Week in Review June 8, 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 Ohio Attorney General's Office has opened registration for the 2026 Elder Abuse Awareness Day Conference, Monday, June 29, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., at Ohio State University's Fawcett Center in Columbus. With a theme of "Prevent, Prosecute, Prevail" this year and hosted by the attorney general's Elder Abuse Commission and Elder Justice Unit, the annual event convenes professionals seeking to protect Ohio seniors, including Adult Protective Services workers, social workers, advocates, health care professionals, judges, attorneys, academics and financial experts, and provides them the opportunity to interact with local, state and federal partners. Sign-up will remain open until Wednesday, June 10 unless the conference reaches capacity prior to that date. Onsite registration is not available. The registration portal and conference agenda can be found HERE.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's office Monday rejected summary language for a proposed constitutional amendment that would repeal the right to an abortion in the Ohio Constitution. The proposed amendment titled "Reproductive Health Care and Legislative Authority over Abortion," would repeal and replace Article I, Section 22 of the Ohio Constitution. The submission to the attorney general proposes replacement language stating that "individuals have the right to access reproductive health care, including but not limited to contraception, fertility treatment, and miscarriage care." It also states that the section "should not be interpreted to establish, confer, or protect a right to abortion," and would give the exclusive authority to regulate abortion to the General Assembly. Yost's office received the petition on May 21.

Attorney General Dave Yost issued a cumulative report Tuesday on the 1,800 "johns" arrested during his first seven years in office -- Ohio's first statewide analysis of sex buyers. Commissioned personally by Yost, “The Drivers of Demand” examines the criminal consequences of purchasing sex in the Buckeye State and highlights the attorney general's role in advancing passage of 133-HB431 (Abrams-Carfagna), which established "engaging in prostitution" as a first-degree misdemeanor for convicted johns, strengthened related penalties and created "john schools" for convicted sex buyers. "For far too long, victims bore the blame for sex trafficking. But that blame really belongs to sex buyers -- they're the ones fueling the illicit trade. Without the demand, sex trafficking doesn't exist."

BALLOT ISSUES

The Senate General Government Committee Monday accepted a substitute version of proposed voter ID constitutional amendment SJR10 (Gavarone-Timken) that made a number of changes, including removing a provision that opponents argued could allow a future Legislature to ban early voting. Sen. Jane Timken (R-Canton) introduced substitute version 0265-2 of SJR10 during Monday's committee hearing, explaining the new version sets a default photo ID requirement for all forms of voting unless a voter has a sincere religious objection; defines photo ID exactly as it is currently defined in Ohio law; and allows the General Assembly to pass laws setting further requirements and procedures for voting, including permitting "non in-person voting" with a signature match and a match of at least one unique identifier such as a Social Security or driver's license number.

Timken then said on the Senate floor on Wednesday that the resolution is about assuring long-term security in Ohio elections. Photo ID, she argued, helps secure the bedrock principle of one person, one vote, and makes sure the person appearing to cast a ballot is the person they claim to be. She said the resolution simply puts the question before Ohio voters ensuring that a government-issued photo ID is the default standard for voting. The resolution passed 23-9, with Sen. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield) joining Democrats in opposition.

FY26-27 BUDGET

During her testimony before the finance committees on the capital appropriations budget, Office of Budget and Management (OBM) Director Kimberly Murnieks got questions about the state's operating budget, noting that revenues are running about $1 billion over estimates. Asked by Senate Finance Chair Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) what she finds most worrisome in terms of the future and "not wanting to liquidate" the expected revenues, she said global trade and "uncertainties related to trade restrictions in the national environment." She said there are also concerns around oil prices, saying that "could moderate economic growth and contribute to higher levels of inflation. That could bring a potential of a wage price spiral which could set in and these phenomena together could potentially lead to elevated inflation above the Federal Reserve's targeted 2 percent rate." Then she added the possible impact of AI on jobs and stock markets. That is why she said OBM always cautions when evaluating strong revenues to look at them as one-time and not use them to incur ongoing obligations.

Murnieks told both committees that the personal income tax has been the largest contributor to the revenue overage but half of that is the result of "annual returns for individuals and pass through entities which largely is in non-wage income driven by a very strong TY25 stock market. So those are things that we can't count on being recurring year after year. So we advise caution ...."

FY27-28 CAPITAL APPROPRIATIONS

The Senate unanimously passed capital budget SB450 (Cirino), including an emergency clause. Sponsor Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) said the bill is the result of months of work by staff, members of both chambers, and the executive branch. He said the $3.7 billion bill, which includes more than $200 million for community projects, will benefit every county and both urban and rural parts of the state. Office of Budget and Management (OBM) Director Kimberly Murnieks Tuesday testified before both the House and Senate finance committees on their respective iterations of the FY27-28 capital appropriations, SB450 (Cirino) and HB959 (Stewart). An animated Murnieks told each of the committees that this would likely be her final appearance as the capital appropriations proposal is the final major bill for which she is responsible as the DeWine administration is winding down. Murnieks touted the strong fiscal position Ohio currently enjoys, saying that the state's debt burden is "the lowest in modern state history. Since 1980, the state has achieved its lowest inflation-adjusted GRF debt burden on record, with per capita debt falling to just $623 by FY25, half of its mid-2000s peak, and outstanding GRF debt reaching an historic low of less than one percent of (0.97 percent) of personal income.

