Week in Review November 2, 2026
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.
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AGRICULTURE
Ohio doubled down this week in its ongoing efforts to improve the state's water quality via Gov. Mike DeWine's H2Ohio initiative, as both the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODAg) and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) separately announced grants for several projects statewide aimed at both the state's farmland and utility infrastructure. "H2Ohio projects are ongoing in all 88 counties across Ohio, and the funding we are announcing today is another way we are working with farmers and local soil and water districts to protect our waters," said DeWine on Monday in announcing grants administered by ODAg for projects in Eastern and Southeastern Ohio. Eight H2Ohio projects spanning nine counties were each awarded up to $250,000 for water-quality projects focused on reducing nutrient runoff from hayland or pasture fields. Such efforts help to maintain healthy soil cover and prevent nutrient and sediment loss into waterways through practices including rotational grazing, pasture seeding, soil testing and livestock exclusion fencing intended to help producers best manage their land.
ATTORNEY GENERAL
A recent announcement by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) creates inconsistency between state and federal law that could trip up "otherwise law-abiding Ohioans," Attorney General Andy Wilson told legislative leaders in a letter Friday, Oct. 23. Wilson asked Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) and House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) to take another look at Ohio statutes related to "dangerous ordnance" in light of the recent ATF move to no longer enforce approval and registration requirements for short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and silencers. According to Wilson's letter, Ohio law defines firearms suppressors and shotguns or rifles with barrels below specified length as "dangerous ordnance," but provides exceptions for those with federal registration. A copy of Wilson's letter is HERE.
AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY
Attorney General Andy Wilson joined a coalition of 36 attorneys general in announcing an agreement requiring General Motors to pay $220 million over allegations that it illegally sold consumers' driving behavior and location data to third parties. Ohio will receive $8,076,105 from the settlement, which requires GM to obtain express consent from consumers before collecting or disclosing driving and location data. "GM broke consumers' trust by selling such data without their knowledge and consent," Wilson said. "Ohioans should not have to worry that the information collected by their own vehicles will be used against them. Companies must be held accountable when they put profits ahead of consumers' privacy." From 2016 to 2024, GM enrolled millions of drivers in its Smart Driver program, which tracks driving habits. The company pitched the tool as a way for drivers to improve driving safety and told them they wouldn't share their data with insurers without their consent. But GM sold the data to insurance brokers, who then passed it to insurance companies to adjust premiums based on driving habits. GM did not disclose the data sale to consumers.
CHILDREN/FAMILIES
The DeWine administration cited new public safety data in rolling out support for shelters and law enforcement assistance to address domestic violence, in recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The administration said data from the Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) within the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) indicate that domestic violence is the most prevalent violent crime in Ohio. OCJFS analyzed decades of computerized criminal history data, including two million violent crime arrests starting in the mid-1970s. The office found just more than half of all violent crime arrests in Ohio included a domestic violence charge, and 70 percent of those arrested for domestic violence were repeat offenders. The percentage of domestic violence charges as a share of violent crime arrests has not improved over time, the administration said.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
The Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) Division of Financial Institutions alerted consumers to the growing issue of "Frankenstein" identity theft during this Halloween season. Also known as synthetic identity fraud, this occurs when criminals stitch together a real Social Security number with fabricated names, addresses, or birth dates to create a brand new identity. This type of identity theft is particularly dangerous because the new identity can be used to open accounts, obtain credit, or access services to build a fake credit profile over time. While anyone can fall victim to this, the identities of children are often prime targets because they usually have clean credit files. Ohioans reported 32,110 identity theft cases in 2025 according to the FTC, ranking it 23rd nationwide. Statewide fraud losses climbed approximately 35.8 percent from 2024.
DATA CENTERS
Lawmakers should tackle energy affordability concerns in lame duck session with action on data center costs, community energy and demand response programs, Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) advocates said Thursday. OEC's Peter Bucher and Nolan Rutschilling led a videoconference to discuss electricity cost concerns and potential solutions, articulating three main legislative priorities. The OEC said Ohio requires a statewide policy to tackle data centers' need to pay for their own effects on the energy system. They said HB646 (Click-Deeter) represents a good start in this regard.
