In its original form, Ohio House Bill 27 aimed to arm college students with financial information. The bill required state universities and community colleges to outline general and instructional fees, an estimated cost of room and board, and special fees for the entirety of their program, plus the expected monthly loan repayment upon graduation based on federal student loans, financial-aid options, and the income ranges of recent graduates. The Ohio Senate on Wednesday approved that bill. But less than an hour before the vote, the Senate added $1.4 billion in line items that had nothing to do with college education. "I do want to share my pockets of frustration of getting the amendment not even an hour ago,” said state Sen. Nickie Antonio, a Lakewood Democrat and the chamber’s minority leader. “The phrase that keeps coming to mind is, ‘This is a crazy way to run a railroad.’" The add-on items include $1 billion in bonds for K-12 school building construction and renovation projects, as well as state and local infrastructure projects. Plus $196 million for the Ohio State Fair and $38 million for state incentives for Ohio families to adopt children. Whether or not you agree with the spending, adding last-minute spending is generally not the best financial planning. — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Cavs at Chicago Bulls: Cavs’ late-game magic runs out in 132-123 double-OT loss to Chicago Bulls Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Chillier with gradual clearing |
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The Ohio Senate loaded innocuous college financial aid bill with over $1 billion in state construction projects, including some for a plan to dramatically change the Ohio State Fairgrounds. (Office of Gov. Mike DeWine) |
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College bill: The Ohio Senate passed a fairly innocuous bill Wednesday requiring state community colleges and universities to disclose detailed information about the cost of education, as well as salaries of recent graduates – but not before adding more than $1.4 billion in state spending proposals, report Jeremy Pelzer and Laura Hancock. Today in Ohio: After former Judge Lance Mason fatally stabbed his ex-wife, Aisha Fraser, lawmakers introduced sweeping legislation meant to protect future victims of domestic violence. The bill, known as Aisha’s Law, twice passed the Ohio House but it never passed the Senate. We’re talking about why on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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SNAP benefits: House Democrats, plus a key Republican ally, proposed legislation Tuesday that would roughly double the average monthly SNAP allotment for older Ohioans, reports Jake Zuckerman. Under House Bill 428, anyone 60 and older who’s eligible for SNAP – the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, sometimes referred to as food stamps – and receiving less than $50 a month in benefits would receive a supplemental payment to get them to a floor of $50 per month. Outside influence: The Ohio Senate on Wednesday passed legislation to prohibit anyone who’s not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to contribute money to statewide ballot-issue campaigns. Jeremy Pelzer reports Senate Bill 215, which now heads to the Ohio House after passing the Republican-led Senate on a party-line 25-7 vote, comes after Democrats scored two key wins on statewide ballot measures last year with the help of deep-pocketed liberal, out-of-state dark-money groups. ODOT drone: The Ohio Department of Transportation is planning to fly a large drone over a stretch of highway outside Columbus as part of a pilot traffic-surveillance program after receiving special permission from federal aviation officials to fly the aircraft out of view of its on-the-ground pilot, reports Andrew Tobias. Hunter Biden: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan’s search for an impeachable offense by President Joe Biden on Wednesday finally snagged its long-sought interview with prodigal presidential son Hunter Biden, Sabrina Eaton reports. Hunter Biden was defiant in the closed-door deposition with lawmakers, a critical moment for Republicans as their impeachment inquiry into his father and the family’s business affairs teeters on the brink of collapse. Tree nurseries: Ohio once had six state-owned tree nurseries, but in 2003 the last of them closed, a victim of inefficiency and lack of demand. Until now, when the Buckeye State Tree Nursey opened to great fanfare near Zanesville as Gov. Mike DeWine and Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz planted the first seeds, Peter Krouse reports. College credit: The Ohio Senate passed legislation Wednesday offering modest tweaks to expand a program that allows seventh- through 12th-grade students to earn high school or college course credits at little to no cost. Jake Zuckerman reports Senate Bill 104 would adjust some of the rules and processes of the College Credit Plus program aiming to make college degrees more accessible for all Ohioans. |