Programs funded in the capital appropriations bill include the following:

• $600 million for school facilities construction, which is the typical amount provided in recent capital budget cycles.

• $500 million for the State Capital Improvements Programs (SCIP) through the Ohio Public Works Commission. The increase from the $400 million authorized in earlier capital budgets to $500 million this cycle reflects the higher borrowing authority authorized by Ohio voters last year via passage of Issue 2, which renewed the program with $2.5 billion in borrowing authority over 10 years.

• $425 million for higher education institutions.

• $275 million for a new Miami Valley Behavioral Healthcare Hospital in Trotwood.

• $265 million for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

• $200+ million for community projects spread across all 88 counties.

• $150 million to replace and upgrade the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) Columbus Developmental Center.

• $35 million for a specialty psychiatric facility for youth mental health jointly operated by Nationwide Children's Hospital and Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

• $10 million for East Cleveland infrastructure.

DATA CENTERS

The Ohio Tax Credit Authority (TCA) awarded data centers their final tax break following the recent state moratorium -- an estimated $42.3 million, 10-year exemption representing half the projected state sales tax of Central Ohio's Cologix, Inc. and Cologix U.S., Inc. In exchange for Monday's action by the TCA, Cologix must continue operation of the Orange Township (Delaware County) and Johnstown (Licking) data center for at least three years beyond the credit's Dec. 31, 2035 terminus, during which the Big Data firm says it will invest $1.2 billion, retain 56 jobs worth $5.2 million and add 90 full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions for $10 million in new payroll by December 2028. The company's total state sales tax abatement now exceeds $50 million with its $8.55 million, 75 percent, 10-year TCA credit in 2022.

The House and Senate Select Committees on Data Centers heard public testimony during their meeting Monday, with a plethora of witnesses listed as opponents or interested parties on the issue.

Hyperscale data center representatives testified before the House and Senate Select Committees on Data Centers Thursday, detailing the direct and indirect workforce they support and how they address energy and water usage. Meta Data Center and Energy Public Policy Manager Thor Underdahl detailed how around 730,000 Ohio businesses actively use Facebook, with over 97 percent of them small- or medium-sized businesses. He detailed how that depends on continual data center operation and said Meta has invested more than $10 billion in its two data centers in the state. Those support hundreds of permanent direct jobs as well as thousands of construction jobs in skilled trades, many of whom have years of job certainty from Meta.

Speaking to reporters during a break in testimony from large data center companies, leaders of the House and Senate Select Committees on Data Centers discussed Thursday the potential for legislation on data centers ahead of the summer break. Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) had raised that topic to Hannah News Wednesday, including a legislative package on data centers in his priorities to address by the end of June 10. House Select Committee on Data Centers Co-Chair Adam Holmes (R-Nashport) told Hannah News they were committed to responding to citizens' concerns and that legislative action was "certainly in play." He also noted the Trump administration's "Ratepayer Protection Pledge" signed by large data centers and said the state can seek to hold them to that agreement. "This committee again was established to get information out. If there is legislation that comes out of it, and if it does come next week, it's going to be a first shot at what we think that we need to get done before we go on recess. It doesn't mean it's going to be the only thing that we're going to do -- there will be additional considerations and additional bills that come out throughout the year," Senate Select Committee Co-Chair Brian Chavez (R-Marietta) added.

EDUCATION

Members of the House Education Committee Tuesday heard presentations from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) on updated learning standards and a proposed rule change regarding the state report card's early literacy component. DEW Chief Academic Officer Melissa Weber-Mayrer briefed members on the department's updated learning standards for English language arts (ELA) and social studies, both of which she said had not been updated for almost a decade. She discussed the process of developing the standards, noting stakeholders and members of the Ohio education community had been presented opportunities to offer input. DEW's draft ELA standards can be viewed HERE, and social studies standards HERE. Her presentation also touched on Ohio's Integrated Model Curriculum, an academic framework blending ELA, social studies, civics, technology and life skills in elementary and middle school classrooms.

The Broadcast Educational Media Commission (BEMC) was "very honored" after capital budget bill SB450 (Cirino) was passed by the Senate on Wednesday, according to Executive Director Geoffrey Phillips. Both the Senate's bill and House capital budget bill HB959 (Stewart) include over $2.1 million in funding for two separate BEMC line items. Phillips told Hannah News that the commission had also sought funding in the capital budget for two additional projects in support of the state's public broadcasters totaling an additional $2 million. While those requests, separately for the Ohio Radio Reading Services and additional equipment for television and radio equipment, were not ultimately included in SB450 or HB959, BEMC has been told that those two items will be funded from General Revenue Funds in an unnamed budget corrections bill allocating money from operating budget HB96 (Stewart).