ECONOMY
Three weeks after state leaders instituted a gas tax holiday that temporarily brought prices below $4 per gallon, prices increased substantially and surpassed what consumers are paying on average across the U.S. and what the average price was before the tax was suspended. According to AAA, Monday's average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $4.40 in Ohio, compared to $4.04 last week, $3.97 at the outset of the gas tax holiday and $4.34 a month ago, before lawmakers passed and Gov. Mike DeWine signed HB519 (A. White). The national average per-gallon price Monday was $4.28. Diesel prices, at a per-gallon average of $6.50 in Ohio, are also up from the outset of the holiday but still below the price seen a month ago, $6.75, before the tax suspension took effect. A year ago, the average gas price was $2.94; diesel was $3.70.
EDUCATION
The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) asked the Ohio Supreme Court on Friday to overturn an order from the Fifth District Court of Appeals and uphold a trial judge's ruling against transfer students who challenged a rule subjecting them to a period of ineligibility. OHSAA argued the Fifth District exceeded its jurisdiction with an injunction blocking enforcement of the transfer eligibility rule against two students. The order enjoins OHSAA from preventing the two transfer students from playing "for the remainder of the 2026 season." In a response filed this week appellate judges panned OHSAA’s challenge to their decision as a "Hail Mary" and asked the Ohio Supreme Court to dismiss the case. The two players, Brayton and Brydon Feister, meanwhile, have asked justices to make them a party to the case.
Advocacy group Honesty for Ohio Education announced recently the completion of a research study conducted with Kent State University on the views of Ohioans about what they want the future of public education to look like. About 1,700 people filled out a survey, and others participated in town halls and listening sessions, for a total of about 2,000 participants. The study took place between February 2025 and March 2026. The organization said it found six themes among the data including the following:
Survey participants see schools as community anchors and expect them to bring together people of different backgrounds.
Public education has a role in educating the "whole student."
Survey participants want informed democratic engagement in decision-making on funding, policy and curriculum.
The Ohio Educational Service Center Association (OESCA) recently announced the recipients of its 2026 awards, recognizing leadership, service, innovative programs and collaborative partnerships that strengthen Ohio's Educational Service Centers (ESCs), schools and communities. This year's recipients include educators, ESC governing board members, public officials, community organizations and professionals whose work has expanded opportunities for students and supported the educators who serve them, OESCA said.
ELECTIONS
Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Monday that his office has again referred Black Fork Strategies LLC to the U.S. attorney's office and the FBI's Cleveland field office over voter registration activities conducted by the company under its registered trade name, Field Forward Ohio. The secretary of state had previously referred alleged potential election law violations by canvassers working on behalf of Black Fork in 2024. According to the secretary of state's office, the latest referral asks federal law enforcement to independently review and investigate whether the new conduct, considered together with the office's prior 2024 referral, may constitute violations of federal criminal law. The same evidence will also be sent to state and county prosecutors for a review of compliance with applicable Ohio law.
The Ohio Election Integrity Commission tweaked its procedures for setting its agenda and upheld a finding against a local candidate as cases involving former House Speaker Larry Householder are on the horizon for the panel. The commission adopted a motion along party lines that allows the commission chair to set the meeting agenda after considering agenda requests from other commission members and after consulting with relevant secretary of state staff. Commissioners can request items be placed on the agenda but must submit those requests at least 10 days before the meeting, and it will be up to the chair whether to include the request. Democrats voted against the motion after raising concerns that the majority could block any member's ability to get items on future agendas. Commissioner Eben "Sandy" McNair also discussed a separate change addressing who appoints hearing officers, taking the duty away from the secretary of state's office and placing the authority solely with the commission, but Chair Michael Crites said he felt the change was premature and that the current process has worked so far.
ELECTIONS 2026
With just over a week to go before the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election, more than one million ballots have been cast early. According to numbers updated on Monday by the secretary of state's office, 1,357,942 absentee ballots have been requested and 1,352,884 ballots have been issued to voters. Of those issued, 720,749 were sent to voters by mail, and 452,168 have been returned to boards of elections. Another 632,135 ballots have been issued and cast by early, in-person voters, for a total of 1,084,303 ballots cast so far this early voting period. The numbers track ahead of the last gubernatorial election in 2022, when requests for absentee ballots were 1,243,505 a week away from the election. The 2022 numbers represented a 2.6 percent increase over the same point in 2018. Of the 2022 ballots, 265,062 ballots were cast in person by this point in the early voting period.
The number of Ohioans voting early at local boards of elections or via mail-in ballots is growing, according to data shared by the Ohio Secretary of State's (SOS) office on Tuesday, and SOS Frank LaRose sees that as good news. Ohioans are taking "great advantage" of the 2026 early voting period, LaRose announced, so much so that Ohio may be on track this year to break its statewide record for the total number of ballots cast in one election. Following numbers released Monday by the SOS (see above), the SOS data shared with reporters on Tuesday showed that ballot returns, which include both in-person early voting and already returned mail-in ballots, are up approximately 126 percent compared to one week before Election Day in 2022.
