Week in Review October 27, 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.

ADDICTION/SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Columbus is ground zero for a 500 percent spike in deadly carfentanil samples submitted to the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCII) in the first three quarters of 2025 compared to all of 2024, the Ohio Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday. The synthetic opioid is 100 times stronger than fentanyl and was discovered in over half of all counties between January-September. BCII labs received one short of 200 carfentanil-laden compounds versus 40 samples in the previous 12 months. He said illicit carfentanil is heading up again after an all-time high in 2017 and five years of falling numbers. "The drug's highest prevalence has been in Central and Northwestern Ohio, with a more recent increase noted in southern Ohio counties," Attorney General Dave Yost said.

ARTS, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) will hold an emergency bylaw vote on a student-athlete name, image and likeness (NIL) policy during a five-day period in November, the organization announced Thursday. Member schools will cast their votes from Monday, Nov. 17 through Friday, Nov. 21, OHSAA said. The mother of five-star Wayne High School wide receiver Jamier Brown sued OHSAA for prohibiting the student-athlete from being compensated for his NIL. A Franklin County judge issued a temporary restraining order shortly thereafter. "If the membership votes in favor of a proposal, it would allow OHSAA member schools to shape the NIL bylaw. If schools do not vote in favor of the referendum, the lawsuit and the future of NIL in Ohio will be determined by the court," OHSAA said. The proposed new bylaw would allow student-athletes to enter into an agreement and be compensated for their NIL through appearances, licensing, social media, endorsements and/or the use of branding based on their public recognition or notoriety. The proposal would also establish reporting procedures and limitations so that students do not jeopardize their eligibility as it relates to OHSAA's recruiting and amateur bylaws.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Attorney General Dave Yost told the Ohio Supreme Court Monday that no "consensus of the professional medical community" supports gender transition of minors, which the 10th Appellate District ruled in overturning 135-HB68 (Click), and that the state's expert physicians agree with European studies showing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and gender reassignment surgery risk worse outcomes. The state filed its long-awaited brief in Moe v. Yost, which challenges the legislative ban on gender transition of minors. Plaintiffs represented by the ACLU of Ohio Foundation lost in Franklin County Common Plea Court but won before a three-judge appellate panel. "Although the appeals court talked about parental rights -- as, after all, all agree that children cannot decide for themselves -- it did not decide that every family truly decides for itself, or that the people, through their representatives, decide," Yost says in a 46-page brief. "Instead, the lower court said the scope of our rights is decided by unelected advocacy groups that the court deemed 'experts.'" The 10th District says parents' right to gender-transition minor children dates to Ohio's original constitution in 1802 and was reaffirmed by Ohio's 2011 Health Care Freedom Act (HCFA), notes Yost, which he says is wrong on both the law and the facts.

DISABILITIES

The Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) and the nonprofit designated in state law to advocate for people with disabilities are squaring off in federal court over access to records, although they might try to solve their differences in mediation before an upcoming hearing. Disability Rights Ohio (DRO) is designated by the state to serve as Ohio's protection and advocacy (P&A) system and client assistance program (CAP), functions that must be performed for Ohio to qualify for certain federal funding streams for disability and mental health services. However, in a lawsuit recently filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, DRO alleges DBH is blocking timely access to records it needs to monitor facilities treating people with disabilities and to respond to serious incidents, including a recent death by suicide at a DBH facility. According to the litigation, DBH told DRO it would consider the requests under Ohio's public records laws. But Kerstin Sjoberg, executive director of DRO, told Hannah News that state and federal law give DRO the right to promptly see information, while the reasonableness standard of replying to typical public records requests could entail delays of weeks or months.

ECONOMY

A recent report by personal finance site WalletHub ranked Ohio 44^th nationally for states with the highest household credit card debt, equating to seventh-lowest at $9,352 per household. Ohio was third-highest among neighboring states behind Pennsylvania, 32^nd nationally at $10,125; and Michigan, 39^th at $9,734. The six lowest states for household credit card debt were Indiana, $9,324; West Virginia, $9,212; North Dakota, $9,132; Kentucky, $9,124; Iowa, $8,480; and Wisconsin, $8,424. The five highest were Hawaii, $15,052; California, $13,847; Alaska, $13,630; New Jersey, $12,873; and Nevada, $12,832. In terms of highest household debt increases from the first to second quarters of 2025, Ohio tied with Nebraska at 43^rd nationally as both states had a household increase of $178.