ELECTIONS

Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s Ohio Election Integrity Unit (EIU) levied $259,000 in fines for campaign finance violations last month against committees related to former House Speaker Larry Householder. The cases had been forwarded to the EIU by the former Ohio Elections Commission (OEC), which LaRose had criticized for failing to act on the complaints in the wake of the scandal related to nuclear bailout bill 133-HB6 (Callender-Wilkin). The cases included Larry Householder (individually), Friends of Larry Householder, Growth & Opportunity PAC Inc., The Coalition for Growth & Opportunity Inc., Generation Now Inc., Hardworking Ohioans Inc., Partners for Progress Inc., Constant Content Co., Jeff Longstreth, and Juan Cespedes. One related case had to be dismissed because the former commission failed to comply in a timely manner with a court order requiring it to consider the case. The dispositions were among those listed in LaRose’s new online portal announced Monday that will provide case dispositions of the EIU as well as decisions and advisory opinions issued by the Ohio Election Integrity Commission (OEIC).

In its first action regarding alleged campaign finance violations by an individual candidate, the Ohio Election Integrity Commission (OEIC) upheld a $250 fine imposed by the secretary of state on a 2022 Statehouse candidate over issues with her campaign's finance reports. The case involved Kristi Kille, who lost her bid for the 43rd Ohio House District in 2022 to Wendi Hendricks in the Republican primary. After briefly discussing how to move forward with the case due to its being the first to come before the full commission since it organized in January, adopted a motion to uphold the fine, finding that "the state has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the respondent has failed to timely file request of the addendum," and therefore confirming and approving the hearing officer's report and recommendation.

ELECTIONS 2026

Secretary of State Frank LaRose Wednesday afternoon certified the official results of the May 5 primary election, marking the completion of the statewide canvass conducted by Ohio's 88 county boards of elections. The certified results include all eligible ballots cast on Election Day, during early in-person voting, by absentee ballot, and through provisional ballots that were properly cured within the four-day period following Election Day. According to the secretary of state's office, 1,791,152 total votes were cast during the primary. With Ohio's total registered voters at 7,896,681, the official voter turnout was 23 percent. County boards of elections rejected 1,564 absentee ballots that were received after election day. This primary was the first election since Gov. Mike DeWine signed SB293 (Gavarone), which eliminated the grace period for absentee ballots to be received by boards of elections after the election.

The Ohio Supreme Court Thursday denied motions from former East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer seeking to have the Court stop Secretary of State Frank LaRose from certifying the May 5 gubernatorial primary election and to set an expedited briefing schedule in his two lawsuits on the matter. Brewer filed the lawsuit last week arguing that LaRose did not properly confirm Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy's citizenship before certifying him to the ballot. In denying the motions, the Court sided with LaRose, who argued that Brewer's lawsuits are not election cases that require expedited briefing, citing the Court's Rules of Practice stating that expedited briefings should only occur in cases brought 90 days prior to the election.

The following endorsements were made over the week:

• The campaign of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton announced the endorsements of Ohio's United Steelworkers District 1; the Western Reserve Building Trades Council; and the North Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council.

ENERGY/UTILITIES

Three days before his resignation becomes effective on Sunday, June 7, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost made good his promise Thursday on his intent to retry former FirstEnergy CEO Charles "Chuck Jones and Senior Vice President of External Affairs Michael Dowling by announcing their reindictment for their alleged roles in the 133-HB6 scandal involving the Akron-based electric utility. Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich also joined the announcement. "The roots of this complex case haven't changed -- FirstEnergy was hijacked by two scheming executives who sought to control the regulator that influenced the company's stock prices," Yost said. "I'm confident that Ohio's ratepayers will get justice when the facts are unearthed in the courtroom." A Summit County grand jury this week charged Jones and Dowling with a combined 22 felony counts. Five of the charges name both defendants.

ENVIRONMENT

The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA) recently released its 2025 annual report highlighting its work in financing various projects across the state. According to the report, OAQDA accomplished the following in 2025:

• Issued $407 million in bonds for project financing.

• Secured an active portfolio of $3.6 billion with maturities up to 30 years.

• Measured, validated and delivered roughly $23 in benefits for every $1 invested in an OAQDA-financed project.

• Created more than 800 jobs, translating to $180 million in new economic value.

• Saved 50 percent for businesses and residents on reduced operating and utility bills.

FEDERAL

Thursday, the FBI announced creation of a "Most Wanted Fraudsters" program to publicize fugitive identities. "Ohio is leading the charge in the fight against fraud, and some states should take notice," said Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche. "Working closely with Ohio officials, the Department of Justice dismantled a sophisticated Medicaid fraud scheme that exploited taxpayers to fund exotic cars and lavish lifestyles. By holding these fraudsters accountable and partnering with the FBI on a robust Most Wanted fraudster list, we are pursuing fraud more aggressively than ever. No fraud scheme is beyond our reach."

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

Hundreds of officeholders and Statehouse denizens turned out Tuesday night for a ceremony in the Statehouse Atrium to unveil the official portrait for former House Speaker Ryan Smith. Smith, now president of the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College, served as speaker from June 2018 through the end of the 132nd General Assembly. He succeeded former Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, who resigned amid law enforcement scrutiny that ultimately did not result in charges, but lost the gavel to now-imprisoned former Speaker Larry Householder, who formed an alliance with House Democrats to win the job over Smith. Smith's portrait was painted by Cincinnati artist Carl Samson.