Dashboards tracking the numbers of Ohioans who have already voted via absentee or early voting can be seen online at the SOS website HERE. While the deadline to submit a request for a mail-in absentee ballot is passed, Ohioans are still able to vote early in-person at county boards of elections offices during the following times:
Friday, Oct. 30 - 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 31 - 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 1 - 1-5 p.m.
No early voting on Monday, Nov. 2.
Polls will be open at precincts statewide from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Ohioans who have already sent in a mail-in absentee ballot can check online to see if the ballot has been received at www.voteohio.gov.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy Friday told a crowd of party faithful in Powell that voters need to know the truth that his opponent Democratic nominee Amy Acton "is a liar" and blamed the media for drumming up a controversy over an ad his campaign has begun running featuring Acton's mother. His remarks came on the second leg of a statewide bus tour featuring the statewide Republican ticket, including his running mate, Rob McColley, attorney general nominee Keith Faber, secretary of state nominee Robert Sprague, treasurer nominee Jay Edwards, Supreme Court Justice Dan Hawkins and Supreme Court candidate Colleen O'Donnell. Ramaswamy's campaign has received criticism over the ad, which features Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, whom she became estranged from after Acton's stepfather was charged with sexually abusing Acton when she was 12. In the ad, Arthur accuses Acton of lying about her upbringing. On Friday, Ramaswamy called it a "made up controversy."
Gov. Mike DeWine told reporters on Friday that he will continue to support the Republican candidates on Ohio's ballot as election day approaches following the backlash to gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's ad released this week featuring Democratic candidate Amy Acton's estranged mother. Speaking to reporters following the dedication of the new search and rescue training building at the Ohio Fire Academy, DeWine reiterated his comments from Thursday on Ramaswamy's campaign ad and Acton's childhood experience behind it. "You know, as I said yesterday, what makes this serious is when you know the backstory, and you know that the mother who was talking, her husband was indicted by a grand jury to rape this 12-year-old girl. After he was indicted, he and the mother took off, and they were gone. And that's the last that she and her brother saw of him and of her," DeWine said on Friday. "So knowing the backstory, I think, is just vitally, vitally important, and that's what makes it so serious. That's what makes it so wrong."
While spending on advertising in the governor's race has surpassed $200 million, the other four Ohio constitutional offices have seen only a fraction of that in advertising so far. According to AdImpact, which tracks political advertising, $217.2 million has been spent on the governor's race this cycle, with more than $200 million of that coming since the May primary. Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy and allies have outspent Democratic nominee Amy Acton and her allies by a nearly three to one margin. AdImpact finds more than $86 million has been spent in October on advertising in the gubernatorial race alone. Of that, nearly $23 million has been spent by Ramaswamy, and another nearly $20 million has been spent by the Republican Governors Association's Right Direction PAC. Ramaswamy-aligned PAC V-PAC: Victors Not Victims has spent nearly $16 million in October.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy Thursday furthered his property tax agenda, saying on the first day of his administration he will launch investigations into every Ohio locality where property taxes have more than doubled since before the pandemic. Ramaswamy has made reducing property taxes a key part of his campaign platform, promising to roll back tax rates to before the pandemic, among other reforms. Opponent Democrat Amy Acton has also touted her own plan that would include increasing the homestead exemption. In his latest announcement, Ramaswamy said families across Ohio "are watching their property tax bills climb year after year with no end in sight. Seniors on fixed incomes, young families who just bought their first home, and lifelong residents are now asking whether they can afford to stay in their homes."
New polling released this week by Suffolk University and USA Today shows tight races for governor and the U.S. Senate with less than a week remaining until the election. According to the poll, Democrat Sherrod Brown leads Republican Jon Husted 47 percent to 44 percent, with 3 percent going to other candidates, and 4 percent undecided. Brown had led Husted in a September Suffolk poll by the same margin. In the governor's race, Democrat Amy Acton leads Republican Vivek Ramaswamy 48 to 44 percent, with 4 percent choosing Libertarian Don Kissick, and 3 percent undecided. Acton had led Ramaswamy by 9 percentage points in September. In a poll of just Portage County voters, Brown leads Husted 49 to 48 percent, while the gubernatorial candidates are statistically tied at 47 percent.
