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Rotunda Rumblings Heads up: Almost 14% of Ohio’s 27,000 students who are enrolled in Head Start could lose services starting Nov. 1, due to the federal government shutdown. This would disrupt the lives of children, some 940 employees and parents – who may have to call out of work if they can’t find alternate daycare, Laura Hancock reports. Deadline debate: A bill moving through the Ohio Senate would require all mail-in ballots to arrive by Election Day, ending the state’s current four-day grace period. Anna Staver reports that the sponsors of Senate Bill 293 say the change would make our elections safer and align Ohio with the majority of other states. Critics call it another partisan fight over voting rules ahead of the 2026 midterms. SNAP judgement: Ohio’s two Republican U.S. senators are expressing frustration over the looming cutoff of food assistance for millions of Americans, joining legislation to ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue flowing despite the ongoing government shutdown, Sabrina Eaton reports. Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno have signed onto the Keep SNAP Funded Act, which would appropriate funding to provide uninterrupted SNAP benefits retroactive to the start of the shutdown. The legislation comes as Ohio has warned residents that benefits may not be issued starting Saturday if the government shutdown continues. Budget battlelines: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is calling on Democrats in Congress to end the federal shutdown and protect food assistance for 1.4 million Ohioans. He says refusing to pass a clean funding bill “is not leadership; it’s leverage at the expense of the most vulnerable.” Staver reports Congressional Democrats say they’re trying to reopen the government with a deal that protects health care subsidies as state Democrats push to backfill any SNAP losses with state funds. Hemp letter: Yost also joined a bipartisan coalition of 39 state and territory attorneys general calling on Congress to close a loophole in federal law that has allowed synthetic THC products to flood gas stations, convenience stores and online retailers across Ohio and nationwide, Mary Frances McGowan reports. The coalition argued that state-level efforts to ban intoxicating hemp cannot adequately address the public health problem because a patchwork of regulations across the country cannot stop mail-order THC products. Loss of benefits: Roughly 4,200 refugees, asylees and other non-citizens legally residing in Cuyahoga County have already lost their SNAP benefits. Under President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” only United States citizens are eligible for food assistance, along with green card holders who have lived in the U.S. for five years and some Haitian and Cuban nationals. Refugees from other countries, human trafficking survivors and other people who have been granted asylum will no longer qualify. Kaitlin Durbin reports that the purge has already started. Mental health report: Ohio ranked 12th among U.S. states and the District of Columbia across common measures of mental health in the most recent State of Mental Health in America 2025 report, Julie Washington reports. The report, produced by the nonprofit Mental Health America, looked at the latest national data on depression, suicidal thoughts and substance use disorder among Americans to provide state rankings. See you in court: A coalition of over two dozen Democratic governors and attorneys general are suing the Trump administration over the decision to freeze federal food benefits during the government shutdown, Ideastream’s Stephen Fowler reports. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts on Tuesday. Lobbying Lineup Five organizations that are registered to lobby on state Senate Bill 60, which would establish requirements and procedures for veterinarian telehealth visits. American Pet Products Association Animal Welfare Institute Cleveland Animal Protective League Department of Agriculture Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Inc. Birthdays Riley Alton, Ohio House Democrats’ Director of Finance Marcia Fudge, former congresswoman and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary Missy Graves, Ohio Senate assistant fiscal officer/journal clerk Andrea Hofer, Ohio Senate Republicans’ deputy legal counsel Hannah Kramer, Ohio Senate Republicans’ executive assistant Bill Seitz, former Ohio state lawmaker Straight from the Source “That actually p----- me off. That to me is saying that we think that folks who need a little extra help ... are some kind of violent criminals.” Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin regarding a downtown Columbus Dollar Tree’s decision to board up its windows and doors in preparation for “looting” that could take place due to the ceasing of SNAP benefits amid the government shutdown. Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. 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