House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) told Hannah News he anticipates two House voting sessions next week on Tuesday, June 9 and Wednesday, June 10 as well as committee hearings Monday as the chamber works toward its summer break. His comments came after the House Rules and Reference Committee meeting Wednesday, in which he asked leadership to have their caucuses abridge congratulatory remarks at those sessions. Huffman said there are "four big issues" he wants to act on by the end of June 10 -- the capital budget, a bill on data centers, addressing Medicaid fraud concerns and the resolution for a Voter ID constitutional amendment.

Passing the Senate on Wednesday was HB20 (Hall-Plummer) which increases the penalty for obstructing official business when the victim is an emergency service responder who is engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty, by a vote of 29-2. Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo), who voted against it along with Sen. Beth Liston (D-Dublin), said there had been mixed emotions among her caucus about the bill because "unfortunately, we've seen some actions that have not been proper by law enforcement."

Bills passing the Senate unanimously on Wednesday were the following:

• HB195 (Isaacsohn-A. Mathews) to update Ohio's Uniform Commercial Code.

• HB268 (Humphrey-Click) to modify when a person may file a petition for a certificate of qualification for employment.

• HB359 (C. Thomas-Gross) to clarify the statewide emergency alert system in cases of missing autistic or developmentally disabled children. Family of Joshua Al-Lateef Jr, who the bill was named after and who were in attendance at the session, clapped after its passage.

• SB120 (Hicks-Hudson) to establish the Urban Farmer Youth Initiative Pilot Program.

• SB135 (Brenner) related to real property foreclosures and estate sales.

• SB331 (Wilson-Blackshear) to allow certain public hospitality employees to accept gratuities.

Heading to Gov. Mike DeWine's desk is a proposal to set state regulations on carbon capture and storage, after the House unanimously agreed to Senate amendments to HB170 (Robb Blasdel-Peterson). Also headed to the governor, after the Senate unanimously concurred with House amendments, is SB106 (Reineke) regarding electric vehicle charging stations.

A House vote Wednesday advanced efforts to make Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cards less theft-prone, as both chambers have now approved requirements to transition to chip-enabled cards, albeit in separate vehicles. The House unanimously approved HB163 (Rader-Deeter), which will require new Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to include the chips now common on credit and debt cards. Existing EBT magnetic stripe cards would be swapped out for chip-enabled versions as part of the state's regular replacement schedule.

The lower chamber also debated proposed updates to oil and gas regulations, with most Democrats opposing the measure, SB219 (Landis) The bill got a few Democratic votes, passing 61-30.

The House passed SB179 (Johnson) 90-0. Under the bill, the state would be required to use the Veterans Reentry Search Service (VRSS) to verify the veteran status of those in prison or charged with an offense punishable by incarceration. Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville), chair of the House Veterans and Military Development Committee, said connecting veterans to Veterans Administration benefits, programs and treatment opportunities helps them reintegrate into society and reduces risks of homelessness and recidivism.

The chamber also voted unanimously for legislation to establish a four-year statute of limitations for slander and libel, HB441 (Stewart). Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville), joint sponsor of the bill with Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon), said for a century Ohio law was clearly understood to require libel and slander lawsuits to commence within a year of the allegedly defamatory statements, until a divided Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the statute of limitations ran from the point the statement was discovered, not initially made. Stewart said that created "unending, continuous liability."

Also passing unanimously was HB523 (Brennan-Manning), which would allow schools to pay a stipend to student teachers and institutions of higher education to waive fees during student teaching. Reps. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) and Sean Brennan (D-Parma), joint sponsors of the bill and former teachers, said the bill acknowledges that unpaid student teaching can serve as a financial barrier to joining the profession. "We have to start thinking of them as doing an internship," said Manning.

HB593 (Deeter) received broad support in an 84-1 vote.

In other action, the House passed the following bills unanimously:

• SB262 (Blessing), which requires parties to construction contracts to note variations from industry standard forms.

• SB263 (Roegner), allowing professional employer organizations to file consolidated unemployment compensation reports for their clients.

• HB339 (Hoops), to allow surviving spouses of Purple Heart recipients to have Purple Heart specialty license plates.

• HB345 (LaRe), to increase penalties for voyeurism.

• HB528 (Williams), to set a minimum seven-year prison term for forcible rape.

• HB582 (Plummer-Young), addressing regulation of embalmers, funeral directors and crematories.

• HB639 (Deeter-Click), regarding defense against nuisance claims related to racing facilities.

• HB766 (Lorenz-Salvo), to designate October as "Augmentative and Alternative Communication Awareness Month."

A medical imaging bill already approved by one committee headed Tuesday to the Senate Finance Committee despite lacking the typical feature that leads to bills getting a second look there -- an appropriation. Committee members had no questions for Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) after her sponsor testimony on HB479, which would update laws on how health care professionals administer contrast media for the likes of CT scans and MRIs. Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), chair of the committee, was circumspect about the reasons for the bill’s being in his committee when asked after the hearing.

