Week in Review November 9, 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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ABORTION/REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Christian Jenkins ruled Thursday that the "central provision" of the Heartbeat Bill, 133-SB23 (Roegner), went "the way of the dodo" upon voters' approval of a constitutional amendment regarding abortion in 2023 and so 11 of the challenged sections of Ohio Revised Code (ORC) were "of the same species ... and for that reason they cannot survive." Jenkins previously ruled against most of SB23 in 2024, but the First District Court of Appeals found the law's other elements might be able to stand and sent the case back to him for more consideration.
FY28-29 BUDGET
Scrutiny of the H2Ohio program, grappling with Medicaid budget pressures and greater state involvement in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administration were among areas of interest for lawmakers looking toward the next biennial budget process Thursday. House Finance Committee Chair Brian Stewart (R-Ashville), Senate Finance Committee Vice Chair Brian Chavez (R-Marietta), Rep. and Sen.-elect Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) and Rep. Chris Glassburn (D-North Olmsted) spoke about the FY28-29 biennial budget process and the implications of divided government during a panel at the post-election Impact Ohio conference, with Werth PR's Dan Williamson serving as moderator.
CIVIL RIGHTS
The Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) last week celebrated the induction of nine honorees into the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame at the Lincoln Theatre in downtown Columbus. The 2026 OCRC Civil Rights Hall of Fame induction ceremony can be viewed HERE.
ECONOMY
A panel of 15 economists discussed the effects of daylight saving time (DST) and what could happen if Ohio makes it permanent rather than having it end during the year. This year, clocks will change Sunday morning, Nov. 1 in keeping with the current practice. Federal legislation to make DST permanent is pending in the U.S. Senate, as the U.S. House passed HR139 in July. All but two of Ohio's U.S. representatives voted for the measure, with no votes from U.S. Reps. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) and Mike Turner (R-Dayton). President Donald Trump criticized the U.S. Senate for not voting on the bill in a social media post Monday, saying the "vast majority" of the nation supports it.
EDUCATION
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) is moving forward with a new process for what gets included on the state's industry-recognized credential list after this past weekend's application deadline for proposing bundle combinations. DEW's Industry-Recognized Credential (IRC) Review Committee heard on Monday from representatives from Accenture, which spent the past several months constructing a process for weighing credentials for inclusion on DEW's IRC list based on value dimensions including occupational demand, credential demand, education mobility and career outcomes. Credentials are weighted within those four categories by 18 value dimensions.
Attorneys for Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) founder William Lager and for the state have agreed on housing, health care and daily living expenses Lager can incur under a court-ordered asset freeze, but remain in dispute on his request for $25,000 in monthly legal expenses.
Preliminary results show victory for 54 percent of school funding issues on the ballot Tuesday, according to the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA), with a strong passage rate for renewals and a dismal one for new money requests. A large crop of additional school income tax proposals fared particularly poorly.
ELECTIONS
The Ohio Association of Elections Officials (OAEO) Thursday offered its support to the embattled Lucas County Board of Elections and its staff after the board was criticized for its election night work and reportedly put under state oversight. Secretary of State Frank LaRose told the Toledo Blade that his office will be placing the board under administrative oversight because of its election night performance when not a single result from the county was posted until just before 2 a.m. on Wednesday. In a statement released Thursday, OAEO board members said a confluence of unique events conspired to delay results in Lucas County including bomb threats at polling locations, staffing shortages and antiquated voting equipment, but added that regardless of the delays, Lucas County released its results accurately and thoroughly.
ELECTIONS 2026
The League of Women Voters of Ohio (LWV of Ohio) hosted a virtual press conference morning on the state's election processes and potential for recounts, with LWV of Ohio Executive Director Jen Miller noting the number of competitive races.
Ahead of the election, GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy announced seven executive orders he would sign on his first day in office, including an investigation of the causes of local property tax spikes, state grant restrictions for cities that don’t cooperate with immigration enforcement and a pause of new data center projects pending passage of legislation, among others.
More than a million Ohioans cast an absentee ballot in-person before the end of the early voting period on Sunday, according to numbers released Monday by the secretary of state's office, setting a new record for a gubernatorial election. In total, 1,834,737 ballots were requested, and 1,730,111 have been returned so far. Of those, 632,254 were returned by mail, while 1,097,857 were cast in person at boards of elections.
