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Rotunda Rumblings Capping tax spikes: Ohio lawmakers voted 72–23 Wednesday to approve a sweeping plan to slow the rise of school property taxes. House Bill 186 would limit how fast taxes can grow when property values climb and spend $360 million in state dollars to help schools adjust. The average homeowner would save about $128 next year, though Anna Staver reports that residents in larger cities like Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo wouldn’t see any savings. Unhealthy crisis: U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, a Warrensville Heights Democrat, warned Wednesday that looming federal cuts to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid will create a healthcare crisis in Northeast Ohio, potentially leaving tens of thousands of residents with higher costs or no coverage at all, Mary Frances McGowan reports. Brown said that the changes will mean that in Cuyahoga County, roughly 50,000 residents will pay more for healthcare and 43,000 will lose their coverage. Read more Ohio politics stories Ohio’s radical property tax overhaul could signal the end of free public schools Sen. Moreno boldly predicts Venezuela dictator Maduro will be ousted by end of 2025 Healthcare crisis looms for Northeast Ohio as ACA tax credits set to expire, Brown warns Programming note: Cleveland State University President Laura Bloomberg said she continues to believe the decision to transfer day-to-day operations of WCSB 89.3 to Ideastream was correct, despite ongoing protests from students and community members. As Laura Hancock reports, Bloomberg asserts she believes the university needs “to pivot to the future and look at the technologies that students can access today that allow more college-age students to access the media.” Jordan backs Trump compensation request: U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan stood by President Donald Trump’s demand for compensation from the Justice Department in a Wednesday interview, citing what he called unprecedented “lawfare” against the president, Sabrina Eaton writes. Appearing on Fox News, the Republican from Champaign County was asked about Trump’s administrative claims seeking about $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for federal investigations conducted while he was out of office. “No one has been harassed by the lawfare, by the Justice Department like President Trump,” said Jordan. Moreno predicts Maduro ouster: U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno criticized leaders in both his native Colombia and neighboring Venezuela during a Senate hearing on Hezbollah’s drug trafficking operations in Latin America, boldly predicting that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro will be removed from power within months, Eaton writes. “I would be surprised if he’s still in Venezuela by the end of this year,” the Westlake Republican said during the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control hearing this week, adding that freeing Venezuela from Maduro’s rule “will be one of President Trump’s many, many legacies.” Success story: The Ohio Senate on Wednesday passed Senate Bill 156, which would require public schools in the state to teach the “success sequence,” which includes basic life rules such as “Graduate from high school,” “Get a job,” and “Don’t have kids until you’re married.” As Jessie Balmert of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports, conservative think tanks and faith-based groups are pushing similar legislation in several other states, arguing they’ll help young people avoid poverty and live better lives. Critics say, among other things, that the curriculum neglects structural issues such as racism, gender discrimination, and underfunded schools. Full Disclosure Here are five things we learned from the Oct. 16, 2025 ethics disclosure form filed by state Rep. Ashley Bryant Bailey, a Cincinnati Democrat appointed to the House earlier this month: 1. Bryant Bailey submitted a letter to the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee stating that as she didn’t intend to join the House in 2025 until last month, she didn’t maintain records or receipts to complete a legislative financial disclosure statement this year. “Nonetheless, to the best of my ability, I have exercised due diligence and have attempted to record every instance in which I have received any reportable gifts or income that is required to be disclosed,” she wrote. 2. Last year, Bryant Bailey made more than $100,000 as a partner with A/B Partners, a New York-based marketing and strategy firm. She also was paid somewhere between $50,000 and $99,999 working as a senior advisor for Higher Heights for America, a political action committee that supports progressive Black women political candidates. 3. Besides being a partner with A/B Partners, she ran her own consulting firm, served as a member of the Hamilton County Convention Facilities Authority, and was on the board of Upspring, a Cincinnati nonprofit that helps youth experiencing homelessness. 4. At some point in 2024, Bryant Bailey owed more than $1,000 to American Express, a Goldman Sachs Apple credit card, Capital One, BMW Financial Services, Happy Money (a debt consolidator), and the U.S. Department of Education. 5. Bryant Bailey reported owning no real estate, though lawmakers don’t have to list their home or property used for personal recreation. On The Move Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, a state agency dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through employment, accessibility and independence, announced the Cleveland Guardians and the city of Cincinnati as winners of the 2025 Governor’s Inclusive Employer Award for their commitment to individuals with disabilities in the workplace. The White House has nominated Jordan Wiggins, who managed Vice President JD Vance’s successful 2022 U.S. Senate campaign, to be executive director of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, known as “America250,” Politico reports. Birthdays Paul Disantis, chief legal counsel, Ohio Office of Budget and Management Straight From The Source “No wonder he’s against technology — his name is 200 years old.” - Late-night host Stephen Colbert, poking fun at state Rep. Thaddeus Claggett’s name during a segment on the Licking County Republican’s bill to ban AI systems from getting married or being considered persons.