After five hearings that began in February, the Sunset Review Committee Wednesday concluded its review of minor state agencies. Chair Sen. Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield) said the committee is "over the first hump" and will soon look to draft legislation addressing the discontinuation or adjustments to various agencies. Fifteen entities testified before the committee Wednesday, all asking for reauthorization. They included: Ohio Advisory Council for the Aging, Brain Injury Advisory Committee, Commission on Minority Health, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Council, Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, Family and Children First Cabinet Council, Children's Trust Fund Board, Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Regional Councils, Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, Ohio Dyslexia Committee, Parkinson's Disease Registry Advisory Committee, Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Medical Advisory Council, Citizen's Advisory Council, Technology First Task Force, and Interagency Work Group on Autism.

Proposed changes to the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) rules regarding the licensing and certification of child care centers drew the only testimony at Monday's meeting of the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR). In opponent testimony to a package of DCY rule changes, Amie Royer, CEO of AIR Child Care Training Solutions, said the package contains several deficiencies that warrant close JCARR scrutiny under the established statutory review standards, including what she called clear examples of improper incorporation by reference. However, Co-chair Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Concord) said many of the rule changes Royer was referencing seemed to invoke "legislative or policy issues," which Callender said are outside of JCARR's purview.

In other legislative action, the House Arts, Athletics and Tourism Committee reported out HB687 (Schmidt) regarding AED/CPR training for athletic staff; House Community Revitalization Committee reported out HB758 (Sweeney-Manning) regarding an epilepsy designation for the Disability Database; HB718 (Brownlee-Salvo) changing the name of the Chemical Dependency Professionals Board; and HB585 (Odioso-Lett) regarding DODD rules on use of community capital assistance funds; the House Education Committee reported out SB318 (Cutrona) regarding school resource officers in nonpublic schools; and HB711 (Dovilla-Ritter) addressing the minimum teacher salary schedule; the House Finance Committee reported out both HB645 (Dovilla) and HCR32 (Dovilla) regarding zero-based budgeting; the House Public Safety Committee reported out HB654 (Deeter-Manning) which increases penalty for abuse of a corpse; HB667 (Abrams) regarding GPS monitoring/warrant requirements; HB677 (Synenberg-Abrams) dealing custody and missing child alerts; and SB273 (Koehler) which enacts Keep Them Safe Act; the House Veterans and Military Development Committee reported out HB452 (C. Thomas-Lawson-Rowe) which designates Tank Battalion Day; the Senate Energy Committee reported out SB294 (Lang-Romanchuk) which addresses state energy siting policy; the House Agriculture Committee reported out HB733 (Fowler-D. Thomas) dealing with maple products; the House Development reported out HB284 (Hiner-E. White) which requires iron/steel produced in U.S. be used in state funded-projects; the House Energy Committee reported out HCR35 (Lear) which urges Congress to reform federal permitting for energy infrastructure; House Judiciary Committee reported out HB314 (Isaacsohn-Ray) to restrict disruptive record requests; House Workforce and Higher Education Committee reported out HB319 (Young) to enact the Clinical Teach Subsidy Reform Act; the Senate Judiciary Committee reported out HB421 (Antonio-Manning) which deals with statute of limitations on sex offenses; SB102 (Patton) which enacts Gus Frangos Act; and the Senate Local Government Committee reported out HB397 (Deeter-Johnson) which addresses use of jail commissary funds.

GOVERNOR

Amid lawmakers' debates on addressing Medicaid misspending, one target of criticism repeatedly crops up: Gov. Mike DeWine's line-item vetoes of Medicaid policies across the operating budgets enacted during his administration. House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima), among others, has argued that policies struck by DeWine's veto pen could have addressed problems now coming to light from news reporting, audits and legislative scrutiny. DeWine's office retorts that, at least in some cases, his vetoes were what in fact prevented misspending. Across the four budgets signed since taking office in 2019, DeWine has vetoed numerous provisions related to Medicaid, often in the name of maintaining administrative flexibility or keeping provider rates out of statute, and sometimes with the intent of carrying out the intended policy through his own authority.

In honor of the life and service of Lorain County Administrator and former State Sen. Jeff Armbruster, Gov. Mike DeWine has ordered that both the United States and the state of Ohio flags be flown at half-staff at all public buildings and grounds throughout Lorain County and at the Ohio Statehouse, Vern Riffe Center, and Rhodes Tower from sunrise to sunset on the day of the celebration of his life, Sunday, June 7.

HIGHER EDUCATION

A bill currently under consideration in the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee is seeking to make sure Ohio's most successful graduating high school students who matriculate to the state's universities are getting the full benefit of the aid they earned in the form of Gov. Mike DeWine's Governor's Merit Scholarship. The Governor's Merit Scholarship was initially established in operating budget 135-HB33 (Edwards) and renewed in subsequent budget HB96 (Stewart) as a way to keep the top 5 percent of Ohio's graduating high school seniors in the state with a $5,000 award if they attended an in-state university. Rep. Jim Thomas (R-Canton) introduced HB793 (J. Thomas) earlier this year after a constituent had raised a concern that the Ohio Revised Code language concerning the scholarship may allow universities to reduce their other awards given to Governor's Merit Scholarship recipients "in an effort to stretch their institutional dollars beyond what they already promised and allotted," according to Thomas's sponsor testimony.