A slight majority of school funding issues on the November ballot request new revenue, and most of those are income tax proposals, according to the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA). OSBA's levy database shows 133 tax and bond issues for schools, 69 of them seeking additional revenue, 60 seeking renewals, and four other types of requests. Of the additional revenue requests, 39 are for school district income taxes, 18 for property tax levies, six are bond issues and six are combination issues. Almost all of them, 58 of 69, include current or operating expenses among their stated purposes, OSBA said.
ENERGY/UTILITIES
Electric utility, economic development and manufacturing leaders debated Friday at the City Club of Cleveland about how Ohio should respond to growing demand and rising prices for power customers large and small. City Club CEO Dan Moulthrop moderated a discussion among Ohio Manufacturers' Association (OMA) President Ryan Augsburger, Ohio Business Roundtable Senior Vice President Alexandra Denney and FirstEnergy Chief Risk Officer Abigail Phillips. The discussion included a heavy focus on how to accurately forecast future electricity demand and properly attribute the associated costs in terms of transmission grid upgrades. Augsburger said customers are paying "sky-high" transmission costs without much information on what they're getting in return, while overstated power demand forecasts not only are used to justify transmission upgrades but also put pressure on generation costs.
FEDERAL
U.S. Rep. Mike Carey (R-Columbus) and Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler toured Materials Science International (MSI) facilities in Columbus Tuesday, with Loeffler and MSI Plant Manager Terry Banks speaking to reporters afterward. Loeffler said MSI is an "important manufacturer" for both the state and nation in support of the medical, defense and aerospace industries. That is in line with Trump administration goals to increase the amount of products "made in America" rather than overseas such as "in China," she added. "We see 'made in Ohio' happening thanks to restoring fair trade; thanks to tax cuts [and] deregulation; and thanks to those local leaders who are bringing back skilled trades that are giving opportunities to so many," Loeffler continued. She added that she is seeing similar efforts around the U.S. and that small manufacturers are expanding. They represent 70 percent of the defense industrial base and around 99 percent of all manufacturers in the country, Loeffler said as well. The Institute for Supply Management has measured nine consecutive months of manufacturing expansion, she added.
GAMING/GAMBLING
After a recent industry loss in federal appeals court, prediction markets company Polymarket has filed a new federal lawsuit challenging Ohio's attempt to enforce its sports gambling laws against the outfit. The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled recently that rival prediction markets company Kalshi Inc. could not show that its sports even contracts were "swaps" subject to exclusive jurisdiction of the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and even if they were, the federal Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) does not preempt state gambling laws. That ruling prompted the Ohio Casino Control Commission to send cease-and-desist letters on Oct. 2 to 10 companies, with a request for responses by Oct. 16 -- the day Polymarket filed its new federal lawsuit in the Southern District of Ohio. Polymarket argues that Ohio's "protectionist licensing regime" for sports gambling violates the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution and would force the company to "contort itself to fit a state regulatory scheme designed for in-state casinos."
GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE
All items on the regular and no change agendas cleared the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) during Monday's meeting without member questions or public comment. Items on the agenda included amended Ohio Department of Medicaid rules as part of the five-year review process and a new Ohio Ethics Commission financial disclosure requirement for members of the Post-Traumatic Stress Fund Commission created under HB479 (Schmidt).
Gov. Mike DeWine Wednesday ordered flags lowered to half-staff until sunset on Saturday, Oct. 31, the day of the funeral for former state Rep. Marilyn Slaby. Slaby, who served two stints in the Ohio House of Representatives, died Thursday, Oct. 22 at the age of 86 at her home in Punta Gorda, FL. She is survived by her husband Lynn, also a former state legislator, appeals court judge and commissioner on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. They were married for 64 years. In addition, she is survived by three children and six grandchildren. A teacher, Marilyn Slaby served in the Legislature in 2004 and again from 2012 to 2018. The family suggests contributions in her memory to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Ohio, P.O. Box 340734, Columbus OH 43234.
The Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) awarded Rep. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) its 2026 Warren Russell Leadership Award, recognizing her leadership and legislative work on behalf of Ohio's students. The annual award, presented at BASA's annual fall conference, goes to an individual whose work has improved public education in Ohio, BASA said. Prior to joining the Ohio General Assembly, Manning spent 37 years as an elementary school teacher. Manning also received the Ohio Educational Service Center Association's (OESCA) 2026 Legislative Leadership Award, along with Rep. Adam Bird (R-Cincinnati), recognizing their work to support educational service centers and Ohio public education.
