Rotunda rumblings
If at first you don’t succeed: Even though enforcement of Ohio’s law mandating a 24-hour waiting period before receiving an abortion procedure has been blocked in court following the passage of the citizen-led reproductive rights amendment, Republicans in the statehouse are nonetheless looking for ways to reinstate the restriction. Mary Frances McGowan reports that state House Bill 347, which received its first hearing this week, would require a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion procedure for a physician to provide detailed information about the procedure, the risks associated with the abortion procedure being used, and bringing a pregnancy to full term, alternatives like adoption, and more.
Teacher’s pet: Nearly $105 million is headed to Ohio over the next five years to expand charter schools through more personnel, improving existing school facilities, and building new ones, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced at a stop in Columbus. This expansion comes despite the Trump administration wanting to close the federal agency, which will require an act of Congress, Laura Hancock reports.
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Commemorating Kirk: Republican state Sen. Al Cutrona has introduced a bill to create “Charlie Kirk Memorial Day” in Ohio on Oct. 14, the conservative activist’s birthday. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was killed earlier this month while speaking at a college event in Utah. Anna Staver reports that if passed, this bill would add to more than 100 special days already written into Ohio law.
Targeting Trans Community: Leaders of major LGBTQ organizations on Wednesday accused the Trump administration of deliberately misrepresenting transgender Americans to energize its political base, warning that the rhetoric puts an already vulnerable community at greater risk of violence, Sabrina Eaton writes. The call came in response to reports that the conservative Heritage Foundation is urging the Federal Bureau of Investigation to add “Transgender Ideology-Inspired Violent Extremism,” to its list of terrorist groups, and that the FBI is seriously considering doing so. The U.S. Justice Department is also weighing a proposal that would strip transgender Americans of their constitutional right to bear arms on mental health grounds.
ZIP-ing towards progress: The U.S. Postal Service has granted a partial concession to the city of Green, Ohio, in its long-running quest for single ZIP Code, Eaton reports. In a letter sent Sept. 12 to the city, the Postal Service denied Green’s request for its own ZIP Code but agreed to let its residents and businesses use “Green” in their mailing addresses while retaining the community’s current assortment of six different ZIP Codes. Green Mayor Rocco Yeargin called the decision “a win” that “means a lot,” but he said it won’t fix all problems the city experiences because it doesn’t have its own ZIP Code.
Fresh coast: Mayors from major cities in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region, including Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, launched a 10-year economic transformation plan on Wednesday, positioning the region as a “Fresh Coast” corridor to capitalize on growing global water scarcity, McGowan writes. The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, which involves cities from both the United States and Canada, aims to attract 500,000 new sustainable businesses and 18 million jobs by 2035 across the region.
Welfare to work: Ohio is one of five states selected for a federal pilot program to help public assistance recipients overcome employment barriers. The state will get flexibility to work with participants in a program funded through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant funding, to address the barriers that keep them out of the workforce, beginning Oct. 1, Hancock reports.
Buckeye Brain Tease
Question: What is the smallest Ohio town that spans three different counties?
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: Which Ohio governor served the shortest term in office, lasting only 11 days?
Answer: There are two correct answers this week.
Gov. Nancy Hollister. Ohio’s only female governor served from December 31, 1998, to January 10, 1999, after Gov. George Voinovich resigned to take a seat in the U.S. Senate.
Gov. John W. Brown served January 3-14, 1957, when Governor Frank Lausche also resigned to take his seat in the U.S. Senate.
Capitol letter reader Gary Graham of North Ridgeville was the first to email with a correct response.
On the Move
State Sen. Kristina Roegner, a Hudson Republican running for state treasurer, has been endorsed by 39 Ohio House Republicans, including House Speaker Matt Huffman of Lima, Speaker Pro Tempore Gayle Manning of North Ridgeville, and five other members of the House GOP leadership team.
Birthdays
Friday, Sept 26: Devin Babcock, Ohio House Republicans’ policy director; Kristin Vennekotter Rothey, staff attorney for Ohio’s Tenth District Court of Appeals
Saturday, Sept 27: Rebekah Alt, Buckeye Institute chief operating officer; Josh Mandel, ex-state treasurer and 2022 U.S. Senate candidate; Ex-state Sen. Sandra Williams; Ex-state Rep. Ron Young; Ohio Association of Community Colleges President and CEO Avi Zaffini
Sunday, Sept 28: Ex-state Sen. Lou Terhar
Straight from the Source
“No.”
– Gov. Mike DeWine, when asked Thursday by Ohio Public Media’s Sarah Donaldson whether he was ready for the Ohio Redistricting Commission to take up passing new boundaries for Ohio’s 15 U.S. House districts. DeWine stood in silence for six seconds before giving his terse answer.