Coleman. Farah will forfeit $265,000 to the United States as part of his plea.


ELECTIONS 2024


Secretary of State Frank LaRose said on social media this week that Democrats would have until Sept. 1 if they chose to replace President Joe Biden on the ballot. Posting on Twitter/X, he noted the passage of HB2 (Dobos), the special session bill that delayed the deadline for major political parties to certify their presidential and vice presidential candidates to the secretary of state's office. The bill moved the deadline from 90 days before the election to 65 days before the election. LaRose said that the DNC could decide to go with a different candidate anytime before Sept. 1, but after that date, the party would not be able to change who they certify to the ballot "unless there were some sort of court ruling."


Three individuals have applied to be the Democratic nominee for the 33rd Ohio Senate District, which is on the ballot this year after Sen. Michael Rulli (R-Salem) resigned to take a seat in Congress before his term was halfway through. According to the Youngstown Vindicator, the three who applied for the appointment are Youngstown City Councilman Julius Oliver, who also owns Kingly Hand Wash and Wax; Assistant Mahoning County Prosecutor and former Youngstown Law Director Martin Hume; and David Mosure, a retired principal for MS Consultants whom the newspaper said has given contributions to a number of Republicans, including former President Donald Trump and Gov. Mike DeWine. The Vindicator reported the Democratic Party chairmen and secretaries in Mahoning, Columbiana and Carroll counties, which make up the 33rd District, will choose the ballot nominee on Tuesday, July 16. The nominee will face Sen. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield), who was appointed to the seat last month to replace Rulli after he was chosen as the ballot replacement by the three Republican county parties.


U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown's (D-OH) re-election campaign said Thursday that it will report raising $12.8 million for the second quarter of this year in its quarterly finance report due next week. The campaign said it was a record for Ohio fundraising. The campaign said it has received donations from all 88 counties and now has $10.7 million on hand. During the second quarter, nearly 92 percent of individual contributions were $100 or less.

The following endorsements were made over the week:


  • The Ohio Chamber of Commerce PAC endorsed Theresa Gavarone, George Lang, Louis Blessing, Kyle Koehler, Susan Manchester, Terry Johnson, Jerry Cirino, Tim Schaffer, Tom Patton, Bill Reineke, Brian Chavez, and Sandra O'Brien for Ohio Senate; and Dontavius Jarrells, Meredith Lawson-Rowe, Allison Russo, Stephanie Kunze, Brian Stewart, Sean Brennan, Chris Glassburn, Bride Rose Sweeney, Mike Dovilla, Eric Synenberg, Dan Troy, Dani Isaacsohn, Cindy Abrams, Mike Odioso, Bill Roemer, Jack Daniels, Derrick Hall, Steve Demetriou, Andrea White, Phil Plummer, Josh Williams, Thomas Hall, Scott Oelslager, Jim Thomas, Matthew Kishman, Jodi Salvo, Gayle Manning, Joe Miller, Kellie Deeter, Michelle Teska, Adam Mathews, Lauren McNally, Brian Lorenz, Beth Lear, Adam Bird, Nick Santucci, David Thomas, Sharon Ray, Melanie Miller, Kevin Miller, Brian Lampton, Levi Dean, Heidi Workman, Jeff LaRe, Marilyn John, Meredith Craig, Matt Huffman, Monica Robb Blasdel, Jonathan Newman, Jim Hoops, Ty Mathews, Tracy Richardson, Bob Peterson, Mark Johnson, Kevin Ritter, Adam Holmes, Mark Hiner, and Sarah Fowler Arthur for Ohio House.


  • Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder endorsed Justices Michael Donnelly and Melody Stewart for re-election and Lisa Forbes for the Ohio Supreme Court.


  • Ohio Citizen Action endorsed U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH); U.S. Reps. Greg Landsman (D-Cincinnati), Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo) and Emilia Sykes (D-Akron); and Ohio Supreme Court Justices Michael Donnelly and Melody Stewart for reelection and Lisa Forbes for the Ohio Supreme Court; and the Citizens Not Politicians constitutional amendment.


ENERGY/UTILITIES


The electric company at the center of Central Ohio's 2022 grid meltdown had proposed worse standards for the average length and number of outages in its latest reliability review than those in place during the summer blackout but on Wednesday accepted new metrics approved by the Office of Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) and ordered by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). American Electric Power (AEP) of Ohio, which serves nearly 1.5 million customers in 61 counties, had called forward-looking standards adopted by PUCO in 2016 "too optimistic" in its revised application for a new Customer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIFI), or average outage length, and System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI), or average outages per customer.


