Rotunda Rumblings
Braking it down: To help new drivers, Ohio has unveiled a new app that will track their performance in practice driving. Brake too hard, the app will know. Drive too fast, the app will log it. The idea is to provide feedback to the new drivers – and their parents, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says. Laura Hancock details how the app works and also details a new law that requires Ohioans under the age of 21 to show a log of their 50 practice driving hours to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles when appearing to take their driver’s test.
Getting tough on spending: Ohio Auditor Keith Faber intends to formally request Attorney General Dave Yost launch legal proceedings to appoint a receiver for East Cleveland, Mary Frances McGowan reports. The request, which Faber said he will make Tuesday, is permitted under a new state law taking place on the same day for communities that have been unable to address fiscal emergency declarations for extended periods. If granted, the appointed receiver would have the ability to cut spending, enforce a financial recovery plan, and take actions deemed necessary to restore stability.
Ticket limits: Ohio has outlawed police ticket quotas. Starting Tuesday, departments can’t punish or reward officers based on how many citations or arrests they make. Anna Staver reports the bipartisan law, backed by police unions, aims to rebuild public trust by keeping enforcement focused on safety rather than numbers.
Read more Ohio politics stories
Ohio’s mapmaking for Congress: a masterclass in exploiting loopholes, avoiding voter intent
Ohio launches new driver’s ed app to help learners track mandatory practice, driving progress
Ohio auditor to seek financial receiver to tackle East Cleveland’s poor finances
Shutdown countdown: If President Donald Trump can’t reach a deal with congressional leaders from both parties to fund the federal government by 12:01 a.m. on October 1, a shutdown will commence, Sabrina Eaton writes. That’s the point where in the absence of a signed budget bill, the federal government can no longer spend money to operate as usual. When a shutdown occurs, hundreds of thousands of federal employees are furloughed — placed on unpaid leave. Other workers deemed “essential” will continue working without pay until Congress restores funding.
Vance courts TikTok voters: Although the sale of TikTok has been some six years in the making, Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail last year that he would keep TikTok available for U.S. users while also addressing national security concerns, The Washington Post reports. Vice President JD Vance eagerly picked up the mantle, positioning himself to receive credit for closing a deal that Trump wanted, and forging bonds with investors and the TikTok-using public that could prove useful as he prepares for a possible presidential run.
Keeping distance: In a Washington Post story about Democrats who oppose Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer continuing in the top post, reporter Dan Merica tried to ask Ohio’s Sherrod Brown for his take. Brown’s representatives didn’t comment. This contrasts with other Democrats who are vocal about how it’s time to make way for younger leaders eager to wage aggressive fights against the Republicans.
Full Disclosure
Five things we learned from Ohio Supreme Court Justice Dan Hawkins’ April 10 financial disclosure.
1. In 2024, he was a Franklin County Court of Common Pleas judge, earning $150,000. He was elected to the Supreme Court in November of that year and took office in January.
2. He received gifts from the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas and the Ohio GOP.
3. He was a trustee of the Franklin County Law Library Resources Board.
4. He has investments with the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, State Farm, College Advantage 529 educational savings plan, and Ohio Public Employees Deferred Compensation.
5. He reported receiving meals, food and beverages from the both the Supreme Court and the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.
On the Move
Amy Acton, a Democratic candidate for governor, has been endorsed by five additional Ohio State Board of Education members: Katie Hofmann, Mary Binegar, Karen Lloyd, Rhonda Johnson, Delores Gray Ford.
Josh Rultenberg is the new communications director for U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, an Akron Democrat.
Birthdays
State Sen. Sandy O’Brien
Aaron Pickrell, Democratic political consultant
Straight from the Source
“What we don’t want is for someone to try to make an argument in the future that this machine is their spouse and can therefore take over financial categories, health care, power of attorney, all those types of things that are reserved for competent humans.”
-State Rep. Thad Claggett, a Licking County Republican, discussing his bill to prohibit people from marrying artificial intelligence and specifying that state law will not recognize AI as a person, to the Newark Advocate’s Josue Perez.