Week in Review November 10, 2025

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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.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Attorney General Dave Yost has launched a statewide campaign to raise awareness of the types and signs of elder abuse and to encourage Ohioans to report such crimes. He says estimates show one in 10 Ohioans age 60 or older suffer abuse, including financial exploitation and other mistreatment, though only one in five cases ever come to light. In remarks to his Elder Abuse Commission's October meeting, Yost introduced a video entitled "What's Done in the Dark" to educate Ohioans about this "devastating yet often invisible crime" and eliminate victim stigmas. The video is the centerpiece of the new Elder Abuse Resources webpage on the AG's website and will be shared by his Elder Justice Unit at public events throughout Ohio. The awareness campaign website can be found HERE.

An environmental initiative to combat illegal dumping in Ohio neighborhoods is gaining global attention, Yost announced. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has awarded the Chief David Cameron Leadership in Environmental Crimes Award to "Shine a Light on Dumpers," a collaboration between Yost's Environmental Enforcement Section, the AG's Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCII) and local law enforcement agencies.

FY26-27 BUDGET

The state collected $110.6 million more than expected in October, with overperformance from all major sources, according to preliminary data from the Office of Budget and Management (OBM). Sales taxes, the largest revenue source, were up $52.2 million or 4.3 percent, bringing in $1.26 billion versus $1.21 billion expected. The non-auto sales tax was up $38.5 million or 3.7 percent, while the auto sales tax was up $13.6 million or 8 percent. Income taxes brought in $880 million versus forecasts of $849 million, up 3.7 percent. The Commercial Activity Tax was up by $18.4 million or 17.4 percent, reaching $124.5 million versus $106 million expected.

As Ohio aims to reduce its payment error rate for food benefits to avoid or lesson federal cost-sharing requirements on the horizon, a budget corrections proposal directs the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to better identify the source of those errors. The Senate last week turned HB434 (Willis-Lampton), a bill originally about driver training requirements, into the vehicle for two dozen budget corrections or follow-up provisions. Among them were tens of millions of dollars across the biennium in state and federal funds for ODJFS' work to administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Federal HR1, aka the One Big Beautiful Bill, will shift more of the cost for program administration onto the states. It also for the first time will make states pay a share of benefit costs if their payment error rates exceed certain thresholds, with the state share ranging from 5 percent to 15 percent depending on the error rate. States with error rates below 6 percent will not have to share in benefit costs. Under HB434, ODJFS is required to develop the capability to identify payment errors due to agency errors, client errors and from Ohio Benefits, the IT system used to administer SNAP. Funding in HB434 includes $10.5 million to update Ohio Benefits to reduce the error rate. On Wednesday, the House agreed to the changes, sending the bill, as an emergency measure, on to the governor for his signature.

FY27-28 CAPITAL APPROPRIATIONS

Some state facilities in Ohio need the capital funding, Gov. Mike DeWine said talking with reporters following the Veterans Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Thursday. DeWine told Hannah News that while there is not yet a set timeline for the 2027-28 capital budget, it will be a topic he and House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) and Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) will be discussing. Capital plans and budget requests for the 2027-28 capital budget for all agencies were due Monday, Nov. 3. Capital reappropriation requests for all agencies are due Friday, Nov. 21.

CHILDREN/FAMILIES

Seven Ohio Head Start Association, Inc. (OHSAI) providers have exhausted their federal funds, forcing some to close and others to scramble to stay open, said OHSAI Monday. Programs in Highland and Scioto counties have already closed, affecting 600 children and 150 staff. The remaining five providers are operating off donations, community support and organizational reserves, the release said further. Head Start agencies in Coshocton and Allen counties are scheduled to temporarily close in two weeks. Without congressional action to pass a full FY26 budget or a short-term continuing resolution, all seven providers face eventual closure. These closures will affect 3,693 children and 940 staff and leave working parents without child care, according to OHSAI.

CITIES

Gov. Mike DeWine Monday joined state, local, and federal authorities to discuss their ongoing partnership to reduce violent crime in Cleveland. Announced in 2023 by DeWine and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, the partnership includes the Cleveland Division of Police (CPD), Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Investigative Unit, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice, and others. According to the day's report, "Since July 2023, the violent crime reduction initiatives have led to more than 1,400 felony arrests in Cleveland for serious crimes such as homicide and felonious assault. Authorities have also seized more than 1,000 illegally possessed firearms."