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Final Four: Beyond the economic impact and tourism boost for Cleveland, the upcoming women’s Final Four represents something bigger – a crowning achievement for women’s sports in terms of media visibility and growth of the game. Marc Bona reports from a City Club of Cleveland forum Wednesday. New library: The community-responsive style of Cleveland Public Library’s new Woodland branch represents a shift from earlier eras that took a more monumental or defensive-looking approach to library design, reports Steven Litt. Instead of simply housing books or positioning themselves as elite bastions or fortresslike bunkers, libraries have evolved into community centers that offer computers, media of all kinds, meeting spaces, access to a wide range of public services, and a constant flow of public events. Innerbelt projects: The Ohio Department of Transportation’s committee charged with approving large projects has signed off on investing $127.3 million for 18 major transportation projects in 13 counties over the next four years, ODOT announced Wednesday. Among the funding is $23 million in two stages for the Innerbelt in Cleveland. Bike path: Plans are advancing for a lakefront trail between downtown Cleveland and East 55th Street, reports Courtney Astolfi. Mayor Justin Bibb this week introduced legislation to City Council that, if approved, will pave the way for Cuyahoga County and Cleveland Metroparks’ plans to construct a 2.7-mile multi-use connector path along North Marginal Road, running parallel with Burke Lakefront Airport. Motorcycle crashes: Two men died Tuesday in separate crashes involving motorcycles in Cleveland, Olivia Mitchell reports. James Flood, 47, of Cleveland, was on a motorcycle when it struck a car at Superior Avenue and East 117th Street. Jonathan Antonio Martinez, 33, crashed his motorcycle on West 52nd Street and Storer Avenue. Weird weather: The last week of February is turning out to be one of the most tumultuous weather weeks of the season in Northeast Ohio, after a record-breaking high of 71 Tuesday. Zachary Smith reports Wednesday’s weird temperature drop was the result of a cold front coming from the west. CVNP: About 2.86 million people visited Cuyahoga Valley National Park in 2023, making it again one of the most-visited national parks in the country and tops in the Midwest, reports Zachary Smith. That’s the most visitors the park has seen since 2004, when there were 3.3 million visitors. |
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Stress and weight: An analysis that compared self-reported stress levels with official obesity statistics for each state found that regions with higher stress levels tend to also have elevated obesity rates. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports it provides new evidence that high levels of stress are linked to obesity. Community impacts: Three of Northeast Ohio’s major hospitals collectively spent nearly $1 billion on community impact to address health disparities in 2022, reports Julie Washington. A fourth, the Cleveland Clinic, reported an additional $1.42 billion, though that includes benefits tied to both its Ohio operations and elsewhere. Saving You Money: Electricity is a funny thing. We use it all the time and we’ll occasionally say things like “Don’t leave that on all day. It wastes money.” But does it actually? Sean McDonnell reports that the bottom line is that very few devices in your home use enough electricity for you to worry about them. |
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Drug dealing: A Cleveland man and his father peddled hundreds of pounds of marijuana, along with some fentanyl and heroin, from a tire shop on Cleveland’s East Side, reports Adam Ferrise. Jerry Baker Jr. obtained his marijuana from a wholesale supplier in Los Angeles, court records show. Prison sentence: A Cleveland man was sentenced to 28 to 33 years in prison Tuesday for kidnapping a double amputee and killing a 23-year-old, reports Olivia Mitchell. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Jennifer O’Donnell sentenced Aaron Parsons, 37, after he pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter, felonious assault, aggravated robbery, arson and having weapons under disability. Cleveland crash: A top Cleveland official crashed her city car with four passengers in it earlier this month, days before a similar issue led to the resignation of Cleveland Public Safety Director Karrie Howard. Jakimah Dye, the city’s assistant director of public safety, was driving southbound on Warrensville Center Road near Miles Road at about 1:15 p.m. Feb. 17 when she struck a Ford Bronco driven by a 38-year-old Valley View man, reports Molly Walsh. |
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Playhouse Square: You can now get a peek behind the curtain plus learn everything you wanted to know about Playhouse Square’s majestic 103-year-old theaters with the return of free public tours. Joey Morona reports that during each 90-minute Saturday tour, RedCoat volunteers will recall the theaters’ beginnings as vaudeville and silent movie palaces in the 1920s and detail how they were saved from the wrecking ball in the 1980s. Spirited Women: Ohio’s distillery business has dramatically increased over the past 20 years as the passage of new state laws led to increased availability of liquor licenses and allowed on-premises spirits sales and on-premises restaurants. Paris Wolfe and Alex Darus take you on a Northeast Ohio distillery trail. Maui: A small stretch of Front Street in Lahaina was spared from destruction last summer when wildfires tore through the historic tourist town. Susan Glaser reports that some six months later, businesses on the block are starting to reopen, breathing new life into the tight-knit coastal community in West Maui. Best burgers: Cleveland.com’s Best Of team expected our readers to be enthusiastic when it came to their burgers and you didn’t disappoint. We had almost 700 individual nominations. We have narrowed the field down to the top 25 nomination-getters. Now the voting -- and the search for the best burger in Greater Cleveland -- really begins. |
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