EDUCATION

Legislation requiring schools to provide instruction on the "success sequence" as part of at least one course required for high school graduation was approved by the Senate on Wednesday. Senators voted 24-9 along party lines to pass SB156 (Cutrona), with Republicans arguing the program reduces poverty and Democrats arguing the "success sequence" has more to do with addressing "cultural beefs" than actually helping poor Ohioans. The success sequence generally suggests that young people achieve the following three life goals, in order:

• Graduate from high school.

• Obtain a full-time job.

• Get married before having children.

The state is investing $7.1 million to bring career-connected learning opportunities and career planning support to more students across Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) Director Stephen Dackin announced Friday. "Our continued support of expanding career-technical education and career planning for our students is an investment in Ohio's future," DeWine said. "By creating Career Pathway Support Networks, more students will be able to access the in-demand skills and experiences they need to be successful after high school and reach their full potential." The grant funding will establish Career Pathway Support Networks in place of existing Tech Prep Regional Centers.

DEW Director Steve Dackin gave the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee a presentation Tuesday on efforts to support the state's foster youth in K-12 education and beyond, including both workforce and college preparation. Dackin opened with statistics on the foster student population in public schools, as there were around 14,200 foster students in K-12 during the 2024-2025 academic year. That included 782 kindergartners, 8,769 primary school students and 4,649 high school students, with Dackin's written testimony further breaking down the numbers by exact grade level. He also detailed how the Columbus and Cincinnati public school systems have over 500 foster students each, Dayton is third at approximately 400 and Cleveland and Toledo both have just under 300. As for districts with the highest rates of foster students, Dackin said that is more varied geographically and includes many rural or suburban districts. He also said foster students have a special place in the K-12 system and detailed the protections and services required for them under state and federal laws.

ELECTIONS 2026

Past-President of the Ohio Education Association (OEA) Scott DiMauro announced his legislative candidacy to succeed term-limited Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) in the Ohio House's 16th District. The Democrat announced his 2026 candidacy to local educators, community activists and other supporters at a campaign kickoff in Westlake. DiMauro, a former social studies teacher and two-term OEA president from 2019 to July 2025, says "growing majorities" believe the state and nation are moving in the wrong direction.

The following endorsements were made over the week:

• The campaign of U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) announced the endorsement of the National Border Patrol Council.

• The gubernatorial campaign of Amy Acton announced the endorsement of Akron Mayor Shammas Malik.

• Former U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Cincinnati) endorsed Zac Haines for the 7th District Ohio Senate seat.

ENERGY/UTILITIES

Next June is a long way off but already signals mixed electric prices as utility auction charges post for the 2026 cooling season. Ohio's electric customers started this summer with prevailing rates of roughly $85 per megawatt hour (MWh) or 8.5 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for their utility's standard service offer (SSO), or what they pay when not switching to a competitive retail electric service (CRES) provider. SSO rates between one electric distribution utility and the next vary, however, based on the time of year and how far in advance of the yearly service period auctions are held and what percentage of final kWh charges they cover. American Electric Power (AEP) of Ohio's June 1, 2025-May 31, 2026 rates, for instance, are averaging 9.2 cents/kWh. June 2026 could bring more of the same. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) last week approved the Tuesday, Oct. 14 Duke Energy Ohio auction price of 9.2 cents/kWh for the next service period, which is generally higher than 2025-2026 kilowatt-hour charges from earlier this year and fall 2024. Duke's final auction for the current service period occurred in April of this year, when it enjoyed a substantially lower price of 8.6 cents/kWh.