EDUCATION

The trio of school management organizations on Tuesday asked the Senate Local Government Committee to soften the blow of adding emergency and substitute levies into 20-mill floor funding calculations. The Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA), Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) and Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) testified on HB129. The groups testified together as interested parties, saying they appreciated House additions that reflect recommendations of Gov. Mike DeWine's property tax working group but feel more changes are needed.

Young conservatives and others urged the House Education Committee to approve legislation specifying schools' ability to teach the positive contributions of religion in history. The committee Tuesday heard from proponents of HB486 (Click-Dovilla), named by sponsors the Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act, after the recently assassinated conservative activist. Dozens of people signed up to speak or submit written comments in favor of the bill.

ELECTIONS

Senate Republicans and Democrats locked horns Wednesday over whether adding Ohio to the 34 red, blue and purple states and territories that have adopted an Election Day deadline for mail-in ballots, regardless of postmark, would be another alleged example of Ohio GOP voter suppression. During session, SB293's (Gavarone-Brenner) joint sponsor, Sen. Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware), read off the two thirds of all states now in compliance with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals' October 2024 opinion, Republican National Committee v. Wetzel, striking down a Mississippi law that allowed election boards to accept ballots five days late. Ohio's deadline is currently four. The final vote on SB293 was 23-10, with Sen. Lou Blessing (R-Cincinnati) joining Democrats.

The Senate General Government Committee Wednesday adopted a substitute bill for a sweeping elections bill that would give more time for the secretary of state's office and county boards of elections to implement it, while sending another elections bill that eliminates the post-election return period for absentee ballots to the Senate floor. Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) outlined numerous changes to SB153 (Gavarone) for boards of elections and the secretary of state's office to follow when verifying an elector's citizenship. These would become effective 18 months after the bill becomes law. At that time, the secretary of state would be required to conduct citizenship reviews using state databases and the federal SAVE database on a monthly basis and daily during the 46 days before an election. When the office is unable to determine whether a person is a citizen, the local board of elections must send the person a confirmation notice and require the person to cast a provisional ballot.

The Ohio Elections Commission Thursday decided to push any action on complaints filed over former House Speaker Larry Householder and his associates to the entity that will take over the commission's work in January, eliciting criticism from all sides, including Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who accused the commission of negligence. LaRose and Attorney General Dave Yost's office had referred cases alleging a number of campaign finance violations to the commission after Householder and former Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges were arrested on bribery and corruption charges related to the passage of nuclear bailout bill 133-HB6 (Callender-Wilkin). The commission, however, delayed hearing the complaints, citing a need to allow the federal cases to work their way through the courts. Those hearings on four cases involving the two and other co-defendants were set for Thursday's meeting although now, all parties agree now that the statute of limitations has passed for the commission to take any action.

ELECTIONS 2025

Fewer than 400,000 Ohioans had cast ballots ahead of Tuesday's election when Ohio voters were treated to mild temperatures as they went to the polls and weighed in on a number of municipal, school board and township trustee races, as well as local levies. According to the secretary of state's office, there were 1,553 local levies on the ballot, including 205 additional levies, six continuation levies, 672 renewal levies, 31 renewal levies with an increase, 125 replacement levies, nine replacement levies with a decrease, 16 replacement levies with an increase, and seven substitute levies. Those levies include more than 100 school funding issues and 20 library issues. Also included were five separate issues totaling $1.9 billion by the city of Columbus for various projects. Voters in the city of Cincinnati, in addition to casting ballots for city council, re-elected Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, a Democrat, over his Republican challenger, Cory Bowman, the half-brother of Vice President JD Vance.

Ohio voters approved two thirds of school funding requests before them on Tuesday's ballot, according to the Ohio School Boards Association. The 66 percent passage rate marked an improvement from the 51 percent of issues that passed in the 2024 general election. As usual, renewal requests that maintained existing tax levels fared the best, with 55 of 60 or 91.7 percent passing.

The Ohio Library Council (OLC) reported nearly all library funding requests, 18 out of 20, won voter approval.

According to the Ohio Township Association (OTA), voters approved 442 of 496 township funding issues on the Nov. 4 ballot, for an 89 percent passage rate. Public safety service funding requests for police, fire, EMS or a combination thereof accounts for more than half of the requests, and 90 percent of the issues passed.

The Ohio Parks and Recreation Association reported that 43 of 47 parks and recreation funding requests were approved, a passage rate of more than 90 percent.