Rep. Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) was recently selected as the recipient of the 2026 C.J. McLin Award by the Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corrections (OJACC). Named in honor of former Rep. C.J. McLin Jr., the annual award recognizes an Ohio elected official whose work has strengthened community corrections across the state. Abrams, a former police officer, received the award for her efforts to secure funding for law enforcement and community-based initiatives like the Law Enforcement Reimbursement Training Pilot Program, as well as for her legislative work to improve Ohio's criminal justice system.
HANNAH NEWS RACES TO WATCH
Republicans have held the Ohio Supreme Court majority for 40 years and could make it a straight 7-0 on Nov. 3 should they upset former Ohio Secretary of State and sitting Justice Jennifer Brunner, the Court's lone Democrat after a GOP-led Statehouse politicized appellate and high court elections in 2021. No Democrat has won the Supreme Court since, though Brunner accomplished the difficult task of beating a prominent eight-year incumbent Republican the year before, possibly raising her betting odds next week. They took a blow only this month, however, when Judge Benita Pearson of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, rejected Brunner's 2023 challenge to partisan Supreme Court elections. Previously serving a full term on the 10th Appellate District after losing the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate to former Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher in 2009, Brunner also takes on the ideological debate between "constitutional conservatism," which her GOP opponent, former Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Colleen O'Donnell, invokes, and a "living constitution" generally assigned to liberals. "I have a hard time pigeon-holing the law into conservative or liberal. 'Stay in your lane,'" she says, employing the judicial maxim. "I have a hard time failing to occupy my lane as a liberal or a conservative. Her Republican rival will do more than "preserve a conservative majority" on the Court, as her website states, if she reprises the success of her dad, former Justice Terrence O'Donnell, and wins on Nov. 3. O'Donnell graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2006 and has worked in a variety of positions, most recently serving as a federal immigration judge for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in Laredo, TX.
Both candidates in the 10th House District race are drawing on their experience in local government as they face off in the November election. Rep. Mark Sigrist (D-Grove City) served on city council from 2022 to 2024 and Republican challenger Denise D'Angelo was elected to the South-Western City Schools Board in 2023. Both candidates ran unopposed in their respective primaries. District 10, in southern Franklin County, has current lines that narrowly favor Republicans at 50 percent to Democrats' 49.1 percent according to 2016-2022 demographic data compiled by Dave's Redistricting App. Responding to a Hannah News question on his seeking re-election, Sigrist said he's "service-oriented" and wants to improve the district and Ohio overall. He also described the balance of campaigning and being a current legislator as a balance of constituent service, including help with bureaucratic issues, and going to community events to learn more about topics such as Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio operations in the district or work by the Mid-Ohio Food Collective on hunger issues there. D'Angelo told Hannah News she sees running for the Legislature as a progression from the school board, as she's seen "there's more that needs to be done" for schools and communities. A legislative seat would give her a role in school policy and funding, she continued.
Veteran lawmaker Rep. Dan Troy (D-Willowick) faces Willoughby Hills City Council member Julie Belich this year in a competitive Northeast Ohio contest. House District 23 includes western Lake County and portions of Cuyahoga County. The Ohio Manufacturers' Association 2026 Election Guide gives the district a slight tilt to Democrats. Troy won his 2024 contest with close to 53 percent of the vote, while Donald Trump narrowly carried the district with 50.3 percent. Troy emphasizes his work on property tax reform, noting that his sponsorship of legislative language to create a study committee on property taxes in the prior General Assembly helped clear the path for "fairly monumental" changes enacted this session. Troy said he hopes for more targeted property tax relief for seniors and people with disabilities, and for state government to help take the pressure off local property taxes by covering its share of service costs. Belich is an at-large councilmember for Willoughby Hills, owner of a concrete company, JAB Supply Inc., and a former teacher and banking industry professional. She was not available for an interview with Hannah News.
Parma Democrat Sean Brennan is seeing a familiar opponent on the ballot in November as he seeks to retain a seat in a district won by President Donald Trump in 2024. Brennan, who is seeking his third term, again faces Republican David Morgan, a machinist and U.S. Army veteran whom Brennan defeated with 58 percent of the vote in 2024 even as Trump edged Democrat Kamala Harris in the 14th Ohio House District 51 to 49 in that same election. In an interview with Hannah News, Brennan said he cares about the people in his district, which is why he said he enjoys knocking on doors when campaigning. "I want them to hear that from me. I don't do negative campaigning. I keep it positive," he said. "I've always, in my over 20 years of public service on city council and now as the state rep, I focused on Sean. What Sean's done, what Sean plans to do." Morgan, who initially agreed to an interview before ceasing to respond to requests to speak with Hannah News, has kept a lower online profile in the race. His website lists his issues as property tax reform, school reform, business growth and medical freedom. It also touts his support for pro-life and pro-Second Amendment issues.
HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS
As affordability has emerged as a theme leading up to November's elections, affordability specifically in the housing sector can be influenced by a number of factors, from housing supply and density to the incentives used by local or federal governments to spur housing construction. During a recent webinar on understanding the housing crisis, UCLA professor Minjee Kim noted that in urban areas, the cost of housing can be driven up by housing regulations in ways both intentional and unintentional. Kim said certain regulations, including restrictive density and safety code issues, placed on the development of housing in urban areas can restrict the available housing supply, and thus drive up housing prices. Less prominently, parking requirements can also increase the cost of housing development. Kim also mentioned bans on mobile home parks as an intentional regulation put on an area's housing supply that can decrease the availability of lower-cost housing options.
HUMAN SERVICES
Efforts by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) to expand access to parenting education and support services for parents of children with severe behavioral challenges are getting a boost from the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) following the announcement on Thursday that Ohio is one of 10 states to receive a Title IV-E Prevention Accelerator Grant. The grant of $749,780 will support Ohio's implementation of the Positive Parenting Plan (Triple P) Level 4 Standard and Group, which is designed to support parents of children with more severe behavioral challenges. Ohio's proposal to ACF said that up to 240 families will benefit from programming designed to strengthen families, promote safe homes and improve outcomes for children and youth. Grant funding will also support the integration of DCY's Prevention Services Case Management System with ACF's Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) to enable Title IV-E claiming, reimbursement, data tracking and fidelity assessment.
JUDICIAL
Lawmakers violated the Ohio Constitution's single subject rule for legislation when they inserted limits on use of local monitoring devices for air pollution regulation, Judge Julie Lynch of Franklin County Common Pleas Court ruled. The case was filed against the state at large and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) by environmental groups including Ohio Environmental Council, Sierra Club, Freshwater Accountability Project and SOBE Concerned Citizens. In HB96 (Stewart), the General Assembly included language prohibiting Ohio EPA from requiring community air monitoring as condition of a permit or using community air monitoring data as the basis for fines or violation notices, among other provisions. The litigants argue the language limits enforcement of the Air Nuisance Rule (ANR), 3745-15-07. Lynch noted Ohio Supreme Court precedent acknowledging that appropriations bills will encompass many topics but set out "blatant disunity" and lack of rational reasoning of a topic as the standard justices set for single subject violations. Lynch was not swayed by Ohio EPA's arguments about the rule's effects on agency expenses and thus appropriations.
LOBBYISTS/ASSOCIATIONS
The Batchelder Company named Logan J. Hannum as director of government relations. He joins the company after nearly five years in the Ohio House of Representatives, where he developed experience in legislative affairs, public policy, and stakeholder engagement, most recently serving as legislative aide to Rep. Bernie Willis (R-Springfield) and clerk of the House Transportation Committee. During Hannum's time at the Statehouse, he worked on policy issues spanning transportation, aviation and aerospace, veterans' affairs, and public safety. He also helped guide establishing the Ohio Aviation and Aerospace Caucus.
LMK Advocacy announced that Thomas Wetmore has joined the firm as director of government affairs, after more than a decade of experience in state government, public policy and government affairs. Wetmore began his Statehouse career in 2014 as a legislative aide in the Ohio Senate. He later served with the Ohio Department of Education before becoming Central Ohio field manager for Securing Ohio's Future PAC during the 2018 gubernatorial election cycle. In 2019, Wetmore joined the Ohio Municipal League. He also served as executive director of two statewide organizations, including one he helped establish. His work included legislative advocacy, stakeholder engagement, policy analysis, conference coordination, and educational programming for local government leaders.
The Ohio Trucking Association (OTA) announced that President and CEO Thomas A. Balzer has been recognized by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) for 20 years of service to the trucking industry and the ATA Federation.
MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM
"We may not have as many satisfying answers as you would like today." Legal aid attorney Regina Campbell offered that disclaimer Wednesday on a Center for Community Solutions (CCS) videoconference regarding what's known and what's yet to be determined about the implementation of Medicaid work requirements in the new year. CCS Public Policy Director Tara Britton and Campbell, who works with the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, gave an overview of how the work requirements instituted in federal HR1, aka the One Big Beautiful Bill, will be implemented starting in January. While Ohio pursued implementation of work requirements on its own previously, the new federal requirements are projected to exempt fewer people based on the criteria in HR1 than previous state plans. For example, Ohio's prior work requirement proposals would exempt those age 55 and older, but the federal standard sets the exemption age at 65.