The DeWine administration announced Thursday that it is restarting Cuyahoga County's longtime energy assistance program with Cleveland-based Step Forward as sole administrator for the Ohio Department of Development's (DOD) Percentage of Income Payment Play (PIPP), Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and HEAP Summer and Winter Crisis programs. The administration said Step Forward has assumed all HEAP, PIPP and HEAP Summer/Winter accounts from Cleveland-based CHN Housing Partners following DOD's request for proposal (RFP) for countywide coverage. CHN has managed energy assistance in Cuyahoga County for more than two decades.

ENVIRONMENT

A clean air project in Riverside is receiving financing through the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA), the agency announced. The facility, operated by 4406 Springfield St. Property LLC and leased to Mechanical Services and Design Inc., will implement energy-saving upgrades as part of a business expansion plan. "Financial assistance from OAQDA enables a public-private partnership with the use of air quality revenue bonds by Fifth Third to loan capital for the project in the amount of $3 million," OAQDA said. The project will install rooftop solar panels, high-efficiency HVAC systems, LED lighting and building envelope enhancements, contributing to a combined estimated energy savings of 58 percent.

FEDERAL

U.S. Rep. Dave Taylor (R-Amelia) blamed an unidentified group for the appearance of an American flag containing a swastika in his office. The flag became a focus on social media as images of the small flag altered to include a swastika began to circulate online, with Politico and other news outlets reporting on it midweek. Acknowledging the flag, Taylor said his office had asked Capitol Police to investigate and said it did not reflect the values and standards of his office. On Thursday, Oct. 16, Taylor gave an update on the investigation, saying numerous Republican congressional offices had confirmed they had been targeted "by an unidentified group or individual who distributed American flags bearing a similar symbol." He said the flags "were initially indistinguishable from an ordinary American flag to the naked eye." Politico reported similar flags were delivered through the U.S. Postal Service in February to multiple congressional offices, citing a Republican congressional staffer not from Taylor's office.

House and Senate Democratic legislators, leaders of human services organizations in Central Ohio and a recipient of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits held a press conference Thursday stressing the need for state action to backfill funding for SNAP; Women, Infants and Children (WIC); and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits in the event the federal government shutdown continues beyond Saturday, Nov. 1 when federal funding would be suspended. They suggested using the state’s Rainy Day Fund. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in an Oct. 10 letter to states that there wouldn't be full funds for November SNAP benefits if the shutdown continued, according to media reports. Rep. Latyna Humphrey (D-Columbus) convened the press conference and sponsored HB502, which seeks to use state funds to continue those benefits during lapses in federal funding. She said this issue is about people rather than politics and that a reduction or suspension in SNAP benefits would affect 42 million Americans in total and "more than 1.5 million" Ohioans.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

The Senate unanimously passed the following bills on Wednesday, in addition to action on SB156 (Cutrona):

• HB27 (Callender-Troy), a bridge designation and license plate bill.

• HB44 (J. Miller-K. Miller), which makes changes to the processes for law enforcement training and hiring.

• SB223 (Patton), which requires the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) to establish a discount program for veterans and service members for park services and rentals.

The House General Government Committee voted Wednesday to adopt a report including recommendations to eliminate or lower the fees for various occupational licenses recently reviewed by the committee. The committee has spent several weeks this fall reviewing the licenses, part of the periodic review process set up in 132-SB255 (McColley). The report passed with dissenting votes from Reps. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and Ashley Bryant Bailey (D-Cincinnati). Russo objected to the lowering of fees for some licenses under the Ohio State Medical Board.

The bronze figures that will comprise the Women's Monument on the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse are currently being cast in the Zanesville studio of artist Brenda Councill. Debra Collins of the Ohio Arts Council told the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) on Thursday that the bronze figures of unnamed women will represent strength, longevity and endurance, with the figures perched atop pedestals on the Statehouse grounds. Three of the four pedestals will support statues, and a fourth will stand open without a statue to represent the women of the future, leaving space for women to claim their story yet to be written. None of the statues will represent a specific woman, as the monument can't feature the names of all the women the designers would have liked, said Collins. Instead, the monument will represent all women. Collins said an opening date for the Women's Monument has yet to be announced, but it is expected to be unveiled during the summer of 2026.