According to the Center for Community Solutions (CCS), there were 62 health and human services levies slated for the ballot on Tuesday, Nov. 3. These levies address issues including developmental disabilities, senior services, mental health and other human services. CCS notes that 32 are in counties with more than one levy: Ashland, Champaign, Clinton, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Erie, Guernsey, Hancock, Harrison, Henry, Logan, Lorain, Marion, Meigs, Portage and Warren.
New polling released Sunday by the New York Times and Siena Research Institute (SRI) put Democrats ahead in the U.S. Senate and gubernatorial race. The poll was conducted among 717 likely voters in Ohio from Monday, Oct. 26 through Sunday, Nov. 1, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. It showed Democrat Sherrod Brown leading U.S. Sen. Jon Husted 49 to 44 percent. In the governor's race, Democrat Amy Acton leads Republican Vivek Ramaswamy 49 to 43 percent.
Voting was disrupted on Tuesday in Toledo by a bomb threat to polling locations at two schools in the city, leading Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Ken Walz to extend voting hours for the locations until 9:15 p.m., past the 7:30 p.m. deadline elsewhere statewide. Votes cast after the original polling hours were provisional. The delays prevented a number of races from being called until later Wednesday morning.
Democrat Amy Acton became Ohio's first woman elected governor and the first Democrat to hold the office since Ted Strickland lost his re-election bid to John Kasich in 2010. News outlets called the race for Acton around 10:45 p.m. after she had led throughout the night. "My promise to Ohio -- to those who voted for me and those who did not -- is that I will work with anyone and everyone, as I always have, to make life better for Ohioans. I am incredibly honored and proud of the work I did with Gov. Mike DeWine and his team," Acton said in her victory speech. "I look forward to continuing the work he has done -- from kids, around H2Ohio, and so much more. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Legislature on both sides of the aisle to ensure a very smooth transition." The race had been one of the most contentious in the country, with Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy gaining national attention for an ad using Acton's estranged mother accusing her of lying about her past. The move was condemned by a number of Republicans, including DeWine. Ramaswamy alluded to the bitterness "in both directions" of the race during his concession speech but said it is the time to bring the state together through Acton's leadership.
Sherrod Brown will represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate once again after defeating U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) in a nationwide wave of Democrats' flipping Republican Congressional seats. In his victory speech in Columbus, Brown told his supporters the victory was larger than just him. "This is your victory," Brown said. "Corporations and billionaires will try to buy this, but as it turns out there are a whole lot more of us than them.” Other notable congressional victories for Democrats in Ohio included successful re-election campaigns by U.S. Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo), Greg Landsman (D-Cincinnati) and Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) and wins by Don Leonard over U.S. Rep. Mike Carey (R-Columbus), Kristina Knickerbocker over U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Dayton) and Brian Poindexter over U.S. Rep. Max Miller (R-Parma).
The blue wave meant victory for all but one of the other Democrats seeking statewide office Tuesday, Democrat John Kuliewicz defeated Republican Keither Faber for attorney general; Democrat Allison Russo defeated Republican Robert Sprague for secretary of state; Democrat Seth Walsh defeated Republican Jay Edwards for treasurer; and Justice Jennifer Brunner won-re-election over GOP challenger Colleen O’Donnell, while Democrat Marilyn Zayas unseated GOP Justice Dan Hawkins. Only Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose prevailed in his contest against Democrat Annette Blackwell for the state auditor’s office.
The national blue wave around the country Tuesday also helped Ohio legislative Democrats flip at least eight House seats and two Ohio Senate seats, breaking Republicans' supermajority in the House. "The people's house belongs to the people of Ohio, and we took a historic step tonight. We needed six seats. ... we are 44 [later 45] out of 99 right now," House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) said at a watch party Tuesday evening.
In the House, Democrats defeated Reps. Mike Dovilla (R-Berea), Brian Lorenz (R-Powell), Jim Thomas (R-Canton) and Andrea White (R-Kettering) and picked up GOP seats being vacated by Reps. Steve Demetriou (R-Chagrins Falls), Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville), Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) and Bill Roemer (R-Richfield). In the Senate, Democrats unseated Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) and won the open seat held by Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson).
