STATEHOUSE & POLITICS Which district: Confused about what’s on the ballot Tuesday? Things have been a jumbled mess with redistricting court cases. There are no Ohio legislative races in the May 3 primary. But primaries are being held for U.S. House seats. Rich Exner explains Northeast Ohio congressional districts. Absentee ballots: Compared to the 85% return rate they expect, Cuyahoga County elections officials said Friday that only around 55% the tens of thousands of voters who have requested absentee ballots for Tuesday’s primary election have returned them. Andrew Tobias reports that the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections urged voters to complete and return their mail ballots as soon as possible to make sure they’re counted. Last push: In a campaign that largely has been all about Donald Trump, the Ohio Republican Senate candidates who failed to get the ex-president’s endorsement are now doing their best to navigate the final days of the race without it. Seth Richardson and Andrew Tobias report on the last push before election day, including a Josh Mandel rally in Westlake. Conscience clause: The ACLU of Ohio and law firm of Baker Hostetler sued the state Friday over a provision in last year’s state budget bill that allows doctors, nurses and other medical providers, along with insurance companies and hospitals, to deny services to people based on their conscience. Laura Hancock reports the lawsuit says the so-called “conscience clause” in the $74 billion budget violates the Ohio Constitution’s single-subject rule that prohibits lawmakers from inserting policy into bills that have nothing to do with the “inherent scope” of the original bill. 5th district: Amherst City Council member and public school teacher Martin Heberling III and Craig Stephen Swartz, a former Upper Sandusky council member and realtor who serves as Wyandot Democratic Party chairman, each want the chance to take on Bowling Green GOP Rep. Bob Latta, a 14-year incumbent whose congressional district was drawn to include Lorain County starting next year. Sabrina Eaton reports the new version of the 5th congressional district also encompasses Mercer, Van Wert, Paulding, Putnam, Henry, Hancock, Seneca, Crawford, and Huron counties, and parts of Wood and Wyandot counties. 13th district: There’s no incumbent in the 13th district, which encompasses Summit County, northwest Stark County and a sliver of Portage County. Sabrina Eaton reports voters are about 50.2% Democratic voters and 47% Republican, so the right candidate from either political party could win. Biden endorsement: President Joe Biden on Friday endorsed U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown’s bid for re-election in her hotly contested primary rematch with former Ohio Sen. Nina Turner, reports Sabrina Eaton. The battle between Brown and Turner is seen as a microcosm of national tensions between the Democratic Party’s progressive and establishment wings. METRO CSU: Harlan Sands will be paid $928,000 to not be Cleveland State University’s president anymore, according to his separation agreement with the university that also guarantees him a six-figure teaching job. Sean McDonnell reports Sands will also have until Sept. 5 to move from the university’s presidential residence, and his moving expenses will be paid for. Slush funds: Candidates competing to become the next Cuyahoga County executive have split views on the county’s intention to use $66 million in stimulus money to create a fund from which each council member could propose community spending. Kaitlin Durbin reports Republican candidate Lee Weingart and Democrat Tariq Shabazz are against the so-called “slush” funds, but Democrat Chris Ronayne believes the charter gives council broad power to appropriate funding as a body – as members said they will do. A provision in the charter aims to prohibit any kind of slush fund. Sheriff resigns: Cuyahoga County Sheriff Christopher Viland resigned Friday for “personal reasons,” reports Kaylee Remington. Viland was appointed by Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish in January 2021. Global center: If the Global Center for Health Innovation’s proposed $46 million upgrade is to be complete in time to host the so-called Super Bowl of convention events, then decisions need to start being made as early as June, and it appears everything is on pace to ensure that happens. Kaitlin Durbin reports that officials outlined a timeline for the project that includes selecting a design builder by June, finalizing designs and locking in a price by the end of the year, and then starting construction in 2023. Brad Sellers: Embattled Warrensville Heights Mayor Brad Sellers continues to head the governing body overseeing the taxpayer-funded Global Center for Health Innovation, despite facing ethical and criminal questions related to his own tax issues. Kaitlin Durbin reports Sellers’ official term on the Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corporation Board ended April 17, but the body’s bylaws show he can continue to hold the seat until County Executive Armond Budish decides to recommend him for a second term or appoint someone else. Cleveland Heights issue: A ballot issue in Cleveland Heights could derail an important, long-sought $50 million mixed-use development designed to rejuvenate the aging Cedar-Lee retail district, writes Steven Litt in an analysis. He writes that the dispute over the size of a park on a 1-acre plot threatens to slow a nascent back-to-the-city migration that aging and shrinking communities desperately need in order to regain residents and boost their tax base. News quiz: Show off your superior knowledge in the cleveland.com news quiz, which features 10 questions on current events in Northeast Ohio from the past week. Foundry mural: Artists are painting a two-story tall, 150-foot mural on the Big House, one of the buildings on the Foundry’s campus in Cleveland’s Flats. See the photos from Joshua Gunter. COVID-19 & HEALTHCARE Widespread: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says half of all Americans have been infected with COVID-19, including 75% of children and adolescents. Julie Washington reports that from December 2021 to February 2022, during the Omicron wave in the U.S., the overall level of coronavirus in the country increased from 33.5% to 57.7%. BUSINESS Low-pay jobs: Despite pay increases over the last two years, a progressive think tank said four of the most common jobs in the Cleveland metro area do not pay enough for a typical worker to feed a family of three. Sean McDonnell reports average pay for the four categories - retail salespersons, fast food and counter workers, cashiers, and home health and personal care aides - were near the poverty line in Cleveland and Ohio broadly. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Pachamama Kitchen: Farm-fresh, in-season produce will be the focus of Pachamama Kitchen and Garden, a tapas restaurant slated to open in Lakewood this summer. Annie Nickoloff reports the Madison Avenue restaurant will seat 45-50 customers at a time, with an outdoor patio for the warmer months. House of the week: The River Bend building on the east bank of the Flats in downtown Cleveland has water views, a private balcony and garage parking, reports Joey Morona. Priced at $230,000, the home offers one bedroom and one full bathroom in 808 square feet, plus one parking spot. | 