In other legislative action, the House Judiciary Committee reported out HB132 (Craig-M. Miller) which increases penalties for drivers’ failing to slow down or move over when approaching stopped vehicles; the House Public Safety Committee reported out HR227 (Cockley-Ritter) which urges DOJ to expedite work on NCIC; the House Small Business Committee reported out HB268 (Humphrey-Click) which addresses modifying the employment qualification certificate process; the House Transportation Committee reported out naming bills HB213 (K. Miller-Salvo), HB430 (Hiner-K. Miller), HB432 (Brownlee-K. Miller), HB384 (Moore), HB385 (Moore), HB471 (Abrams), and HB37 (Stewart); the Senate Education Committee reported out HCR7 (Ghanbari-J. Miller) which supports the work of the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary; and SB144 (Ingram) regarding educator license grade bands; the Senate Public Utilities Committee reported out SB151 (Wilkin) regarding carbon offsets; the House Agriculture Committee reported out HB148 (Ray-Grim) providing a tax refund for pet spaying/neutering; the House Development Committee reported out SB155 (Brenner-Ingram) which amends law related to real estate wholesalers; the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee reported out HB23 (Roemer-Williams) creating the escaped convict alert program; and day designation bill SB253 (Craig-Reynolds); and the Senate Transportation Committee reported out SB16 (Wilson) which deals with changing lanes for stationary vehicles, and road naming bills HB228 (Williams-Rogers) and HB38 (Fowler Arthur).

GUNS

Justice R. Patrick DeWine faulted both sides in the high court dispute over liquor establishment restrictions on firearms in the latest oral arguments. He suggested the state was arguing a much tougher standard of no-guns-in-bars instead of the plain language of R.C. 2923.121, but also that a Muskingum man who carried a concealed handgun into a tavern and shot another man had erred in trying to overturn the entire law on constitutional grounds rather than those portions relevant to his conviction. Capital Square lawmakers and lawyers did not dominate the gallery of the oral arguments but rather students and educators at Defiance High School in Northwest Ohio, where the Ohio Supreme Court held its latest offsite session. Assistant Muskingum County Prosecuting Attorney John Denver represented the state while Columbus defense attorney Elizabeth Gaba argued for the man challenging R.C. 2923.121 on its face, Elijah Striblin.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Bowling Green State University (BGSU) recently announced a new partnership with Universal Orlando to expand educational opportunities and advance careers in the resort and attraction industry, according to the university. Through the partnership, Universal Orlando is offering its 32,000 employees tuition assistance benefits to enroll online in BGSU's Resort and Attraction Management (RAAM) program. BGSU is the only university in the nation offering a bachelor's degree in this field. Courses offered through the program include leadership management, human resources management, risk management and safety, marketing, advertising and social media.

Reps. Justin Pizzulli (R-Franklin Furnace) and Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) are proposing to increase from $1 million to $11 million the money available for grants to improve safety on college campuses through the recently introduced HB511. "Every student deserves to learn, grow, and dream in an environment that is safe. This bill is about ensuring that every parent can send their child to college without fear, and every campus has the tools to protect its community. Safety is not partisan, it's a promise we make to every student in Ohio," said Jarrells. The money would expand the Campus Safety Grant Program, funded in HB96 (Stewart). Under the program, state and private institutions of higher education can submit proposals to use funds to prevent or mitigate risks of violent crimes, terror attacks, hate crimes and harassment.

University of Findlay (UF) President Katherine Fell recently announced her plans to retire after the 2025-26 academic year. Her retirement concludes 16 years of leadership service of UF. Fell came to UF in 2010 after serving at Centenary College in Louisiana for 24 years as an associate professor of English and later as the college's vice president of advancement. The UF Board of Trustees will launch a national search for the next president, according to the school.

HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS

The Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Cleveland and the HBA of Portage & Summit Counties announced recently they have merged to form the Building Industry Association of Northeast Ohio (BIA-NEO), launching in January 2026. BIA-NEO plans to combine both organizations' resources, expertise and influence for the benefit of members and the communities they serve.