Still to be called are four House races with margins inside the automatic recount threshold:
House District 29: Rep. Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) after election night leads Democrat Jonathan Bradner 50.02 percent to 49.98 percent, a difference of just 19 votes. According to the secretary of state's office, Hamilton County has 328 outstanding overseas and military ballots and 9,553 outstanding provisional ballots.
House District 37: Democrat Tom Herner leads Rep. Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.) by a margin of 50.13 percent to 49.87 percent, a difference of 134 votes. Montgomery County reported 236 outstanding overseas and military ballots and 4,418 outstanding provisional ballots.
House District 44: Republican Ed Schimmel leads Democrat David Fournier by a margin of 47.97 to 47.87 percent in the seat currently held by Rep. Josh Williams (R-Oregon), a difference of 56 votes, with independent Lindsey Stough pulling about 4 percent of the vote. Of the counties in the district, Lucas has 106 overseas and military ballots outstanding and 3,095 outstanding provisional ballots; Ottawa has six outstanding overseas and 199 provisional ballots; and Wood has 58 outstanding overseas and military ballots and 1,355 provisional ballots.
Rep. Haraz Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg) leads Democrat Richard Rettg with 50.14 percent to 49.86 percent of the vote, a difference of 126 votes. Wood County has 58 outstanding overseas and military ballots and 1,355 provisional ballots.
With turnout of 58 percent exceeding the past two gubernatorial elections, getting an issue on the ballot will be harder, as the 10 percent vote threshold for constitutional amendment signature gathering will rise from about 413,000 to more than 465,000 at least, with final results likely to drive that number higher.
Voter sentiment on data centers was clear Tuesday night as numerous local ballot issues proposing to reject or limit such projects passed easily. Conserve Ohio, a group gathering signatures to put a statewide constitutional ban on large data centers on the ballot, cheered the victory for 10 local bans in the communities of Conneaut in Ashtabula County; Trenton in Butler County; Urbana in Champaign County; Defiance in Defiance County; Sunbury in Delaware County; Granville and Pataskala in Licking County; Oregon in Lucas County; Piqua in Miami County; and Upper Sandusky in Wyandot County. In addition to the local bans in which Conserve Ohio was involved, the community of Hubbard in Trumbull County adopted a ban on such developments in city limits. Numerous other issues instituting zoning restrictions over overturning local development approvals also saw victory.
Democrats and Republicans split appellate races Tuesday with 11 victories each, even if one GOP win lacked statistics due to the peculiarity of write-in candidates. A supermajority were uncontested, reinforcing the increasing partisanship of regional appeals court elections. The big story illustrated the swing-district perils of newcomers and big names alike, featuring two of three former Ohio lawmakers seeking appellate seats. Recently departed state Sen. Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) lost his retention election in the 9th District Court of Appeals to onetime minority House member and current Summit County Clerk of Courts Tavia Galonski, after Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Manning in July. The race was closer than most, with the Democrat prevailing 51.84 percent to 48.16 percent.
Tuesday's large electoral swing that saw Ohio Democrats take the governor's seat, most statewide offices and flip several of the state's congressional seats aligned with a nationwide blue wave that is probably more indicative of a souring national mood toward the policies of President Donald Trump than any issue or candidate specific to Ohio, according to panelists who spoke Wednesday at the Columbus Metropolitan Club. Calling Tuesday's results part of a "genuine national wave," Columbus-based Republican political consultant Mark Weaver likened Ohio's election results to those from 2006, in which the U.S. was engaged in an unpopular war in the Middle East, creating a national environment against the president and an unpopular Republican candidate for governor in Ohio. Trump came in "very strong" with policies in his second administration, and "the harder the throw, the harder the bounce," Weaver said.
In a reversal of roles, Democrats on an Impact Ohio panel analyzing the results of the 2026 election Thursday were able to talk about their successes and tell Republicans where they went wrong after previous years of discussing their losses. "I think I've done this the last few years and getting my teeth kicked in," commented Joe Rettof, co-founder of and partner of RT Advisors. "I've come back for revenge." Rettof was joined on the "Autopsy of the 2026 Election Results" panel by Lauren Worley, principal of Blue Cardinal Village who worked with the campaign of Treasurer-elect Seth Walsh; Scott Schweitzer, chief operating officer of the Strategy Group Co.; and Matt Dole, a consultant and communications counsel who worked with the campaign of Republican attorney general nominee Keith Faber.
