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Rotunda Rumblings Lowering the stakes: Less than three months after Gov. Mike DeWine called for a statewide ban on “prop” bets involving pro athletes’ performance in specific games, the governor now feels less stringent limits unveiled by Major League Baseball will do the job. As Jeremy Pelzer reports, a DeWine spokesman said the governor is hopeful that the new MLB limits – which include no longer offering bets on individual pitches and capping wagers at $200 – will be enough to address recent bet-fixing scandals involving two Cleveland Guardians pitchers, as well as Miami Heat guard (and ex-Shaker Heights High School basketball star) Terry Rozier. Minor details: The General Assembly sent Gov. Mike DeWine a bill that would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work until 9 p.m. during the school year. Supporters say the bill is about giving teens the opportunity to work hard and make money. Opponents, who note 14- and 15-year-olds can earn less than the state minimum wage, say it’s about greed and exploitation, Laura Hancock reports. DeWine hasn’t indicated if he’ll sign the bill. Double tax debate: The Ohio House is debating a bill to give voters more control over the municipal income-tax credits cities use to offset commuter taxes. Supporters say the measure would ensure residents have a direct voice before those credits are reduced or eliminated. But Anna Staver reports cities worry the change adds to a growing stack of state policies that are straining local budgets. Abortion restrictions: A bill that would restrict mail-order availability to certain medications is an attempt to chip away at abortion rights in Ohio, reproductive rights advocates said. Ohio House Bill 324, pending in a House committee, would restrict medications identified as having “severe adverse effects,” on more than 5% of its users, a determination that would be made by the director of the Ohio Department of Health, Mary Frances McGowan reports. One drug that could be covered is mifepristone, which is used for medication abortions, abortion advocates say. Emotional health: National data underscores the need for mental health crisis services for youths and young adults across the country, with approximately 12.5 million people between the ages of 18 and 25 having experienced a behavioral or emotional health issue in the past year. Against that backdrop, McGowan writes, Ohio recently announced it had expanded the state’s Mobile Response and Stabilization Services program. Its services, previously available in only 56 counties, are now accessible throughout the entire state, the governor’s office recently announced. Getting a makeover: The Ohio Republican Party’s website has gotten an overhaul - sporting not just a new look, but more regular updates on things like party events around Ohio, more detailed contact info for the state’s 88 county GOP chairs, and a list of party-endorsed 2026 candidates. Lobbying Lineup Five organizations that are registered to lobby on Ohio Senate Bill 137, which would require hospitals to provide overdose reversal drugs under certain circumstances. Ohio State Medical Association American College of Emergency Physicians, Ohio Chapter Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities Ohio Chamber of Commerce The MetroHealth System Birthdays Rex Elsass, GOP media consultant Thomas Wetmore, legislative advocate, Ohio Municipal League Straight from the Source “We’re not out of the woods. Until that help starts to flow, we’re still in the same place that we were just with more days having passed and more of those impacts being felt.” - Mike Hochron, Mid-Ohio Food Collective’s senior vice president of communications and public affairs, speaking with the Columbus Dispatch about how the effects of interrupted federal SNAP benefits will continue even if the weeks-long federal government shutdown ends. Read more Ohio politics stories “The whole game of baseball is in Jeopardy:” MLB falls short after Guardians scandal No way can sheriff’s safety patrol be expanded without funds to pay for it: editorial Ohio’s Medicaid gap leaves low-income women in fertility crisis: Anna Turner