The Ohio State University (OSU) and nearly all the remaining survivors of sexual abuse by former university physician Richard Strauss in a pending lawsuit have reached a $100 million settlement, the university announced Wednesday following ratification of a resolution by OSU's Board of Trustees. According to the university, 279 of the 280 survivors involved in pending litigation agreed to settlements. This most recent round of settlements joins the more than 300 settlement agreements reached between the university and Strauss survivors, totaling more than $61 million.

The OSU Office of Government Affairs announced Tuesday the hiring of Carly Hensinger as director of state relations. Hensinger is a graduate of OSU and most recently was legislative liaison with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Her career experience also includes work as a legislative aide in the House and roles with the lieutenant governor's office and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. In the new position, Hensinger will help to lead the university's advocacy and engagement efforts along with Associate Vice President of State Relations Tom Walsh.

HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS

Gov. Mike DeWine Friday announced that $26.9 million in grants are being awarded to expand access to affordable housing in 57 counties. The funding comes from the latest round of the Welcome Home Ohio Program, which was passed by the General Assembly as part of biennial budget HB96 (Stewart). The program provides grants for both the purchase of qualifying residential properties at foreclosure sales and for the rehabilitation or construction of homes. Land banks, county land reutilization corporations, electing subdivisions and qualified nonprofit developers are eligible to apply.

The number of homeless persons in Ohio increased from 2024 to 2025 according to the results of a point-in-time count released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) last month. The full HUD report can be seen HERE. HUD's 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress reports that there were 12,196 homeless persons in Ohio during the department's state-by-state point-in-time count in January 2025. HUD describes a person who is homeless as lacking a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime. The total number of homeless persons statewide counted in 2025 included 9,718 who were sheltered, or staying in emergency shelters (ES), transitional housing (TH) programs or safe havens, and 2,478 (increased 4 percent from 2024) who were unsheltered, meaning their primary nighttime location is a public or private place not designated for, or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for people, including cars, public parks, bus or train stations or camping grounds.

House Democrats Thursday unveiled a wide-ranging housing affordability plan they said will meet the state's housing challenge head on using "new ideas" instead of "yesterday's solutions." The plan consists of a package of bills they say will build new homes, bring down prices, protect renters, support first-time homebuyers and keep current homeowners housed, Rep. Karen Brownlee (D-Cincinnati), a lead Democrat on the issue, explained during the press conference introducing the plan. Among the string of bills in the package, are the following: HB910 (Upchurch-Abdullahi), working to secure mortgage assistance for eligible homeowners; HB857 (Brownlee-Sigrist), aka the "Housing Recovery Act," regarding the Residential Development Revolving Loan Program; and HR427 (E. White-Cockley), establishing a baseline set of tenant protections. Brownlee was joined by House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) along with Reps. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) and Desiree Tims (D-Dayton).

HUMAN SERVICES

A tapestry of state, county and local organizations provide the support and protection needed by Ohio's foster children, whose numbers included 14,455 students in foster care during the 2024-2025 school year, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. But according to advocates speaking to Friday's meeting of the Ohio Legislative Children's Caucus, it's one thing to say a child has a right to those supports and another to build the community to enable them.

JUDICIAL

When lawmakers closed the door on school districts' power to seek administrative appeal of property valuations, they did not open a window to challenging valuations in court, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Friday. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court decided quickly Friday to freeze an appellate ruling that found part of the same law unconstitutional. In 134-HB126 (Merrin), the General Assembly generally prevented local jurisdictions from challenging the valuation of property they do not own at a county board of revision or the state Board of Tax appeals.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel has partnered with the Ohio Association of Foodbanks (OAF) and the Children's Hunger Alliance (CHA) in encouraging Ohio families to take advantage of meal sites and nutrition resources available in communities throughout the state this summer while kids are home from school. "Summer should be a time for children to learn, grow and enjoy time with family and friends, and good nutrition plays an important role in helping children stay healthy and active," said Tressel. "We encourage Ohio families to explore the meal sites and resources available in their local communities this summer." Tressel's office said free meals will be available for eligible children aged 18 and under at approved community sites across the state through the SUN Meals program, a summer food program administered by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Individuals through age 21 who have disabilities and approved individualized education programs are also eligible to receive meals through the program.

MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM

The federal and state governments announced Thursday an anti-fraud partnership, new indictments and provider payment suspensions as part of efforts to rein in Medicaid misspending. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said it's establishing a new "roundtable" partnership between its Fraud Division and Ohio state government to improve coordination to find, investigate and prosecute fraud. Features of the effort include a data sharing agreement between DOJ's Fraud Division and the Ohio Secretary of State's Office, which keeps corporate registration data that can be used to establish links between business entities used by fraudulent providers. A copy of the memorandum of understanding between DOJ and the Secretary of State's Office is HERE. In addition, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the state will be working together to identify and refer fraud to DOJ, while fraud investigators in the Ohio Attorney General's Office and Ohio Auditor of State's Office "reaffirmed" their commitment to cross-designate or assign prosecutors to federal offices fighting fraud and participate in national initiatives in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General.

The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) announced that, following a new executive order from Gov. Mike DeWine directing focus on providers whose conduct indicates high risk of fraud, it has suspended payments for 49 home health providers. "Safeguarding Medicaid resources and ensuring uninterrupted access to care are equally important," said ODM Director Scott Partika in a statement. "This emergency rule allows us to take swift action against potential fraud without jeopardizing the health and safety of our members."