Lawmakers from the four legislative caucuses mentioned affordability and a desire for "less icky" politics Thursday as some of their common takeaways from Tuesday's election results. Speaking at an Impact Ohio conference session on upcoming legislative action Thursday were Sen. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin), the presumptive Senate president for the 137th General Assembly; Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus); House Majority Floor Leader Marilyn John (R-Shelby); and House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati). The Ohio Chamber of Commerce's Rick Carfagna, himself a former state legislator, moderated the discussion. "I talked to my dad yesterday, and he said, 'Honey, people voted from their pocketbooks.' And we need to hear that," said John.
Ohioans are ready for change, Ohio Secretary of State-elect and current Rep. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and Ohio Attorney General-elect John Kulewicz said during the final Impact Ohio conference session Thursday, focusing on forthcoming agendas backed by the state's newly elected statewide officials.
ENERGY/UTILITIES
Ohio's electric distribution utilities (EDU) said Thursday they look forward to working with Gov.-elect Amy Acton on a coordinated energy policy benefiting all Ohioans and suggested the Legislature reconsider EDU-owned generation. The post-election IMPACT Ohio conference hosted President and COO Mark Reitter of the renamed American Electric Power (AEP) of Ohio, President Torrence Hinton of FirstEnergy Ohio, and State President Amy Spiller of Duke Energy Ohio for the roundtable discussion "Can Ohio Power Its Economic Ambitions?" moderated by former board chair for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and current President and CEO Brian Hicks of Hicks Partners LLC. Hicks offered a range of questions around critical electric infrastructure including generation, distribution and transmission and the state governance needed to fill potential gaps in Ohio's deregulated grid and PJM Interconnection's regional oversight.
FEDERAL
With Democrats taking control of the U.S. House in the next Congress and current House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) reportedly telling colleagues that he will not seek to be minority leader of the U.S. House, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) sent a letter to his fellow Republicans saying he will seek the job. According to multiple reports, Jordan, the current chair of the House Judiciary Committee, said in the letter that he has what it takes to oppose Democrats, calling himself "battle-tested."
U.S. Reps. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) and Warren Davidson (R-Troy) appeared on a panel at the post-election Impact Ohio conference Thursday, with OpenAI Congressional Lead Meghan Dorn serving as moderator. Asked about priorities in either lame duck or the next session of Congress, Davidson discussed efforts to modernize the Defense Production Act (DPA), including setting some ethics reforms and conditions on its usage by the government. He added the Export-Import Bank needs "reauthorized and modernized" and that those efforts have been bipartisan at the committee level.
GAMING/GAMBLING
Sports betting is increasingly becoming part of the sports entertainment industry, a panel presented by Ohio State University's (OSU) John Glenn College of Public Affairs discussed last week as part of the college's 2026 Leadership Forum event. The discussion was moderated by former executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) Matt Schuler, and featured Derek Longmeier, executive director of the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio, and Randy Olsen, OSU professor emeritus of economics, as panelists. The conversation examined the societal effects of sports betting, with speakers exploring its economic and entertainment benefits alongside its potential consequences for mental health and financial stewardship. They also discussed the societal stigma associated with gambling and how it differs from perceptions of sports betting.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE
Starting on Monday, Nov. 9 through Sunday, Nov. 15, the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) announced that there is a scheduled, temporary closure of the men's, women's and family restrooms located just outside of the Map Room on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse. This is just across from the Museum Gift Shop. During the closure, all staff and visitors will be directed to restrooms located on the first floor of the Ohio Statehouse or in the Senate Building. All three Map Room restrooms are scheduled to reopen on Monday, Nov. 16.
GOVERNOR
Gov. Mike DeWine addressed speculation Thursday that GOP lawmakers might try to limit powers of the governor's office now that they've lost their veto-proof House majority and face an incoming Democratic administration under Gov.-elect Amy Acton. After giving the keynote address at Thursday's Impact Ohio post-election conference, DeWine told reporters he's not talked to legislative leaders about the topic yet but expressed some general resistance. "I don't think any governor is going to approve anything, whether they're Democrat or Republican, that would drastically change the powers of the governor. I just don't think that's appropriate," he said. During his speech to the conference, DeWine described occupants of the governor's office during his lifetime as generally moderate, stretching back to the first one he can remember, Gov. Frank Lausche, who had the support of DeWine's conservative family members despite being a Democrat.