HUMAN SERVICES

Insufficient child care in Ohio costs the state $5.48 billion according to an "Untapped Potential" study conducted by the U.S. Chamber Foundation and cited by Rick Carfagna, senior vice president of government affairs for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, during a webinar focusing on accessible and affordable child care in Ohio; the webinar Monday was hosted by the Ohio Legislative Children's Caucus. Also present for the forum were Brittany Boulton, vice president of Groundwork Ohio, and Lara Schwartz, child care service manager for the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development. "When you break that number down," said Carfagna, discussing the $5.48 billion loss from child care across the state, "you're looking at just over $1.5 billion in missed annual tax revenue ... and then just under $4 billion to employers in child care related employee turnover and absenteeism costs." "You know, it's long been a family problem, but anymore it is increasingly a workforce problem," said Carfagna further.

JUDICIAL

The U.S. Courts system announced Friday that it's running out of funding amid the federal government shutdown and will be performing only limited functions until the dispute ends. As of Monday, federal courts will lack money for "full, paid operations. Until the ongoing lapse in government funding is resolved, federal courts will maintain limited operations necessary to perform the judiciary's constitutional functions," said a statement from the court system. The court system said judges will continue to serve but their staff will only be able to perform certain work permitted under the federal Anti-Deficiency Act.

Former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann and former Rep. Jeff Crossman have filed a federal lawsuit against the Ashland County sheriff and county fair board over the removal of the county's Democratic Party from the county fair, saying it was unconstitutional. Sheriff Kurt Schnedier and the Ashland County Agricultural Society had the Ashland County Democratic Committee remove their booth from the fair last month after complaints over certain political buttons with messages aimed at President Donald Trump. Schneider also reported the incident to the Secret Service. The lawsuit argues that the party was ordered "to remove constitutionally protected political materials" and that the party was then expelled from the fairgrounds, "a publicly funded and publicly operated venue, because of the political viewpoints expressed" by the party. It says the actions by the defendants violated First Amendment protections "and threaten to chill political participation at future county fairs across Ohio."

Two House Republicans said they are beginning the process to remove a Hamilton County Municipal Court judge over his comments in the wake of the death of Charlie Kirk. Reps. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron) said Municipal Court Judge Ted Berry violated the Ohio Judicial Code of Conduct when they said he "publicly celebrated the death of Charlie Kirk on social media." According to media reports, Berry has been under fire after social media posts in the wake of Kirk's assassination, including "How's he feel about gun violence and gun control in Hell, now?"

A member of the Ohio National Guard (ONG) and four Metropolitan Police Department officers are facing a lawsuit for allegedly violating the constitutional rights of a protester in Washington, D.C. The lawsuit against ONG Sgt. Devon Beck was filed on behalf of protester Sam O'Hara by the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia (ACLU D.C.). After President Donald Trump's Aug. 11 deployment of D.C. National Guard members and several states' decisions to send National Guard members to join them in D.C., O'Hara began protesting the National Guard members' presence in his community by walking behind them while playing "The Imperial March" theme from "Star Wars" on his phone and recording. On Sept. 11, O'Hara saw Beck and several other National Guard members walking in uniform, the ACLU said. "He stood several feet behind the Guard members, began playing 'The Imperial March' -- the song that announces Darth Vader -- aloud on his phone, and started recording. In less than two minutes, Beck turned around and threatened to call the police officers to 'handle' O'Hara if he did not stop. O'Hara continued, and Beck called the Metropolitan Police Department. When the police arrived in response to this call, they tightly handcuffed and detained O'Hara for between 15 and 20 minutes," the ACLU said. The complaint says, "The First Amendment bars government officials from restraining individuals from recording or protesting, and the Fourth Amendment (along with the district's prohibition on false arrest) bars groundless seizures."