Amid Ohio leaders' efforts to address waste, fraud and abuse in the Ohio Medicaid program, Auditor of State Keith Faber, Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Rep. Mike Dovilla (R-Berea) headed to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday to testify before a congressional task force also probing the topic. U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX), chair of the Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses, scheduled a hearing on "universal basic fraud: vulnerabilities in Medicaid waiver programs." The task force was created earlier this month by U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-KY), chair of the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The task force also includes U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) among its members.

The chair of the Senate Medicaid Committee said Tuesday his chamber is likely to act on Medicaid waste, fraud and abuse issues before the summer break, while raising questions about whether the problem is as large as some have made it out to be recently and saying the administration likely can address many issues on its own. The House, meanwhile, heard from supporters of its new bill draft on the topic, including home health care agencies. Separately, people with disabilities sounded the alarm on loss of care access should HB795 (Williams) be passed as now written. Speaking to Hannah News after Tuesday's Senate Medicaid Committee hearing, Chair Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario) said "It's likely that we'll act on something. That's what I'm hearing," while adding that he is not leading discussions on the issue. Romanchuk said he has questions about what portion of the problem should be categorized as fraud versus waste, and how much of a legislative response is needed.

People living with disabilities or caring for those individuals told a House committee Wednesday they fear their already tenuous home care arrangements will get worse with proposals under consideration to address waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid. The House Medicaid Committee heard from numerous witnesses on HB795 (Williams) after adopting a second substitute version of the legislation, which among other provisions would bar family members from being paid through Medicaid waivers to provide personal care services to relatives. Over the objection of Democratic members, the committee accepted sub bill 3280-2. According to the Legislative Service Commission comparison document, the substitute version adds language to prohibit a spouse, parent, grandparent or great-grandparent, grandchild, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or step-relation of a person enrolled in a waiver from receiving Medicaid payment for providing personal care services covered under the waiver. The sub bill also established prior authorization requirements for personal care in waivers under the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) and Ohio Department of Aging (ODA), but exempts personal care services for waivers under the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD).

House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) told reporters after Wednesday's House Rules and Reference Committee meeting that he saw the capital budget as being insufficient to address gaps after operating budgets have cut "basic human services that people in Ohio rely on" such as health care, public education and child funding for over a decade. "I think the most telling part of the capital budget is that you can't use a much smaller capital budget to fill the massive holes that the state's operating budget created last year. When you underfund schools, when you underfund hospitals, when you underfund clinics, when you underfund child care, what it does is create a bunch of ripple effects that deeply impact people's lives," Isaacsohn continued.

Ohio might want to re-examine its reliance on county workers for Medicaid eligibility intake and redetermination, former Ohio Department of Medicaid Director John McCarthy said this week as part of a panel discussion on looming fiscal pressures for the health care program. McCarthy was part of a Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC) forum discussion, alongside Health Policy Institute of Ohio President Amy Rohling McGee, Sen. Louis Blessing (R-Cincinnati) and Dr. Buhari Mohammed, CEO of Heart of Ohio Family Health. McCarthy offered up taking another look at reliance on county government to administer Medicaid as one potential response to program changes and cost cutting flowing from federal HR1, aka the One Big Beautiful Bill. He said Ohio is one of the few states to use county-based eligibility offices, and new federal rules on implementation of Medicaid work requirements are pushing states to adopt more automation and technology. McCarthy, now with consultancy, Speire Healthcare Strategies, was Medicaid director for most of the Kasich administration and they encountered "lots of issues" with the county structure. In some places, the county workers were unionized, in others they were not, and eligibility determination wait times could get pretty long in some counties. "No matter what, they probably are underpaid for the work that they have to do," McCarthy said.

NATURAL RESOURCES

With summer travel plans in sight for many Ohioans this year, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) announced on Monday that Gov. Mike DeWine had officially proclaimed the week of Monday, June 1 through Sunday, June 7 as Ohio State Parks Week. Ohio's network of 76 state parks remains one of the few statewide systems in the U.S. to allow free admission to all visitors wishing to explore the state's natural beauty and recreational opportunities, the governor's office noted. The state park system in Ohio is also the reigning National Gold Medal Award winner among statewide park systems, earning the award from the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration last fall.

PENSIONS

Ray Higgins, executive director of the Public Employees Retirement System of Mississippi, will become the new executive director of the School Employees Retirement System (SERS) next month. SERS trustees voted unanimously Monday to hire Higgins, effective Monday, July 6, to succeed Richard Stensrud, who has been executive director of SERS since 2017. Higgins was one of three finalists for the position, alongside Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation Director Stephanie McCloud and Amy Fecher, executive director of the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System.