According to information provided by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO), voters Tuesday approved seven of nine children services levies on the ballot.

ELECTIONS 2026

Former state legislator Kevin Coughlin ended his bid for a rematch with U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) after the Ohio Redistricting Commission voted Friday on a new plan that makes Sykes' district a little safer for the incumbent. Coughlin said on social media that he does not "not see a path to victory and I cannot ask our supporters to continue to invest their time and treasure into this race" after the new map was adopted.

Vik Sandhu announced Friday his candidacy for the 35th House District next year. The seat is currently held by Rep. Steve Demetriou (R-Chagrin Falls), who is running for the Ohio Senate next year. Sandhu is a small business owner and former Merchant Navy officer who also served as fiscal officer for Richfield Township. He holds a master's degree in nautical science.

The Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) released the results of a poll it commissioned and conducted by Hart Research on the 2026 gubernatorial race, showing that despite Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's name recognition, he has yet to separate from Democrat Amy Acton. The poll of 800 likely voters was conducted from Friday, Sept. 19, through Monday, Sept. 22, and showed Acton with a slight lead over Ramaswamy 46 to 45. The poll said Acton led among independent voters by 21 points, suburban voters by 13 points, and women by 14 points.

Socialist and Black liberation organizer Greg Levy announced this week that he will be running for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat in 2026. In his announcement, Levy pointed to the success of Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, in the New York City mayor's race.

The following endorsements were made over the week:

• The U.S. Senate campaign of Democrat Sherrod Brown announced the endorsements of the Ohio Association of Letter Carriers, UAW Ohio CAP (Community Action Program) Council, and the Ohio State Building and Construction Trade Council.

• The gubernatorial campaign of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy announced the endorsements of the Ohio Laborers' District Council and the International Union of Operating Engineers in Ohio (IUOE Local 18).

• EMILYs List endorsed Amy Acton for governor.

ENVIRONMENT

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Environmental Education awarded $32,400 in grant funding to eight organizations across the state. Each year, the Ohio EPA Education Fund provides grants for environmental education projects for kindergarten through university students, the public and the regulated community. The grants are funded with a portion of the civil penalties Ohio EPA collects for violations of Ohio's air and water pollution control laws.

The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA) announced on Tuesday the agency recently closed on $55 million in bond financing through the Clean Air Improvement Program to support a portion of Rumpke Water & Recycling's investment in an air quality project involving facilities in Clark, Clermont and Hamilton counties. OAQDA said the financing will help advance construction plans, strengthen critical infrastructure, expand processing capacity and support more than 220 jobs across Southwest Ohio. The projects will create 105 full-time jobs and sustain 115 existing positions. The projects include two separate solid waste transfer stations in Clark and Clermont counties and facility improvements in Hamilton County. The upgrades, in addition to Rumpke's own investments, will improve efficiency in waste collection and disposal while reducing vehicle operating time, according to OAQDA.

The Ohio Department of Development (DOD) recently released details and guidelines for the next round of Brownfield Remediation Grants, with $88 million available for clean up of industrial, commercial and institutional brownfield sites that are abandoned, idled or underutilized due to a known or potential release of hazardous substances or petroleum. The grant application window opens at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12 and closes at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5. The funding round was made possible through legislative support as the current budget allocates a total of $200 million. The $88 million figure for FY26 reflects $1 million reserved for applicants in each Ohio county under a merit-based process. Any of those funds not obligated by June 30, 2026 will be added to the approximately $109 million amount available in FY27. The list of Brownfield Remediation Program guidelines for FY26 is available HERE.

FEDERAL/SNAP

A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled Thursday in litigation joined by the city of Columbus that the Trump administration must transfer money under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) purview to enable states to make full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Payments (SNAP) for November. "People have gone without for too long. Not making payments to them, even for another day, is simply unacceptable," said Judge John McConnell Jr. in a verbal ruling from the bench. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) said Thursday it would have to await further guidance from USDA before taking action in response to McConnell's ruling.

