Rotunda Rumblings
Hitting cruising altitude? Ohio Department of Transportation officials granted the Haslam Sports Group a construction permit Thursday to build a new Browns stadium in the Cleveland suburbs, Rich Exner reports. Just over a month ago, ODOT denied the permit, based on recommendations of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, which said the stadium would obstruct air traffic.
Major decisions: Gov. Mike DeWine encouraged public college and university trustees meeting at a conference in Columbus on Thursday to recruit students from both inside and outside the state and to try to keep them in Ohio. This could bring more students permanently to the state, at a time when Ohio’s population is projected to decrease by 5.7% by 2050, Laura Hancock reports.
The heat is on: The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio is again offering a way for Ohioans to keep their homes warm this winter even if they’re behind on their utility bills. As Jeremy Pelzer reports, a new PUCO order allows residential customers of regulated electric and natural gas utilities to avoid disconnection – or have service begin or reconnected – between mid-October and next April, so long as they pay a maximum of $175 and a $36 reconnection fee. Customers are still responsible for paying any additional money they owe, though there are programs to help poorer Ohioans cover the cost.
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Israeli exit: State Sen. Beth Liston, a Dublin Democrat, canceled a planned trip to Israel after facing pushback from constituents and local advocacy groups. Liston told the Columbus Dispatch she realized her participation in the delegation, paid for by Israel, risked making her “the propaganda” rather than an independent voice. Her decision drew praise from Palestinian organizers in Columbus and CAIR-Ohio, who called it a rare example of a lawmaker listening to community concerns.
Abortion law: Attorneys for Ohio and women’s health clinics squared off in appeals court over what remains of the state’s 2019 six-week abortion law. The ban itself is off the books after voters approved a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights, but the state argues other provisions — like record-keeping and penalties — should survive under a “severability” clause. The Ohio Capital Journal reports that clinic attorneys say those rules were written only to enforce the ban and should fall with it.
Cincinnati cookoff: Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval appeared just a few months ago to be all but assured of reelection this November. But, as Kevin S. Aldridge of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports, a recent string of violent incidents in the city and a controversial zoning change have raised pastor/coffeeshop owner Cory Bowman’s hopes that he can beat him. If Bowman succeeds, he will become Cincinnati’s first Republican mayor in more than 50 years. The “biggest moment” in the race, Aldridge writes, will be an Oct. 9 debate between the two candidates at Xavier University.
Rolling in the deepfakes: The Ohio Senate is still looking at Republican-backed legislation to ban online “deepfakes” — artificial images, audio, or videos that imitate real people, often without their knowledge. As Avery Kreemer of the Dayton Daily News reports, Senate Bill 163 would require watermarks on all AI-generated images, criminalize possession of obscene “deepfakes” and the creation of simulated child pornography, and make it illegal to use a person’s voice or appearance with an intent to defraud, hurt their reputation, or pressure someone into a financial decision, among other things. Attorney General Dave Yost is a vocal proponent of the bill, while tech advocates have asked for changes to ensure that it targets “deepfake” creators, not tech companies.
Buckeye Brain Tease
Question: Which Ohio governor served the shortest term in office, lasting only 11 days?
Email your response to capitolletter@cleveland.com. The first correct respondent will be mentioned in next week’s newsletter.
Thanks to everyone who answered our last trivia question: Lucy Webb Hayes, wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes, banned alcohol from the White House during their administration. The decision earned her what nickname?
Answer: Lemonade Lucy
Webb Hayes was also known as “Mother Lucy” because she cared for wounded infantrymen in her husband’s command during the Civil War.
Capitol Letter reader Rick Dove was the first to email with the correct answer.
On the Move
Ohio Department of Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran is leaving her position on Oct. 31, 2025.
Ex-Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael Donnelly has joined Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease as an “of counsel” attorney in the law firm’s Cleveland office.
Sherrod Brown, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, has been endorsed by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 75, 880, 1059 and Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) Local 390.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican candidate for Ohio governor, has been endorsed by the Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters.
The Ohio Association for Career and Technical Education has appointed two new board members, Frank Polen and Rebecca Bihn, and named Liz Jensen as board president. Polen was named president-elect, while Bihn was appointed board secretary.
Birthdays
Friday, Sept 19: no birthdays
Saturday, Sept 20: Chris Albanese, executive director, Correctional Institution Inspection Committee; Dan McCarthy, lobbyist and former director of legislative affairs for Gov. Mike DeWine; Dan Moulthrop, City Club of Cleveland CEO
Sunday, Sept 21: Caitlin Robertson, Ohio House Democrats’ deputy director of finance; Joe Schiavoni, Mahoning County Court judge, former Ohio Senate minority leader and 2018 gubernatorial candidate; Jon Schlosser, campaign staff, Gen Murphy and Associates; Pete Shipley, communications director for Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein
Straight from the Source
“Who had it on their bingo card that Ohio energy policy would be so constructive in 2025?”
-RunnerStone CEO John Seryak speaking about the nearly unanimous passage of state House Bill 15 at the Ohio Manufacturing Association’s conference on Thursday. Seryak compared the state’s new energy bill to the controversial nuclear bailout bill that sent former House Speaker Larry Householder to prison for public corruption.