If you have any tips, comments, or questions, I’d love to hear them. You can reach me at 614-981-1422, avery.kreemer@coxinc.com or @AveryKreemer on X. You can also follow our political coverage on our website and through our Ohio Politics Facebook page.
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Over 731K signatures submitted to state in latest push for redistricting reform
Credit: Avery Kreemer
Credit: Avery Kreemer
• The story: A campaign led by retired Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O’Connor to dethrone Ohio’s politician-led redistricting commission and replace it with an independent, politician-free citizen board submitted over 731,000 signatures to the state this week, which looks like it should be enough to get its proposed amendment on the ballot this November.
• The amendment: The Citizen Redistricting Commission, which backers insist would be nonpartisan and disconnected from politicians’ interests, would consist of five Republicans, five Democrats and five unaffiliated registered voters. The panel would meet more often than the state’s current Ohio Redistricting Commission is required to and would be bound to do more actions, such as the actual map drawing, in public — a significant diversion from the current process.
• Pushback: Ohio’s leading Republicans, which largely control the state’s current process, have cast doubts on how good a solution the Citizen Redistricting Commission actually is. “I think that the people who are making an important decision like this ought to be elected officials who are accountable to the public, not unknown bureaucrats somewhere, someplace,” said Sen. President Matt Huffman, R-Lima.
• What’s next: Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and his team will work to verify the validity of each signature before confirming the amendment onto the November ballot. If it gets on, it will add an interesting wrinkle to an already complex election.
• Here’s my story on the campaign’s big day, with more reporting sure to come.
State moves forward with attempt to counter-balance liberal bias on Wright State’s campus
• The story: Wright State got its inaugural Academic Council approved by the state last week. The six-member panel, which needs a seventh member soon, will begin a search for a director for the university’s Civics, Culture and Workforce Center — a state-mandated institute independent from the university that is designed, in part, to counter-balance liberal bias on Ohio’s college campuses.
• The center’s role: The center, which is one of five recently created by the state, will offer elective courses to students to teach: the foundations of free societies; the American Constitutional order, which includes the United States armed forces; responsible and informed citizenship; the purpose and role of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base; and the workforce needs of the base.
• Here’s my story on the bill.
Local political news of the week
• Dayton vehicle registration price hike: Dayton has approved a new $5 permissive motor vehicle license tax that will help pay for roadway repairs and upgrades, which will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. Cory Frolik has the story.
• DeWine touts new Dayton hospital plan: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine touted the state’s forthcoming mental health hospital in Dayton following his initiative to approve $10 million in a recent budget to buy the property and design a 216-bed facility. Josh Sweigart has the story.
• Financial trouble for county recorder: Montgomery County Recorder Stacey Benson-Taylor has faced a mortgage foreclosure, vehicle repossession case and wage garnishment in recent years as she manages a public office with a budget of more than $1 million, Sydney Dawes reports.
State political news of the week
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
• First details on Dayton hospital cost: Remember that hospital DeWine touted? This week he also unveiled that the total project is expected to cost about $273 million, according to initial estimates from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. It’ll all be state funded. Josh Sweigart has the story.
• Ohio may end sub-minimum wage: In Ohio, thousands of people with disabilities are employed under programs that legally pay them below the federal minimum wage — most being paid less than $3.50 an hour. Recently, there have been talks of phasing out the sub-minimum wage practice, which has been around since the 1930s. Sydney Dawes has the story.
• New property tax relief effort: The Ohio Senate is vetting a new proposal that would give local governments the ability to give property tax breaks directly to needy residents — one of a slew of property tax reforms bouncing around the Statehouse halls. Denise Callahan has the story.
National political news of the week
• “No one’s pushing me out”: It’s been a chaotic week for President Joe Biden and his reelection bid following a poor performance in the first debate against former President Donald Trump. But, fending off Democratic calls for him to hand over the reigns, Biden has vowed to stay in the race. The Associated Press has the latest.
• Supreme Court rules on presidential immunity: In a controversial decision, the U.S. Supreme Court established that former presidents have absolute immunity from prosecution for official acts that fall within their “exclusive sphere of constitutional authority” and are presumptively entitled to immunity for all official acts. The Associated Press breaks down the key components of the decision.
• Chevron deference: Maybe you hadn’t heard of it, but the Supreme Court sure had. A decision last week took considerable powers away from federal agencies, which for 40 years have been given the leeway to fill in important details when laws aren’t crystal clear. The Associated Press has the details.
• ‘Wild Banana’ operator splits the difference: Kettering’s Michael Harbaugh, who operates The Wild Banana food truck with his family, will be running as an independent candidate for the 10th Congressional District this November. The district, which covers Dayton and Springfield, is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton. Harbaugh joins Democrat candidate Amy Cox as a challenger. Sydney Dawes has the story.