Gov. Mike DeWine's office said Thursday the administration has transferred $7 million to regional foodbanks as part of efforts to soften the blow of delayed food assistance during the federal government shutdown. SNAP funding lapsed Nov. 1. While awaiting guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the federal action, DeWine's office said in the meantime it would not change its plans regarding supplemental Ohio Works First Benefits. The foodbank money was distributed as follows:

• Freestore Foodbank, $795,637.50

• Greater Cleveland Food Bank, $1,170,837.50

• Toledo Seagate Food Bank, $570,937.50

• Mid-Ohio Food Collective, $1,440,337.50

• Shared Harvest Foodbank, $1,431,937.50

• Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, $887,337.50

• Second Harvest Foodbank of the Mahoning Valley, $427,437.50

• Second Harvest Foodbank of North Central Ohio, $275,537.50

DeWine's office also said the first installment of OWF payments is expected to go out Friday. Under his plan, about 63,000 people, including more than 57,000 children, will get an additional weekly benefit equal to 25 percent of their normal monthly OWF allotment. Should the shutdown persist through the month, the plan will effectively double OWF benefits for these recipients.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

Speaker of the Ohio House Matt Huffman (R-Lima) and Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) announced Wednesday that Bill Rowland has been selected as the new director of the Ohio Legislative Service Commission (LSC), following the retirement of Wendy Zhan, effective Friday, Nov. 7. Additionally, Julie Rishel has been named the new assistant director of LSC. Rowland has been serving the members of the Ohio General Assembly as an attorney and supervisor at LSC for over 32 years. Since 2012, he has served as a division chief for LSC, supervising the agriculture, environment, natural resources, transportation, public safety and liquor group, as well as managing and coordinating legal aspects of Ohio's biennial transportation budget.

The House Wednesday passed SB50 (Schaffer) that would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work until 9 p.m. during the school year along party lines with a vote of 62-30. It now goes to the governor. The House also adopted on a similar vote SCR3 (Schaffer), which legislators said is needed, as SB50 only would work if the federal Fair Labor Standards Act is modified.

In other action, the House passed the following:

• HB188 (Hall-Synenberg), to create the Ohio Israel Trade and Innovation Partnership, on a vote of 73-10.

• HB195 (Isaascsohn-Mathews), to make changes to Ohio's Uniform Commercial Code to address and recognize cryptocurrency and other electronic assets, by a vote of 83-7.

• HB386 (Odioso-Abrams), to require identity verification with photo identification when applying for a marriage license, by a vote of 88-2.

• HB430 (Hiner-K. Miller), to designate a portion of State Route 13 in Knox County as the "Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Vance M. Andrews Memorial Highway," by a unanimous vote.

• HB433 (Fowler-Arthur-Klopfenstein), to update the current amusement ride classification structure for purposes of the annual inspection and reinspection fees, by a vote of 87-4.

• HB471 (Abrams), to designate a portion of Interstate 275 in Hamilton County as the "Deputy Larry Henderson Memorial Highway," by a unanimous vote.

• HR227 (Cockley-Ritter), urging the United States Department of Justice to expedite work to connect the national crime information center (NCIC) and NamUs databases, on a unanimous vote.

The House also concurred with Senate amendments to HB23 (Roemer-Williams), to create an escaped convict alert program, and HB434 (Willis), which addressed driver's education requirements for a limited-term driver's license and was amended by the Senate to become a budget corrections bill. The House also voted to adopt an emergency clause on HB434.

In addition, to passing SB293 (Gavarone-Brenner) 23-10, the Senate first dispatched eight other pieces of legislation 33-0, including four naming bills: HB38 (Fowler Arthur), SB282 (Schaffer), SB229 (Romanchuk) and SB244 (Roegner-Timken) -- the latter enshrining Aug. 26 as "Abbey Gate Remembrance Day" in honor of the 13 American soldiers lost to a suicide bomb at Hamid Karzai International Airport during the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, when roughly 170 Afghani civilians also died. The bill has numerous bipartisan co-sponsors.

Asked by Hannah News if there would be further budget correction action beyond HB434 (Willis), Speaker of the House Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said he was discussing that with policy staff and there have been additional items "that have trickled in over the last week. … We didn't want to delay [HB434], but there very well may be some other things that we do. I don't have any of the specifics on that, of course, and frankly, we haven't talked specifically with the Senate," he added. Huffman said they would try to pass those other changes before Thanksgiving.

House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) told reporters Wednesday election results across the U.S. reflect how Republicans nationally and at the Statehouse had made promises to improve affordability in 2024 that are now broken. "Democrats are running to make it very clear that we are focused on bringing the cost of everyday life down for people," he continued. Isaacsohn also emphasized that the state should pay more for public services in response to a question on property tax levy results around Ohio. Isaacsohn further said election results showed the new Congressional map may not be a 12-3 one, as "every single targeted Democrat can win in 2026."