ENVIRONMENT


A researcher from Kent State University helped publish a study that illustrates how human activity in aquatic ecosystems contributes to the climate crisis. Recently published in the journal Science, the study estimates rates of organic-matter decomposition in freshwater ecosystems -- a source of carbon emissions -- across the world, including in areas such as the Tropics that have been underrepresented in prior studies. Researchers Scott Tiegs (Oakland University), Krista Capps (University of Georgia) and David Costello, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Kent State University, are the study's co-lead authors. The researchers collected field data from sites around the world and used predictive modeling and machine-learning algorithms to fill in gaps. The field study involved 550 rivers from around the globe, including four in Northeast Ohio. Three of them were located near Kent and Ravenna and one at the Holden Arboretum in Lake County. More than 150 researchers in 40 countries contributed samples using a standardized field assay based on the decomposition of small pieces of cotton fabric.


The Ohio State University (OSU) Athletics Department has been recognized as a "Waste Champion" by the Green Sports Alliance (GSA), OSU announced Thursday. The department earned the GSA "Play to Zero Award" by achieving a more than 90 percent diversion rate of waste from a landfill, the university said.


FEDERAL


U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Dayton), who chairs the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, announced Tuesday he had recently led a bipartisan Congressional delegation (CODEL) to Kyiv, Ukraine. The CODEL met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, members of the Ukrainian Parliament and senior officials to receive updates on "Ukraine's efforts to counter Russian aggression."


GAMING/GAMBLING


Casinos, racinos, sportsbooks and the Ohio Lottery saw higher revenues in May 2024 than they did in May 2023, according to data provided by the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) and Ohio Lottery Commission (OLC). The state's four casinos reported $84.6 million in revenue in May 2024, up from $80.6 million in May 2023. Ohio's seven racinos reported $119.8 million in revenue in May 2024, up from $115.3 million in May 2023. Ohio's sportsbooks took more money in bets and saw higher revenue in May 2024 compared to May 2023. Sports betting gross receipts (handle) for May 2024 totaled $611.6 million, up from $446.3 million in May 2023. Total taxable revenue from sports gambling totaled $67.4 million in May 2024, up from $57.9 million in May 2023. Operating transfers to the Lottery Profits Education Fund (LPEF) totaled $129 million in May 2024, up from $122.6 million in May 2023.


The Lottery Profits Education Fund (LPEF) received its largest fiscal year transfer ever in FY24, according to Ohio Lottery Director Michelle Gillcrist. "For the fiscal year, which ended June 30, total transfers to the LPEF for this year were an all-time record of $1.514 billion," Gillcrist said during Wednesday's Ohio Lottery Commission meeting. "That is $90 million over our commitment, and $49.8 million more than what we transferred last year," she continued. "So we've set a high bar for this coming fiscal year, and I'm confident we're ready to take on this challenge. Our commitment, as specified in the biennial budget, is $1.44 billion for this fiscal year." Ohio Lottery Chief Fiscal Officer Edward Slyman said draw-based game sales were $2.16 billion in FY24, which was $35.3 million higher than FY23. Scratch-off sales were $2.38 billion in FY24, which is $44.8 million higher than FY23.


GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE


Arguing that a trial court improperly enjoined him from controlling the Ohio House Republican Alliance (OHRA), House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) this week asked an appeals court both to issue a stay on a preliminary injunction installing Rep. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) as OHRA chair and to expedite Stephens' appeal. Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Mark Serrott last month handed control of the legislative campaign fund (LCF) to Plummer and other Republican lawmakers who had challenged Stephens and Rep. Jeff LaRe (R-Canal Winchester) over who is legally in charge of the account. In a motion filed with the 10th District Court of Appeals, Stephens argues that Serrott's decision to strip control of the fund from him based on a meeting of Republican House members on April 10, where attendees signed a resolution naming Plummer as chair, "wrongfully interfered into the inner workings of a political caucus by adopting rules for the caucus and then agreeing to enforce such rules."


Freshman Democratic legislator, Rep. Jodi Whitted (Cincinnati) describes herself as a “political social worker” and as such finds her appointment to the Ohio House to replace former Rep. Jessica Miranda (D-Cincinnati) an opportunity “to practice what I preach.” She is on leave from her positions at the University of Cincinnati where she teaches policy courses and researches politics as she fills out the remainder of Miranda’s term through 2024. However, she cannot run for the seat – that slot goes to another Democrat, Karen Brownlee, who was unable to take the seat this year because of how the new district lines were drawn.


