In the frantic lame-duck days before year’s end, the state legislature is poised to make Ohio the eighth state to pass strict photo ID requirements in order to vote. Voters without an ID could cast a provisional ballot, which would be counted if they bring a photo ID within seven days. An earlier version required the address on a voter’s ID to match the current address, but that provision has been dropped. Studies are mixed on whether the move would depress voter turnout, but the idea has lots of support from both Democrats and Republicans. - Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Cavs at San Antonio Spurs: Cleveland rally falls short as road struggles continue with 112-111 loss to Spurs Northeast Ohio Tuesday weather forecast: Sunny and cold |
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Ohio lawmakers are considering imposing a strict photo ID requirement for voters during the final weeks of their legislative session. (Ohio BMV) |
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Voter ID: Republican state lawmakers appear ready to move forward with a strict photo ID requirement for voters in Ohio during the final weeks of the legislative session. Andrew Tobias reports proponents have called photo ID a common-sense measure, saying it prevents voter impersonation. Opponents, meanwhile, say it needlessly imposes hurdles for voters without current IDs, who tend to be students, the elderly and the poor, given that documented voter fraud is incredibly rare. Abortion amendment: Two separate groups announced Monday that they are working to get constitutional amendments passed to enshrine abortion rights in Ohio, setting up a possible vote as soon as November 2023. Laura Hancock reports Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights formed Protect Ohio Choice, and a consortium of longer-established groups founded Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom. |
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Constitutional amendments: An Ohio House committee voted Monday to advance House Joint Resolution 6, which would set the voter approval threshold for state constitutional amendments at 60% compared to the current 50% plus one vote. Andrew Tobias reports the House committee on Monday also advanced House Bill 294, a sweeping package of elections changes that largely would eliminate August special elections, which local governments frequently target for local tax issues, eliminate the day of early, in-person voting before Election Day, and specify that ballot drop boxes must be limited to one per county, among other changes. Guns at school: Ohio’s new training standards for educators to carry concealed firearms at school include instruction in de-escalation techniques, “neutralization” of potential active shooters, and trauma and first-aid care. Jeremy Pelzer reports the standards were developed by the Ohio School Safety Center, part of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, after Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 99 last summer. |
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Cleveland’s Promise: Frustrated by her landlord’s refusal to fix dangerous issues, a mom intentionally missed a rent payment. Not long after, she finally saw urgency from her landlord – through action against her and notice that she had a limited number of days to pay rent and late fees before she would no longer be able to live in the home, Hannah Drown writes in the Cleveland’s Promise series. Air pollution: One of the barriers to identifying specific sources of air-pollution violations in Cleveland is the outdated Air Pollution Control Code, which hasn’t been revised since the 1970s. Eye on Ohio reports the city is working through the public engagement process that is expected to continue into spring of 2023, and a revised code will be proposed by the end of 2023. Internet speed: Nearly 50 Greater Cleveland school districts have not met the 1 megabit per second per student goal for internet speed in the classroom, according to data from Connect K-12, joining more than half of school districts in the state for failing to meet internet-speed baselines for schools. Zachary Smith reports that in Ohio, 376 school districts have internet speeds that do not meet the FCC guidelines, 47 in Northeast Ohio. |
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Giant Eagle: Giant Eagle will no longer be mailing its weekly ad out in the Cleveland market. Instead, it will start emailing the ad to customers. Sean McDonnell reports the electronic way is a growing trend among retailers. Target, CVS and Walgreens have already gone digital-only as more chains shift away from print circulars. |
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Antisemitism: Harassment, vandalism and violence against Jewish people have drastically increased in Ohio and across the country in recent years, the result of some forms of social media spreading hate and extremism, reports Molly Walsh. The Anti-Defamation League says it tracked 2,717 incidents of antisemitism nationwide, the highest number in the organization’s history. Threats: A Bucyrus man is accused of sending threating messages to Arizona Secretary of State and governor-elect Katie Hobbs, who faced a deluge of threats since the 2020 presidential election, reports Adam Ferrise. |
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Author help: Chelsea Banning, a self-published author from Warren, was excited about promoting her debut historical fantasy novel at an event in Ashtabula. The turnout, however, was disappointing. When she vented her frustrations on Twitter, the tweet took off – including with acclaimed authors, Joey Morona reports. Polar bear cubs: The public won’t get a chance to see them in person until sometime this spring, but the Toledo Zoo is offering a sneak peek of its two new polar bear cubs via a special YouTube live stream. Alexis Oatman reports the YouTube channel is available 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. RV rocking: During their time on the road, one trend that Jeff and Patti Kinzbach have noticed is the number of women traveling alone. This week, the Kinzbachs talk to Lisa Hall, a park neighbor they recently met who has been living in her RV for the past five years. HOF: Zac Brown Band will be the headliners for the Concert for Legends at the Pro Football Hall of Fame at 8 p.m. on Aug. 5, reports Malcom X Abram. Best desserts: Northeast Ohio has a lot to offer when it comes to tasty treats. So go ahead and forget the calories and indulge your sweet tooth. Brenda Cain and Yadi Rodriguez list the 25 best dessert shops in Greater Cleveland. |
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Teen dies after shooting at Akron skate park near Derby Downs Read more Separate shootings wound 4 people in Akron Read more Police: Three injured in shootings in Maple Heights; three homes struck by bullets amid large fight Read more Ohio man who hid camera in bathroom to record children sentenced to 20 years in prison Read more Parma police target porch pirates with bait packages Read more Medina County Scam Squad coming to residents’ rescue Read more Solon school board approves funding for $2.3 million in capital projects Read more Community weighs in on Doan Brook restoration project at Horseshoe Lake Read more Strongsville to pay company $161,000 to oversee town center redesign project Read more Community West Foundation takes socks seriously Read more Avon Hospital treating higher numbers of flu patients Read more Rocky River library director moving on; interim replacement appointed Read more |
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