In other legislative action, the House Insurance Committee reported out HB221 (King) to enact the Health Care Sharing Ministries Freedom to Share Act; the House Public Safety Committee reported out HB311 (E. White-Hoops) to designate “EMS Week in Ohio”; the House Transportation Committee reported out license plate bills HB381 (Abrams-Ghanbari) and HB403 (Grim), and road designation bill HB541 (McClain); and the Senate Education Committee reported out SB276 (Roegner) which ratifies the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists and SB19 (Brenner) which deals with public school academic intervention services.

GOVERNOR

The governor signed the following bills:

HB44 (J. Miller-K. Miller) Regarding training schools for prospective law enforcement officers, filling a vacant police department position without a competitive examination, requirements for chief of police training, and advanced training for officers at or above the rank of sergeant.

HB171 (Schmidt) To designate a portion of State Route 28 in Clermont County as the "CPT Louis John Speidel Memorial Highway."

Appointments made over the week include the following:

• Lawrence D. Holmes of Greenville (Darke County) to the Edison State Community College Board of Trustees for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Jan. 17, 2031, and Trisha L. Wackler of Lewisburg (Preble County) for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Jan. 17, 2029.

• Scott Eubanks of Cambridge (Guernsey County) to the Zane State College Board of Trustees for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending July 31, 2028.

• Deborah L. Saunders of Gallipolis (Gallia County) to the Rio Grande Community College Board of Trustees for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Oct. 10, 2026, and Kathryn H. Rinehart of Jackson (Jackson County) and H. Christian Scott of Gallipolis (Gallia County) reappointed for terms beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Oct. 10, 2030.

• Matthew B. Kripke of Toledo (Lucas County) to the University of Toledo Board of Trustees for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending July 1, 2031.

• M. Katherine Holcombe of Worthington (Franklin County) to the Ohio State University Board of Trustees for a term beginning Oct. 10, 2025, and ending May 13, 2028.

• Scott Brihn of North Royalton (Cuyahoga County) to the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority Investment Board for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Jan. 30, 2026, and James D. Benson of Dublin (Franklin County) for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Jan. 30, 2029.

• Christian H. Stickan of Mayfield Village (Cuyahoga County) to the Ohio Ethics Commission for a term beginning Oct. 10, 2025, and ending Jan. 1, 2030.

• Aaron D. Crooks of Columbus (Franklin County) to the Transportation Review Advisory Council for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending June 29, 2029.

• Brendan C. Keener of Columbus (Franklin County) to the Ohio Rail Development Commission for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Oct. 20, 2027, Rusty Orben of Upper Arlington (Franklin County) for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Oct. 20, 2030, and Scott Corbitt of Plain City (Union County) reappointed for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Oct. 20, 2031.

• Jessica R. Bryant of Sylvania (Lucas County) to the Third Frontier Commission for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending April 1, 2028.

• James S. Aslanides of Coshocton (Coshocton County) reappointed to the Oil and Gas Commission for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Oct. 14, 2030.

• Erik L. Crouch of Bellbrook (Greene County) to the State Vision Professionals Board for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending March 22, 2028, Brian E. Dietz of Lima (Allen County) for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending March 22, 2026, and Adrienne B. Chatters of Pickerington (Fairfield County) and Rebecca J. Williamson Brown of Salem (Columbiana County) reappointed for terms beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending March 22, 2028.

• Cheryl L. Boop of Grove City (Franklin County) and Siobhan Fagan of Dayton (Montgomery County) to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board for terms beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Aug. 27, 2028, and Mario Baker of Bowling Green (Wood County), Benjamin Burkam of Dublin (Franklin County), Marnie Renda of Cincinnati (Hamilton County) and Betsy K. Donahoe-Fillmore of Mason (Warren County) reappointed for terms beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Aug. 27, 2028.

• Alisia Clark of Columbus (Franklin County) reappointed to the Commission on Minority Health for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Sept. 2, 2027.

• Jody Foltyn of Columbus (Franklin County) to the Governor's Executive Workforce Board for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and continuing at the pleasure of the governor.

• Richard C. Hylant of Ottawa Hills (Lucas County) reappointed to the Great Lakes Protection Fund Board for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Oct. 10, 2027.