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Citing state-level inaction on Ohio's "scourge" of rising property taxes, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne called the potential ballot measure for a constitutional amendment to eliminate property taxes in the state the "worst nightmare" for Ohio's mayors, school superintendents, council members, parks and libraries. Ronayne said in his recent annual State of the County address that Cuyahoga County has supported various proposals to limit Ohioans' property taxes, including the "circuit breaker," which would cap the percentage of an individual's income that can be paid as property tax, and the homestead exemption, which Ronayne said has not been adjusted in Ohio in decades. Ronayne warned of the dire consequences for local governments and services were a proposed ballot initiative to eliminate property taxes statewide pass at the ballot.

MARIJUANA/HEMP

The House approved Wednesday a broad compromise on marijuana and intoxicating hemp products that would finally see local governments get the marijuana tax revenue they're due under the Issue 2 legalization ballot issue and answer growing concern about the ease of access to intoxicating hemp products while creating a pathway for regulated businesses to sell them. Action earlier in the day in the House Finance Committee on SB56 (Huffman) also brought most Democrats into the supporters' column. The House Judiciary Committee vote Tuesday had seen the minority party opposed to the bill. But final changes in finance saw an overwhelming majority of committee members approve it ahead of the 86-8 floor vote. In committee, members adopted a substitute bill. Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville), the finance chair and a lead negotiator on marijuana and hemp issues in recent months, said the substitute bill allows expungement of marijuana charges in addition to convictions, and sets the same misdemeanor-level penalty for first time offenses of selling to a minor regardless of whether it involves marijuana, hemp or beverage products, among other revisions. Rep. Tex Fischer (R-Youngstown), a self-titled "hempresentative," said the legislation would provide people who'd poured money and effort into building small businesses a pathway to legal operations. Stewart joked multiple times Wednesday that he'd encountered "A Tex Fischer-sized obstacle" in his earlier quest to crack down much harder on these hemp products, and said the two managed to work out a deal after Gov. Mike DeWine issued a since-enjoined executive order to ban them.

NATURAL RESOURCES

The wild turkey poult index, the metric used to estimate turkey nest success and survival, was measured at 2.7 poults per hen during summer 2025, slightly below the rolling 10-year average of 2.8. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife gauges the turkey poult index following public reports of wild turkeys and their young in July and August of each year. The resulting annual poult index helps to serve as an indicator of wild turkey population trends and inform harvest regulations in following years. The 2025 poult index is the lowest since 2021 (3.1), and the index in 2024 (2.9) brought the state's 10-year rolling average for the index to 2.8. The result for 2025 represents the first annual wild turkey poult index below the 10-year average since 2020.

NEWS MEDIA

Following the clawback of Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) funding in this summer's federal Recissions Act, public media stations in Ohio and nationwide have entered a new era of uncertainty. A large part of CPB funding had gone to local public media stations across the country, and public broadcasters in Ohio saw a further cut in funding following the passage of operating budget HB96 (Stewart), affecting many of the state's stations and the content those stations produce. Kevin Martin, president and CEO of Ideastream Public Media in Cleveland, told the Cleveland City Club that his station actually had a "fantastic" fiscal year leading up to Sept. 30, 2025, before the federal cuts became official on Oct. 1, and Ideastream is entering the new fiscal year in a very strong position with a strong endowment. But Martin said one of the things Ideastream will have to do as soon as the next few months is to step in and help Ohio's smaller public stations that are threatened by a loss of federal funding.

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is taking a Columbiana County nonprofit to court for allegedly misusing charitable funds and letting its board president live rent-free on the organization's 43-acre property. "This nonprofit has served no charitable purpose for years, operating only as a personal ATM and a source of free housing for its president," Yost said. "The jig is up." The lawsuit seeks to dissolve Lamb's House, located in the village of Rogers, and asks the court to appoint a receiver to manage the nonprofit's remaining assets. The filing names president Mark Altomare and two board members as defendants, accusing them of unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty and other violations of charitable laws.