GOVERNOR-ELECT TRANSITION
Gov.-elect Amy Acton Thursday named John Haseley transition chair and announced the launch of the transition website where Ohioans can apply to join her administration, receive updates and read about her priorities. The transition website is Govelectacton.com; it includes an option to submit suggestions "to make Ohio a better place."
HANNAH NEWS RACES TO WATCH
State Auditor Keith Faber and Upper Arlington (UA) City Councilor John Kulewicz, set to square off in the attorney general race, made their pitches in interviews with Hannah News. "Having the skills and experience to run a very complex office is very different than being a lawyer," Faber said. "I don't know whether my opponent has even run a law firm."
"Ohioans are working hard, but no one listens to them anymore," Kulewicz said, suggesting Republicans could do more for the people by addressing real needs and "taking on corrupt politicians and restoring transparency and accountability" instead of "playing politics."
In House District 52, Cliff Winkel and Mike Baker have had to double-clutch the last several months after one of the biggest names in Ohio politics bowed out of the Lorain County House race to accept the governor's judicial appointment to the 9th Appellate District. Both candidates are small-business owners with families who are very active in the community but otherwise hold contrasting policy views beyond lower prices and safe communities.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday that Ohio's 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has responded to more than one million calls, text messages, and online chats since launching in July 2022. "The achievement highlights the importance of accessible, 24/7 crisis support for Ohioans and recognizes the dedicated professionals who respond to calls for help every day," his office noted in the release.
Themes of affordability, especially in the health care space, were a focus of political campaigns throughout 2026 and possibly a significant driver of Tuesday's election results. As health care costs continue to weigh on voters, a panel at Thursday's Ohio Chamber of Commerce Impact Ohio focused on the variety of ways that health care costs and access are being addressed, both by business and by government at the state and federal levels. HR1, signed in July 2025, represents the biggest change in the way the federal government views states in decades, according to panelist Rea Hederman of The Buckeye Institute. Growing federal deficits are affecting the government's borrowing capacity, meaning the federal government will start relying on states to do more with less, with a focus on the integrity of programs like Medicaid and SNAP, said Hederman. That will put pressure on Ohio's next administration to make sure Ohio Medicaid is running efficiently, Hederman said, and on policymakers like fellow panelist Rep. Meredith Craig (R-Smithville) to examine how efficient a job Ohio is doing. Craig said that SB315 (Schaffer-Craig), addressing SNAP and cybersecurity, was just the start, and the General Assembly (GA) needs and has plans to do more. Craig said SB315 represents the best place the current GA could get to, and in the next year, post-implementation, the Legislature still has work to do to make sure Medicaid is serving those who truly need it.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Two University of Toledo (UToledo) researchers have been awarded grants to study Lyme disease prevention and pancreatic cancer treatment. Mark Wooten of UToledo's Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences was awarded a five-year, $3.7 million award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to further develop an unconventional Lyme disease vaccine.
HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS
Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Development (DOD) recently announced $14 million in grants will go towards the creation of workforce housing in 10 counties as part of Residential Economic Development District (REDD) program. The funding is part of the second round of REDD grants, which is providing up to $15 million in grants this fiscal year to help communities expand housing opportunities close to major economic development projects.
JUDICIAL
The Supreme Court of Ohio reports that a record number of transportation grants were awarded to schools across the state for this school year, meaning more students will be able to visit the Supreme Court. As part of its civic education outreach, the Supreme Court awards grants to offset transportation costs to allow schools to take field trips to the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center in Columbus to learn about the Court, the judicial branch of government, and the artwork within the building. For the 2026-27 school year, the Court increased its funding by about 40 percent compared to last year to bring more schools to the building. The additional funds resulted in a larger number of applications for the grants, with a record 176 teachers applying. "This demonstrates the strong interest from educators seeking in-person, place-based learning opportunities for their students to learn about civics and government," the Court said in a release.