• Gayle Manning of Avon (Lorain County) to the Ohio Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Dec.30, 2026.

• Jo Alice Blondin of Springfield (Clark County) to the Ohio Commission on Service and Volunteerism for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending April 21, 2028.

• Bambi J. Baughn of Washington Court House (Fayette County) and Zachary L. Frymier of Bexley (Franklin County) to the Public Benefits Advisory Board for terms beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027, Jared K. Weiser of Powell (Delaware County) and Joseph W. Price of Massillon (Stark County) for terms beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending June 30, 2028, and Tracy S. Freeman of Pickerington (Fairfield County) reappointed for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending June 30, 2028.

• Heith D. Good of Amanda (Fairfield County) to the State Emergency Response Commission for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Jan. 13, 2026.

• Heather L. Erwin of Kettering (Montgomery County) and Shane A. Stull of Port Washington (Tuscarawas County) to the State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services for terms beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Nov. 12, 2027, Lucas J. Bergman of Delaware (Delaware County) for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Nov. 12, 2026, Kent J. Appelhans of Pemberville (Wood County) reappointed for a term beginning Oct. 31, 2025, and ending Nov. 12, 2026, and David P. Viola of North Canton (Stark County), Deana M. Pace of Warren (Trumbull County), Amy B. Raubenolt of Akron (Summit County), Kevin T. Uhl of Mason (Warren County), Mark L. Marchetta, Sr. of Hopedale (Harrison County), and Dudley H. A. Wright II of Westerville (Franklin County) reappointed for terms beginning Nov. 13, 2025, and ending Nov. 12, 2028.

HIGHER EDUCATION

The Ohio State University's (OSU) Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society recently accepted a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The grant will be used to expand curriculum development, faculty research and student programming focusing on America's founding principles, civic institutions and cultural traditions, according to a written statement released by the university. The statement said the funds will also be used to improve the Chase Center's outreach to K-12 schools and community partners by launching new statewide outreach and education initiatives supporting students, their families and teachers.

Enrollment is showing signs of bouncing back at several of Ohio's public colleges and universities for the fall of 2025. Higher education in Ohio and nationwide has faced headwinds since the COVID-19 pandemic and as far back as the mid 2010s. Financial challenges, declining overall birth rates and challenges to free speech on campus have contributed to what Gov. Mike DeWine told Ohio's public university trustees recently now comprise a public attitude toward higher education that he says has never been so skeptical in his life. But for the 2025-2026 academic year for colleges and universities across the state, many of those institutions are touting increased enrollment over prior years, and in some cases, the highest enrollment in many years.

HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS

Commercial real estate association NAIOP of Ohio offered an early thumbs up Tuesday to inspection, regulation and zoning reforms in HB361 (Lorenz-Fischer) and proposed that the Ohio General Assembly normalize all housing types -- single-family, fourplexes and larger multi-family dwellings -- in one tax classification. NAIOP board President Mike Sikora, managing partner of Sikora Law, was the latest witness invited by Chairwoman Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) to address the Senate Housing Committee on badly needed housing in the Buckeye State.

HUMAN SERVICES

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) communications staff told Hannah News Monday that implementation work is proceeding on a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) pilot program announced Sept. 25, days before the ongoing federal government shutdown started. Those efforts are on track to be completed by January, ODJFS Public Information Program Administrator Tom Betti said further. The HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF) selected Ohio and four other states as part of the program, meant to help individuals overcome barriers to employment so they are self-sufficient rather than utilizing public assistance. ODJFS is administering the pilot program in Ohio, focused on those with benefits under the Ohio Works First (OWF) program supported by federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds.

INSURANCE

The Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) monthly newsletter released Monday included sections on what to expect for 2026, as some Medicare Advantage plans and Prescription Drug plans (Part D) will not be renewing their contracts with Medicare. Affected individuals will receive a notice of non-renewal from the plan stating that coverage ends Dec. 31. The notice will remind recipients to choose a new plan for the coming year and list options for Medicare coverage, including a special right to purchase a Medigap policy. If new plans are selected by Wednesday, Dec. 31, that coverage will begin Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. If the deadline is missed, there will be a special enrollment period of 63 days to select a plan. Medicare will automatically enroll individuals who do not select a plan by Dec. 31 in Original Medicare for standard medical coverage. Help comparing plans can be found HERE, by calling 1-800-MEDICARE or contacting the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) at 800-686-1578.