The Controlling Board heard an update on a collective bargaining agreement with the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA) after a fact finder's report was submitted earlier this month. Kristen Rankin, the deputy director of the Office of Collective Bargaining in the Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS), said the agreement, which has already been certified by OCSEA membership, would cover 26,000 state employees in eight bargaining units and is the first of five collective bargaining agreements the state is working on. She said that changes include addressing retention and recruitment policies and a pay increase, but do not change the health insurance benefit.


GOVERNOR


Judicial appointment made during the week includes the following:


Gov. Mike DeWine Tuesday appointed Anthony Kendell to the Miami County Municipal Court. Kendell, of Piqua, will assume office on Monday, July 22, and will be taking the seat formerly held by Judge Gary Nasal, who retired. He will serve the remainder of the unfinished term and will need to run for election in November 2025 to retain the seat. Kendell began his law career as a law clerk for Montgomery County Municipal Court Judge Alice McCollum and later became a law clerk for the Miami County Prosecutor's Office from 1993 to 1996. In 1996, he became an assistant prosecuting attorney for Miami County and later became the first assistant prosecuting attorney from 2011 to 2013. He also served as prosecutor for the city of Tipp City from 2000 to 2011.


GREAT LAKES


A team of clinical and academic researchers at the University of Toledo (UT) are embarking on a first-of-its-kind study to identify the health effects of airborne microcystin exposure in individuals who spend significant time near Lake Erie. The Great Lakes Aerosol Monitoring Research Study, which launched in July, will follow 200 individuals from Lucas, Ottawa and Sandusky counties over the next five years, UT said in a news release. Researchers will meet with study participants three times annually -- before, during and after the lake's peak harmful algal bloom season, which generally runs from August to early September. At each of those sessions, researchers will conduct a qualitative health survey and administer several non-invasive tests to assess lung function. Participants also will have the option of submitting blood, urine and nasal brush biopsies for further analysis. The Great Lakes Aerosol Monitoring Research Study, which is open to individuals age 10 and older who live, work or recreate within a half-mile of Lake Erie, is enrolling participants now.


HIGHER EDUCATION


The Controlling Board Monday approved a request from the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) to transfer funds from the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) program to the newly created Governor's Merit Scholarship program. Members of the panel questioned if the transfer of $2.7 million would hurt the OCOG program. Michael Graham, deputy director of legislative affairs for ODHE, said there are funds available from OCOG to allow for the transfer without affecting the program's future. He said the reason for the transfer is due to the early success of the scholarship program.


JUDICIAL


The Ohio Department of Commerce's (DOC) former senior public information officer, Andy Ellinger, has been named director of the Ohio Supreme Court's Office of Public Information. Ellinger will focus on expanding the public and media's understanding of the Court and oversee timely dissemination of news and information. Ellinger takes over from acting Public Information Director Alicia Lang, who replaced former Director Lyn Tolan.


Client restitution for former Cleveland lawyer Dorthea Jane Kingsbury now exceeds a quarter million dollars after the state of Ohio tacked another $100,000 onto misappropriated trust funds bilked from nearly two dozen developmentally disabled Ohioans. The current total of $300,000 covers only three victims defrauded by Kingsbury, who is serving a four-year prison sentence at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's (DRC) Northeast Pre-Release Center for theft, attempted theft, money laundering and fraudulent or omitted tax returns involving more than $1 million in client funds. She resigned from the practice of law in Ohio, with discipline pending, on Jan. 12, 2024. "Ohio has over 45,000 attorneys engaged in the active practice of law. Less than one 1 percent of those attorneys is involved in claims reimbursed by the LFCP," commissioners note. Kingsbury leads reparations recently awarded by the Board of Commissioners of the Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection to 15 victims.


LOBBYISTS


Children's policy and advocacy organization Groundwork Ohio announced its promotion of Brittany Boulton to vice president. Boulton joined Groundwork Ohio in January 2024. During her tenure, she has directed the group's Rainbow Listening Tour of events throughout the state and has led policy work at the Statehouse on legislation focused on young children and child care. Boulton currently manages Groundwork Ohio's network of stakeholders and lobbying activities. In her new role, she will continue to build the organization's external partnerships and support internal staff development.