LIBRARIES
Most local library systems seeking funding support on the November ballot saw success Tuesday night, generally with comfortable margins, according to the Ohio Library Council (OLC). Local voters approved 13 of 16 funding issues, including two of five issues seeking new money.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Rep. Jack Daniels (R-New Franklin) joined Joseph Stefanov, city manager for the city of New Albany, and Tim Hicken, city administrator for the city of Pataskala, Friday morning at Ohio State University for a panel discussion exploring local government consolidation in creating greater operational efficiency. The conversation was moderated by Dana McDaniel, former city manager for the city of Dublin, and was hosted as part of the university's John Glenn College of Public Affairs Leadership Forum event intended to cover current and emerging trends in leadership, public administration and public policy. Prior to unpacking the various factors that influence the cumbersome process of local jurisdictional consolidation, the panelists briefly provided historical context on the topic, reflecting on personal experiences within their respective localities. The conversation went on to address how a large number of individual local entities can contribute to administrative inefficiencies and poor fiscal management. "We have more taxing authorities in the state of Ohio than any other state," Daniels noted.
The overwhelming majority of 427 township funding issues on local ballots earned voters' support Tuesday, according to the Ohio Township Association (OTA). Voters approved 86.9 percent of all issues and 98.1 percent of renewals, OTA said. OTA said 230 of the 427 issues were directed at police, fire and EMS services; 104 were for roads and infrastructure; 49, cemeteries; and 44, other services.
NATURAL RESOURCES
Most of the bodies of water in Ohio that formerly had site-specific length restrictions and daily bag limits for bass fishing will fall under statewide limits for both next year, following the approval Wednesday of spring 2027 hunting and fishing regulations by the Ohio Wildlife Council (OWC). OWC simplified fishing regulations for 2027 after surveys by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife showed that site-specific harvest regulations were effectively meeting management goals.
PEOPLE
Hicks Partners announced Monday it has hired Tony Long, most recently general counsel for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. He previously worked as an attorney for Honda and also at the Ohio Department of Taxation.
PUBLIC SAFETY
The DeWine administration says November is a good month to survey motorists about their traffic concerns, opinions of/interactions with troopers and overall assessment of Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) as the state approaches the holiday season. The patrol created the survey in compliance with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) to evaluate traffic and enforcement issues and quality of service. Readers can complete and submit the questionnaire through Monday, Nov. 30 HERE.
The DeWine administration is urging motorists to remain vigilant, especially in the morning and evening, as cooler temperatures bring deer season to the Buckeye State. The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) says November generally brings an increase in deer-related crashes from peak deer breeding season combined with the end of daylight-saving time. Ohio Statistics and Analytics for Traffic Safety (OSTATS) has more on deer crashes HERE.
Ohio Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is marking EMS Week with release of the nomination packet for its Star of Life Awards recognizing heroics acts and services occurring in 2026. The packet includes award criteria and nomination and patient consent forms for EMS Stars, EMS Provider of the Year, EMS Agency of the Year, EMS Medical Director of the Year, Frank Giampetro Distinguished EMS Educator Award, and Jack B. Liberator Lifetime Achievement Award. All nominations are due by Sunday, Jan. 31 and should be sent to Ohio Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Medical Services, EMS Star of Life Awards, P.O. Box 182073, Columbus 43218-2073, or EMSstaroflife@dps.ohio.gov or 614-466-9461 (fax).
The Ohio Department of Public Safety's (DPS) Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) announced more than $2 million in human trafficking grants Thursday to programs in 35 counties and three statewide nonprofits.
TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE
About a month into Ohio's 90-day gas tax suspension, Ohioans were paying about the same price per gallon on average as the rest of the nation. According to AAA, Ohio's average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $4.12 on Monday, compared to $4.16 across the U.S.
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation's (BWC) Board of Directors inked a $1 billion State Insurance Fund (SIF) investment Friday with four "low" risk," high-yield multi-asset credit (HYMAC) managers out of $20 billion in total holdings to meet last year's board "rebalancing" and "de-risking" of agency assets. The Investment Committee and general asset consultant Meketa Investment Group recommended and directors approved a $350 million investment with KKR Credit of New York, $250 million with Oaktree Capital Management of Los Angeles, and $200 million each with Bridge Capital Management and Oak Hill Advisors, both of New York.
[Story originally published in The Hannah Report. Copyright 2026 Hannah News Service, Inc.]
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