MILITARY AFFAIRS
With NASA having extended its deadline for U.S. Space Academy site applications to Monday, Nov. 16, the DeWine administration and Ohio Department of Development (DOD) told Hannah News they would submit Ohio's proposal "on or before" that new date. The deadline had originally been set for Monday, Oct. 26. U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Dayton) called for the Dayton region to be the site of the proposed academy in September and Gov. Mike DeWine organized a steering group chaired by DOD Director Lydia Mihalik to lead Ohio's efforts.
NATURAL RESOURCES
"A captured agency is exactly what ODNR is. It has been captured by the oil and gas industry for years." Seventy-seven-year-old Roxanne Groff who has tied up "fracking" injection wells in Athens County after many years of citizen advocacy issued that indictment at last week's Buckeye Environmental Network (BEN) and FracTracker Alliance press conference condemning the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) for rising incidents and lax enforcement of regulatory controls against spills, leaks, equipment failures and "other potentially harmful events," as FracTracker's new report states. Groff joined FracTracker Midwest Program Director Gwen Klenke and BEN community organizer Bev Reed to unpack the 31-page report, subtitled "Ohio Oil and Gas Incidents, Inspections and Enforcement, 2015-2025." Klenke said the Camp Hill, PA nonprofit scoured ODNR Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management (DOGRM) records from the post-recession "fracking" boom and found some improvements but also "major gaps" in continuing oversight.
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
The League of Women Voters (LWV) this week celebrated the anniversary of its Vote411.org, the group's nonpartisan election information resource that it said has helped tens of millions of Americans access the facts they need to make their voices heard at the ballot box. Launched in 2006, VOTE411 has become a one-stop shop for election information, helping voters check their registration, research candidates and ballot measures, find polling locations, understand voting requirements, and make a plan to vote. LWV said the website's reach continues to grow significantly, with usage increasing from 6 million in 2020 to more than 9.2 million in 2024 -- a more than 50 percent increase in four years.
PENSIONS
The Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund (OP&F) is renewing its request to lawmakers for employer contribution increases after its latest annual actuarial valuation put it barely outside the statutory 30-year window for paying down unfunded liabilities. OP&F is not yet mandated to present a funding improvement plan to lawmakers because state law requires it to meet the 30-year threshold every three years, a hurdle it cleared -- narrowly -- in 2025 and won't be required to do again until 2028. However, OP&F's Finance Committee met Wednesday to review the valuation report from actuaries at CavMac, who found the system is on track to pay down its unfunded liability in 30.87 years, a slight regression from 29.88 years in last year's report. The CavMac report is HERE.
POLLS/STUDIES
About 48 percent of parents believe children are healthier when vaccines are spaced out and they do not receive multiple shots in one visit, according to the findings of a recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). The KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust found the remaining 52 percent of parents to believe there is no strong evidence to support the claim that spacing out vaccines is healthier for children. KFF's polling comes after President Donald Trump called for changes in U.S. childhood vaccine recommendations through an executive order signed this past summer, the latest of several attempts to alter vaccine policy. The order included a recommendation to split the MMR vaccine into three separate shots across multiple visits, among other directives, according to KFF. The order remains blocked in federal court.
PUBLIC SAFETY
The presentation of colors and a chorus of bagpipers marked the pomp and ceremony on Friday to not only welcome Ohio's newest class of public safety professionals to the ranks, but to do so in a new facility that Ohio State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon said represents the state's commitment to first responders all across Ohio. Friday's graduation ceremony for the 2026 class of the Ohio Fire Academy (OFA) also served as the building dedication of the academy's new Search and Rescue Building at its facility in Reynoldsburg. Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Gov. Mike DeWine said the people of Ohio owe a great debt to first responders, and with that comes a responsibility to look after those first responders and provide them the best training.
The Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) of the Ohio Department of Public Safety announced Wednesday that it will activate "Project Plan Ahead" over Halloween weekend, offering Ohioans access to free rideshare credits to prevent impaired driving during one of the highest risk holiday travel periods in the state. Project Plan Ahead provides up to $15 in free Uber or Lyft rideshare credits, giving drivers an alternative to driving impaired by alcohol or drugs. (See The Hannah Report, 5/19/26.) Ride credits can be redeemed between Thursday, Oct. 29, through 3 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 2. Rides must originate in or have a destination within the following participating counties:
Butler County
Cuyahoga County
Franklin County
Hamilton County
Lucas County
Montgomery County
Summit County
The Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) office issued a reminder Wednesday that three state associations are circulating a survey on mental health for first responders. It is currently open through Nov. 1 and is sponsored by the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association, Ohio Professional Fire Fighters and Ohio State Firefighters Association. EMS said the survey will be used to identify "stressors, needs, and support gaps affecting first responders across Ohio -- and guide future resources that reflect the realities of the job." The confidential survey is available HERE.
SECRETARY OF STATE
Secretary of State Frank LaRose Monday announced an initiative that he said will help ensure voters receive accurate election information when using artificial intelligence platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and other generative AI chatbots. The secretary of state's office said its cybersecurity and technology teams are also working to ensure public information on the secretary of state's website is accessible to AI platforms while maintaining rigorous cybersecurity standards. For months, the office engaged with private-sector partners and AI companies to identify inaccurate information and improve how authoritative Ohio election information is provided to users. The secretary of state's office said Ohioans using AI for election information should follow a few simple best practices:
Check the source. Information should be supported by official sources such as VoteOhio.gov, the secretary of state's office or a county board of elections.
Verify before acting. Confirm voting dates, hours, polling locations, identification requirements and deadlines with an official election source.
Be cautious of unsourced answers. AI-generated information can be incorrect or outdated, even when presented confidently.
TAXATION
Gov. Mike DeWine's administration announced Monday the approval of assistance for 10 projects expected to create 1,359 new jobs and retain 1,824 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 $142.3 million in new payroll and spur more than $2.2 billion in investments across Ohio.
The Ohio Supreme Court is asking Columbus City Schools and the Ohio Department of Taxation (ODT) to work out in mediation disagreements over the state agency's separate rulings on the taxability of a hospital parking garage and property near a mosque. Justices entered the mediation orders Wednesday in two cases, both filed by the district to challenge decisions of the Board of Taxation Appeals (BTA) to uphold determinations made by Tax Commissioner Patricia Harris.
TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE
Ohio will no longer issue commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) to people with certain immigration statuses and will downgrade existing CDLs to regular driver's licenses, the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) said. The change follows a federal rule revision from the National Motor Carrier Safety Administration (NMCSA) specifying that only immigrants with specific employment-based statuses will be eligible for what's known as a non-domiciled CDL. The BMV said it made the change after reviewing about 5,000 non-domiciled CDL holders earlier this year and downgrading about 2,000 of them due to ineligibility under the new NMCSA rule.
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION
Five years after a legal battle commenced over Gov. Mike DeWine's early termination of supplemental pandemic unemployment benefits, the case is now done after the Ohio Supreme Court refused a reconsideration request Tuesday. DeWine in 2021 stopped Ohio's participation in pandemic-era unemployment programs before the benefits expired. Former Attorney General Marc Dann sued to reinstitute the benefits, arguing state law requires the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to seek "all advantages available" when it comes to federal unemployment benefits. What followed was a series of appeals twice ending with the Ohio Supreme Court declaring the issue moot. After plaintiffs represented by Dann lost at the trial court in 2021, the 10th District overruled the trial judge. The Supreme Court accepted the case but later dismissed it as moot without explanation.
WORKFORCE
Block Communications, Inc. sent a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act letter to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Friday about its employees at the Toledo Blade, saying it will close on Dec. 31 but a possible sale is being considered to avoid that. "The plight of local journalism and financial losses resulted in the closure of the Toledo Blade," the letter said. Closure would affect 116 employees. Block Communications is also considering "effects bargaining" and severance pay-related actions to mitigate or avoid closure. The WARN letter is available HERE.
Ohio manufacturers have a new resource to help identify training programs, strengthen partnerships with educators and build the skilled workforce needed to compete. The Ohio Manufacturers' Association (OMA) recently launched its statewide Workforce Training Directory, featuring an inaugural group of 11 education and training institutions committed to supporting manufacturing workforce development. OMA President Ryan Augsburger announced the launch during Bowling Green State University's Advanced Manufacturing Summit. The directory is a central component of OMA's Workforce Training Partner Program, which connects manufacturers with education providers while recognizing institutions working to align their programs with industry needs. Manufacturers can explore the new directory HERE.
[Story originally published in The Hannah Report. Copyright 2026 Hannah News Service, Inc.]
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