PEOPLE

The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) announced the appointment of Jeremiah Wagner as its next CEO, effective Monday, June 15. According to the association, Wagner brings more than a decade of Ohio state government experience and a deep personal commitment to behavioral health to the role and will lead the organization into "a new era of strategic focus, unified advocacy, and strengthened member support." Wagner joins OACBHA from the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), where he has served as deputy director of the Division of External Relations since 2022. He holds a master's in leadership and management from Western Governors University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Ohio State University, and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

POLITICS

SiriusXM recently launched a new weekly show hosted by former Ohio Gov. John Kasich. The show premiered May 23, and focuses on "bridging political divides through thoughtful, solutions-oriented conversations with leaders and thinkers from across the ideological spectrum," SiriusXM said in its announcement. The first show featured former U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin. "There's too much shouting and not enough listening in our country right now," said Kasich. "I've always believed in unity over division, personal responsibility, service to others and the ability of everyday Americans to make a difference. This show is about slowing things down, having honest conversations, and creating a place where people can reflect, find clarity and focus on what still unites us in a noisy world." The show airs weekly on Saturdays at 11 a.m., with replays on Sundays, on Sirius' POTUS channel.

The Ohio Democratic Party's State Central Committee Wednesday met in Columbus and re-elected Kathleen Clyde as the party chair. Clyde was first elected chair last year, taking over leading the party from Liz Walters. She was re-elected on Wednesday after completing Walters' unexpired term.

POLLS/STUDIES

Just over three-fifths of respondents in a new Quinnipiac University Poll think the U.S. is not living up to the ideal stated in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal and have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, while 35 percent think the United States today is living up to that ideal. The poll surveyed 1,316 adults nationwide from Thursday, May 14 through Monday, May 18, on attitudes about the nation as it prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, including some of the founding principles of the United States set in 1776, the state of democracy today, and pride in the country. The poll found differences along partisan lines, gender, and race on the question of living up to the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. Republicans (70 to 27 percent) think the United States today is living up to that ideal, while Democrats (87 to 11 percent) and independents (65 - 32 percent) think the United States today is not living up to that ideal. Men (54 to 43 percent) and women (68 to 28 percent) think the United States today is not living up to that ideal.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Gov. Mike DeWine Monday announced that Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS) Assistant Director Benjamin Suver will become interim director of the department when current director Andy Wilson becomes attorney general on Sunday, June 7. According to DeWine's office, "Ben Suver has held a number of important law enforcement positions for the state of Ohio including assistant director of public safety and special agent in charge at the Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation. I am confident that Ben will be a great leader of this important department. Ben has a passion for making sure our citizens are safe and that law enforcement has the tools and skills they need to serve and protect." Since August 2024, Suver has been the DPS assistant director.

Early results from the Ohio State Highway Patrol's (OSHP) Memorial Day blitz show six traffic fatalities over the four-day weekend, the lowest number in 18 years, according to the DeWine administration. The reporting period began Friday, May 22 and ran through Monday, May 25. Troopers made 16,490 traffic enforcement contacts, including 355 OVI and 66 drug arrests and 2,090 safety belt citations, and 9,179 non-enforcement contacts, including 1,647 motorist assists. Historically low traffic deaths recorded over Memorial Day Weekend come one week after OSHP conducted its first-ever statewide enforcement initiative to deter and intercept drivers impaired by drugs and alcohol, including marijuana.

The Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board and the Ohio Department of Public Safety's (DPS) Office of Criminal Justice Services have certified another sheriff's office under state law enforcement standards. The addition of the Clark County Sheriff's Office brings to 74 the number of counties in compliance with policing standards administered by the Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS). OCJS also announced the certification Monday of the Champion Township Police Department in Trumbull County.

The DeWine administration issued a request for proposal (RFP) Monday for an undisclosed amount of Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funding. The federal act supports law enforcement, prosecutors, courts and nonprofits in administering justice for, and strengthening services to, victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. "VAWA funds contribute toward developing effective responses to violence against women through activities that include direct services, crisis intervention, transitional housing, legal assistance to victims, court improvement and training for law enforcement and courts," the administration said. The RFP deadline is Tuesday, July 7 at 5 p.m. The Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS) has scheduled a voluntary training webinar Tuesday, June 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to assist VAWA bidders in both the application and review process. Webinar registration can be found HERE.

TAXATION

Gov. Mike DeWine's administration announced Monday the approval of assistance for eight projects expected to create 1,618 new jobs and retain 1,835 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 $133.1 million in new payroll and spur more than $1.8 billion in investments across Ohio. The announcement included data center company Cologix, which expects to create 90 full-time positions and retain 56, generating $10 million in new annual payroll and retaining $5.19 million in existing payroll.

TECHNOLOGY/AEROSPACE

Sens. Louis Blessing (R-Cincinnati) and Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) testified to the House Technology and Innovation Committee Tuesday about how their SB163 would address child sexual abuse material (CSAM) generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as well as AI-enabled fraud and impersonation in other forms. The committee, particularly Chair Thad Claggett (R-Newark), had extensive questions. Blessing said SB163 is a reintroduction of their 135-SB217. He went over how AI can be used to generate CSAM and how current Ohio law often depends on proving that an actual child was photographed or depicted, so these AI-fabricated but realistic depictions of minors are a challenge to prosecutors. He said SB163 would modernize Ohio law to prohibit obscene material and sexually-oriented material involving an "artificially-generated depiction of a minor" or a "depiction of a purported minor." It also amends laws on nudity-oriented material involving minors and impaired persons to ensure AI-generated depictions are treated consistently with existing protections in Ohio law.

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