PARKS/RECREATION

A ribbon cutting ceremony recently marked the completion of a nearly year-long renovation project to the campground at Harrison Lake State Park in Northwest Ohio. Key improvements to the park's campground include the demolition of an outdated shower house and its replacement with an ADA-compliant, energy-efficient facility. The project also converted 65 electric-only campsites into full-hookup sites, bringing the total number of full-hookup sites at Harrison Lake State Park to 91, one of the highest numbers in Ohio's state park system. Improvements were also made to accommodate larger RVs, including the conversion of seven back-in campsites into pull-through sites at the park's south campground and wider approaches to the park's dump station, which received new fixtures and plumbing. The project also relocated the park's potable water fill station beside a pull-off lane to ease traffic congestion.

PENSIONS

Attorney General Dave Yost's office is again trying to put into effect the new structure for the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) board enacted in the recent budget bill but blocked by a Franklin County common pleas judge. Yost's office filed a new appeal Friday and asked Judge Carl Aveni to stay the preliminary injunction he had issued to prevent the governance provisions of HB96 (Stewart) from taking effect. Under the budget language, the STRS board would add new political appointees and gradually lose some of the seats elected from the active and retired educator membership. In addition, system beneficiaries serving on the board would be barred from serving as chair and vice chair -- positions now occupied by such beneficiaries. Aveni issued a temporary restraining order against the HB96 provisions shortly before they were to take effect. The state challenged that order in the 10th District Court of Appeals but lost. With the injunction now in place, Yost is again turning to the 10th District, and he told Aveni in a motion filed Friday that it's mandatory under Ohio Supreme Court precedent to issue a stay of the injunction.

POLLS/STUDIES

Twenty-two days into the federal government shutdown, 45 percent of registered voters say Republicans in Congress are more responsible for the situation than Democrats, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University. Thirty-nine percent of registered voters said Democrats are more responsible for the shutdown, and 11 percent said both parties are equally responsible, the poll released on Wednesday says. Democrats blame Republicans for the shutdown, while Republicans blame Democrats. Among independents, 48 percent said Republicans are more responsible, 32 percent said Democrats are more responsible and 14 percent said both parties are equally responsible. If the congressional midterm elections were held today, 50 percent of voters said they would want to see the Democratic Party win control of the U.S. House, while 41 percent would prefer Republicans win.

With just over a year to go before Ohioans elect their next governor and weigh in on one of the state's U.S. Senate races, a new poll from Bowling Green State University finds the races are looking competitive so far. The web-based poll was conducted by the Democracy and Public Policy Network in the Department of Political Science at Bowling Green State University from Thursday, Oct. 2 through Tuesday, Oct. 14, among 899 registered Ohio voters, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. In potential gubernatorial matchups, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy leads Democrat Amy Acton 50 percent to 47 percent, and leads former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan 49 percent to 47 percent, though Ryan has not declared for the race. In a potential primary, Acton leads Ryan 50 percent to 41 percent. The poll finds former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in an essential dead heat with current U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), who was appointed to an open seat earlier this year. Brown holds a slight 49 percent to 48 percent edge over Husted.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Nicholas Cayton, 40, died Thursday after a truck driver crashed into the back of his cruiser while he was assisting another truck driver with a disabled vehicle, according to the patrol. The patrol said Cayton was in his cruiser with its emergency lights activated after responding to reports of a disabled vehicle on Rt. 11 in Mahoning County. A Mack truck, driven by Ryan Rach, 35, of Canfield, crashed into the back of the cruiser, pushing it into the back of the disabled truck and also hitting Nelson de Jesus Vasquez, 65, of Florida, the driver of the disabled truck. Cayton was pronounced dead at the scene, while Vasquez was life-flighted to a hospital. Rach was not injured, according to the patrol.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) marked National Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 19-25, by asking parents to discuss safe driving with their underage driver. The administration says families are critical to reinforcing safe driving by setting the example, following traffic rules and spending time driving with their teens. "Just like mastering a sport or a musical instrument, safe driving takes practice," Gov. Mike DeWine said over the weekend. "I encourage parents and guardians to actively coach their teens on safe driving skills and have open and consistent conversations with their kids about the importance of being a responsible driver." The Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO), reports that teens become safer drivers when parents spend more practice time with them, provide constructive feedback and expose them to varied driving environments.