LIBRARIES

Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) announced Friday it would pause its plans for a new branch facility on the city's Northwest side because of funding uncertainty. The library system pointed to changes in library funding HB96 (Stewart), the biennial budget, as well as property tax reform proposals and the pending ballot drive to repeal property taxes entirely. Under HB96, lawmakers converted the Public Library Fund, which supports local systems, from a percentage of state tax revenues to a fixed appropriation.

MARIJUANA/HEMP

With conferees named for hemp bill SB56 (Huffman) -- Sens. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro) and Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) and Reps. Tex Fischer (R-Youngstown), Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) and Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) – Speaker of the House Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said he believes they will vote on something before they break for Thanksgiving. He said the key points that are under discussion are around allowing some THC hemp and THC marijuana products to be sold, where they can be sold, and directing tax money to the local governments. It also will be banning smoking marijuana in public like with tobacco. He noted both the House and Senate have added sessions for Thursday, Nov. 20, just to make sure they can get it done before they break. He also said he believes if the bill doesn't substantially change they could pass it with an emergency clause based on the previous votes.

MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM

Scott Partika, Gov. Mike DeWine's policy director, will succeed Maureen Corcoran as director of the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM), DeWine's office said Friday. Corcoran recently announced she would leave at the end of October. She'd led the agency since the outset of the administration. Partika was assistant policy director for health and human services before being named policy director. His appointment will be subject to the advice and consent of the Ohio Senate.

ODM recently announced the performance results from the inaugural program year of its Comprehensive Maternal Care (CMC) initiative, marking what it called "a significant milestone" in the state's efforts to improve maternal health outcomes by paying for improved quality and outcomes. CMC, first announced in September 2022 as part of DeWine's Bold Beginning: Healthy, Supported Families initiative, was launched in January 2023 to support obstetrical providers in delivering high-quality care to pregnant and postpartum women, particularly those who have historically faced barriers to accessing comprehensive maternal health services.

NATURAL RESOURCES

The North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association (NAWEOA), an international collaboration of wildlife conservation officers focused on promoting professionalism and excellence through training, networking, and professional recognition, awarded Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife Investigator Kirk Kiefer this year's Officer of the Year Award, making Kiefer the first Ohio wildlife officer to receive the award. Also, State Wildlife Officer Jason Keller and K-9 Officer Scout together earned NAWEOA's Loyal Partner Award for demonstrating exceptional ability and initiative in the performance of their duties. Keller and Scout have worked together since 2018 and currently both work on the Division of Wildlife's Search, Rescue, and Tracking Team.

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Author Vu Le compared the nonprofit and philanthropy sector to air -- no one really appreciates it until they need it because it is invisible. Le, the writer of the blog NonprofitAF.com and the author of the book Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy: Unlocking the Full Potential of a Vital and Complex Sector, was a guest at the City Club of Cleveland Wednesday, Oct. 29, taking a satirical look at the sector while also highlighting its biggest weakness, and urging the audience to apply to progressive movements some lessons from conservatives over the past decades.

PEOPLE

Gov. Mike DeWine Tuesday afternoon ordered the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio be flown at half-staff at all public buildings and grounds throughout the state on the death of former Vice President Dick Cheney until sunset on the day of his funeral. His funeral services are set for Thursday, Nov. 20 at the Washington National Cathedral.

REDISTRICTING/REAPPORTIONMENT

The Ohio Redistricting Commission Friday unanimously cleared a new congressional map, avoiding sending the issue back to the Ohio General Assembly and a potential referendum on the actions of the Republican-dominated majority in the Legislature. The new map makes the race for Ohio's 15 congressional districts much friendlier to Republicans. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo), who won re-election in 2024 by less than a percentage point, will see her already red Ninth Congressional District become redder. U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Cincinnati) also gets a district friendlier to Republicans thanks to the additions of western portions of Hamilton County and all of Clinton County, while U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) gets a more Democrat-friendly 13th District.

Asked on Wednesday how much Senate President Rob McColley's (R-Napoleon) ambitions may have played in to the congressional map adopted last week, Speaker of the House Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said it is not his business to ask McColley if he is running for Congress. He defended the new Ninth Congressional District, which now includes McColley's home, saying it is a district that has been trending Republican for several years, and that is not going to change based on who the candidate is.