MARIJUANA/HEMP


The Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) has informed 182 facilities that they have qualified for a dual-use provisional license, DCC spokesperson Jamie Crawford told Hannah News. No dual-use certificates of operation have been awarded yet. Provisionally-licensed dual-use cannabis facilities include the following:


  • 104 dispensaries

  • 39 processors

  • 33 cultivators

  • Six testing labs


The Ohio State University (OSU) Drug Enforcement and Policy Center (DEPC) recently updated its report on local moratoriums prohibiting adult-use cannabis businesses, finding there are now at least 58 active moratoriums.


MENTAL HEALTH


Members of the study group assigned by Gov. Mike DeWine to look into capacity concerns at state psychiatric hospitals and the behavioral health system at large gave a rough idea Wednesday of the proposals they'd like to see in a final report due for completion at a final meeting two weeks from now. The Governor's Work Group on Competency Restoration and Diversion is looking into ways to provide access to state hospitals for people who are in crisis but not involved in the justice system, as well as improvements to outpatient options, jail diversion for people with mental health and substance use disorders, and competency restoration and treatment programs in jails. "We are closing in on the culmination of this work group and our time together," said LeeAnne Cornyn, director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) and chair of the work group.


Facilitators presented 30 potential recommendations to the work group members, based on ideas and themes discussed at prior meetings. Most recommendations fit into the following five categories: Residential treatment facilities; mental health (pre-trial) diversion programs; courts/competency dockets; jail-based services; and criminal justice/mental health liaisons (forensic navigators).


NATURAL RESOURCES


An art exhibition at one of Ohio's most popular state parks is highlighting the state's natural wonders, as well as other flora and fauna. The exhibit, "Marks About Nature," by artist Janet Grissom, is currently on display at the Hocking Hills State Park Lodge and Conference Center in Logan. "Marks About Nature" will remain on display until Wednesday, Aug. 7. The series is intended to celebrate the interconnectedness of arts and nature, providing new ways to enjoy Ohio state parks. More information on the series can be found at https://tinyurl.com/3m9jptau.


Youth and adults with a valid Ohio hunting license are eligible to apply for controlled hunts on public lands until Wednesday, July 31. These hunts provide special chances for hunters to pursue deer, waterfowl, doves, pheasants and more during the 2024-25 season. Hunts for adults, youth, mobility impaired and mentors with apprentices are available. Species-specific hunts include deer, waterfowl, dove, pheasant, squirrel and quail. Firearm and archery hunts are available for some species. Applications for the controlled hunting access lottery can be submitted at https://tinyurl.com/34jze752. That website also features detailed information about each hunting area and other information about fees and other requirements to apply.


NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS


The Ohio State Bar Foundation (OSBF) announced the induction of 24 attorneys to its Fellows Program. The 2024 class includes lawyers representing firms of all sizes and sectors, as well as public defenders, judges, government attorneys and community advocates. OSBF said its fellows "exemplify the highest standards of professionalism and are committed to serving their communities." Since its inaugural class in 1998, OSBF has inducted more than 1,000 fellows. Over the years, OSBF fellows have developed 26 community service initiatives focused on issues such as human trafficking, immigrant/refugee citizen education, prisoner reentry into communities, access to justice for developmentally disabled youth, reporting on the legal system, and more.


PENSIONS


Two embattled State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) trustees argue in court filings that they need to be able to depose the attorney general's office to determine the basis for a lawsuit that they say "in any other setting would be actionable defamation of reputable citizens. … All the available facts establish that the allegations in the complaint are demonstrably false. There are for example recordings and published minutes of STRS board meetings which show the statements made by plaintiff to be false and materially misleading," says trustee Wade Steen and STRS Board Chair Rudy Fichtenbaum in a filing in opposition to Attorney General Dave Yost's request for a protective order blocking or limiting depositions. Yost sued the two trustees in May, alleging breaches of fiduciary duty and seeking their removal from the board. The complaint alleges they advocated to direct a huge share of STRS investment assets to investment firm QED management. The two trustees strongly dispute the allegations.


Contributors to STRS are currently paying for both their own future benefits within the system, as well as the debt STRS has accrued from maintenance of the system up to now. In response to the issue of the system's balance, a STRS subcommittee of the Ohio Retirement Study Council (ORSC) met for the first time on Monday to learn more about what ORSC Senior Research Associate Jeffrey Bernard calls the "difficult question" the board needs to address now. The subcommittee is comprised of ORSC Chair Sen. Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario), Rep. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton), Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) and governor's appointee Dr. Anthony Podojil. The subcommittee was also joined by ORSC Director and General Counsel Bethany Rhodes. Bernard set the stage for the subcommittee by reviewing a letter he had sent in 2021 to ORSC's then-Chairman Rick Carfagna concerning intergenerational equity within the STRS pension system. Intergenerational equity refers to the idea that "there should be equal treatment in the burden of pension financing between generations of taxpayers." Bernard's letter from 2021 said the idea is that each generation provide sufficient funding as the benefits are earned to pay for future benefits.