REDISTRICTING/REAPPORTIONMENT

Gov. Mike DeWine convened the Ohio Redistricting Commission on Tuesday as the deadline approaches for the panel to adopt a bipartisan congressional redistricting plan by the end of the month. The brief meeting included sponsor testimony from Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) and House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) on the Democratic map proposals, SB259 and HB442. No questions were asked of Antonio or Isaacsohn, and no Republican member of the commission proposed a map. In commission action, members acknowledged that 90 congressional redistricting plans were submitted for consideration as of Monday, Oct. 20. The commission failed to adopt rules, as both minority members voted against Co-Chair Rep. Brian Stewart's (R-Ashville) proposal to use Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure as they wanted some other rules that were adopted by the last commission.

Isaacsohn discussed the redistricting process in Ohio with reporters Tuesday, saying other states' officials "are pursuing maximum gerrymanders along partisan lines" and in Ohio that would mean a map with 13 Republican U.S. representatives and two Democrats. Isaacsohn continued that "if that happens in November, I think voters would be well within their rights" to decide it is not representative of the state and seek a referendum. He added there is "national energy" on that idea and "a lot of statewide energy for that if we go down that path" of a 13-2 map.

STATE GOVERNMENT

The Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS) and Ohio Secretary of State's Office (SOS) can pay for more office space to accommodate the new Ohio Election Integrity Commission (OEIC), the Controlling Board decided Monday.

Frankin County leads the state with over a half million dollars in human trafficking grants announced by the Ohio Department of Public Safety's (DPS) Office of Criminal Justice Services Wednesday as part of $2 million in total support. The Office Criminal Justice Services' (OCJS) Direct Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Grant Program, launched by the governor in 2023, awarded funds to 33 nonprofits in 16 counties in addition to several agencies that serve the needs of human trafficking survivors on a statewide basis."

TAXATION

The House voted Wednesday to approve a pair of inflationary caps that majority Republican lawmakers argued will provide relief to voters affected by post-pandemic runups in property values and prevent such large increases from happening in the future. Some Democrats offered reluctant support for the two measures, HB186 (Hoops-D. Thomas) and HB335 (D. Thomas), while pushing for more "targeted" relief. Under HB186, increases in property tax revenue for school districts on the 20-mill funding floor will be subject to an inflationary cap, and school districts will temporarily share in hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding to offset the costs of retroactively applying that cap via credits to property owners. The bill had passed the House Finance Committee earlier Wednesday; it needed to go there following Tuesday's House Ways and Means Committee approval because of the appropriation for school payments. Under HB335, inside millage for all manner of local government jurisdictions will likewise be subject to an inflationary cap. The chamber passed HB186 on a vote of 72-23, and HB335 on a vote of 71-24. During floor speeches and in a press conference after session, GOP leaders said the two measures, combined with budget provisions and other bills passed in recent weeks, represent billions of dollars in relief and answer the voter sentiment that's made property taxation the top Statehouse issue this year and given rise to a ballot drive to abolish property taxes entirely. "This is the greatest compilation of property tax reform in the last 50 years or maybe longer," said Rep. Bill Roemer (R-Richfield), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.

TECHNOLOGY/AEROSPACE

The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) announced that the state's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Holly Drake had been awarded a Cybersecurity Leadership Award by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) for "pivotal contributions" to the field.

TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE

The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (OTIC) has approved the purchase of $745,000 in Meltdown Apex-C to remove ice and snow during the 2025-2026 winter season. Liquid deicer can improve the effectiveness of rock salt, particularly at extremely low temperatures, OTIC maintenance engineer Bryan Emery told Hannah News in a phone interview.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), in partnership with the Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action Program (HAPCAP), announced a major expansion of Ohio's GoBus intercity transit network -- significantly increasing travel options for rural communities and "strengthening statewide connectivity." According to the announcement, ODOT will fund four new intercity bus routes designed to extend GoBus service into previously unserved regions of the state in Western and Northern Ohio, including communities such as Bowling Green, Fremont, Marion, Middletown, Oxford, Upper Sandusky, and Yellow Springs.

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