Huffman also discussed the new congressional map with reporters following the Rules and Reference Committee meeting Wednesday, saying that while some people had said Republicans were "stonewalling until November," which Huffman added was "never true," Democrats realized there could be a worse map for them and Republicans realized that could be invalidated by a referendum. "I think in the end, from my perspective, it's the most Republican map that there has been in the history of the state of Ohio," Huffman continued. "That's not necessarily a talking point that perhaps the other side wants, but there were certainly things that were beneficial to them too."

STATE GOVERNMENT

The DeWine administration said Friday it sent notices to employees at six state agencies about the potential that federal funding interruptions from the government shutdown could lead to their furlough in coming weeks. The Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS) said it sent notices to about 9,000 employees but expects fewer than half of those would actually be subject to furlough. Notices were sent 14 days before funding interruptions, per the terms of state labor contracts with public employee unions. DAS said the notices went to employees of the Ohio Adjutant General's Department, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and Ohio Department of Public Safety. Employees whose positions are fully or partly funded by the federal government will be notified individually in advance if they are to be furloughed, DAS said.

TAXATION

States could realize billions of dollars in tax revenue by adopting wealth proceeds taxes (WPT) based on the federal Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT), which applies to high-income households and the types of income generated by wealth, including interest, dividends and capital gains. According to an October report from the non-partisan, left-center tax policy nonprofit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), approximately 73 percent of all revenue collected by the federal NIIT is paid by households with incomes over $1 million, and only 4.4 percent of taxpayers paid any NIIT in 2022. "For state lawmakers concerned about under-taxation of the wealthy, wealth proceeds taxes that piggyback on the federal NIIT offer a practical and effective path forward," the ITEP report says, by offering a way for states to identify proceeds derived from the ownership of wealth and make strikes toward equalizing the tax treatment of those proceeds with how earned income is currently taxed. Regular federal income tax rates applying to workers currently span from 10-37 percent, whereas long-term capital gains and qualified dividends are subject to federal tax rates of 0-20 percent. Other components of wealth proceeds named by the report include capital gains; dividends; rents, royalties, partnerships, S corporations and trusts; taxable interest; and non-qualified annuities.

The County Auditors Association of Ohio (CAAO) urged a Senate committee Wednesday to act with haste on two major property tax reform measures and even consider mustering the supermajority support needed to put one into effect immediately. Chris Galloway, the Lake County auditor, second vice president of CAAO and a member of Gov. Mike DeWine's property tax working group, asked the Senate Local Government Committee to attach an emergency clause to HB335 (D. Thomas), which will put an inflationary cap on revenue increases from inside millage. That would allow the measure to make a difference when auditors begin property tax calculations in less than 60 days, Galloway said. Galloway urged quick action, too, on HB186 (D. Thomas-Hoops), which will cap increases for districts on the 20-mill floor and provide a credit to homeowners in such districts to offset some of the increases of past years. He said it's too late for the legislation to change first-half tax bills in 2026 but said auditors and the Ohio Department of Taxation could take steps to have the reform provide quicker relief to taxpayers who escrow their tax payments.

VETERANS

Gov. Mike DeWine greeted 20 Ohio veterans as the newest members of the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame during the induction ceremony Thursday at the Fawcett Center on the Ohio State University campus. Inductees were recognized for their post-military accomplishments during the ceremony, having excelled in areas of health care, law practice, law enforcement, conservation, public service, filmmaking, advocacy, volunteerism and philanthropy. Members of the class of 2025 span 12 Ohio counties and four branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, according to the Ohio Department of Veterans Services (ODVS.) Biographies of each of the Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductees can be found HERE.

WORKFORCE

Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel gave the keynote address during Thursday's Ohio Manufacturers' Association (OMA) Workforce Summit, focusing on the importance of building out workforce for the sector. Referencing his days as a coach, Tressel stressed the importance of showing young people that leaders care about them rather than just seeing them as a means to an end. He also talked about the importance of developing habits which don't require talent such as punctuality, work ethic, enthusiasm and discipline. Tressel added Ohio has the technical endeavors lined up -- getting people to pursue them is the key. It is a "wonderful opportunity" and he praised the work that has been done already. "The plan is in place, how do we get that potential workforce to feel that they want to be a part of it? To me, that will be our key," Tressel continued. He added that idea needs to be infused into all their efforts.

[Story originally published in The Hannah Report. Copyright 2025 Hannah News Service, Inc.]