PEOPLE


The County Engineers Association of Ohio (CEAO) announced this week that Executive Director Dean Ringle will be retiring on Aug. 31, 2024. CEAO tells Hannah News that they are beginning the process of naming Ringle's replacement, and information about the application process will be announced soon.


The Ohio Bar Liability Insurance Company (OBLIC) announced the hiring of John R. Tribble as its new president and CEO. Tribble has held various positions recently with Church Mutual Insurance Company and its subsidiary, CM Regent, Hertz Corporation, Liberty Mutual/America First Insurance Co. and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.


POLITICS


The Libertarian Party of Ohio (LPO) is once again seeking to have official recognition in Ohio, filing petitions on Tuesday with the secretary of state's office. LPO lost its party status in 2018 after its candidate for governor, Travis Irvine, only earned 1.8 percent of the gubernatorial vote. Under Ohio law, a minor party candidate must get at least 3 percent of the total vote for either governor or president to either gain or maintain minor party status. The party's petition must contain signatures of more than 1 percent of the total number of voters in the last gubernatorial election, and also have a minimum of 500 signatures in at least half of Ohio's 15 congressional districts, in order to be recognized.


The Ohio Democratic Party announced that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker will be the keynote speaker at its 3rd Annual Family Reunion on Saturday, July 13. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) will be a special guest speaker. The event will be held in Columbus.


PUBLIC SAFETY


The DeWine administration released numbers Monday for the Ohio State Highway Patrol's (OSHP) July Fourth enforcement: 34,209 stops, 22,655 citations or arrests, 1,368 distracted drivers, 438 OVIs and 16 traffic fatalities, including seven individuals not wearing safety belts. Holiday enforcement ran 12 a.m., Wednesday, July 3 to 11:59 p.m., Sunday, July 7. Seat belts were available in nine of the 15 deadly crashes but were not used in seven cases. Two fatalities involved OVI. All told, troopers wrote 2,929 seat belt citations.


The DeWine administration recently announced a new website to help law enforcement agencies hire new employees, reflecting a partnership between InnovateOhio, the Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). The website -- www.LawEnforcementJobs.Ohio.gov -- will be user-friendly, free to use and powered by www.OhioMeansJobs.com. It will show prospective recruits up-to-date postings from any of the over 900 agencies in Ohio, with options to search by agency, county and current location as agencies opt in to the site. The administration also recently started a "Join the Blue" statewide recruitment marketing campaign to encourage people with traits of "dependability, intelligence, confidence, sincerity, and inspiration" to find a career in law enforcement by connecting with the DPS Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment.


STATE GOVERNMENT


The InnovateOhio Executive Committee met virtually Thursday, with Lt. Gov. Jon Husted -- director of the InnovateOhio initiative -- detailing CNBC data on the best states for business that was released earlier that day. He also addressed relevant items in the capital budget with the committee. Ohio ranked seventh overall in the CNBC report, its best placement since the report began nearly 20 years ago, after ranking 12th in 2023. The top six states were Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Florida and Minnesota. Among neighboring states, Michigan was 9th; Indiana, 11th; Pennsylvania, 17th; Kentucky, 27th; and West Virginia, 40th. Regarding the capital budget, Husted noted the Ohio Cyber Range received funds that will help further grow the Ohio Cyber Reserve (OhCR) which trains there. The OhCR had around 30 members when it formed in 2019 and he said they hope to reach 200 by the end of 2024.


TOBACCO/SMOKING/VAPING


Attorney General Dave Yost announced a new campaign Tuesday targeting the flood of illegal vaping devices in Ohio to protect teens from addiction, respiratory conditions and other severe health risks. Yost launched the effort with complaints against three Ohio businesses alleging unfair or deceptive marketing under the state Consumer Sales Practices Act. Charges include selling illegal vapes, failing to disclose their illegality and misrepresenting violators' authorization status.

 





[Story originally published in The Hannah Report. Copyright 2023 Hannah News Service, Inc.]



 



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