When it comes to the Ohio legislature, Christmas trees are not evergreens. They’re bills that get decorated with loads of unrelated issues at the end of the legislative session to pass with little scrutiny in the waning days of lame duck. Like House Bill 54, which originally named I-475 in Lucas County the "Keith G. Earley Memorial Interchange." The bill was hastily hollowed out on Tuesday and filled with a slew of other items, such as $15 million to help cover the cost of a May 2025 special bond election and $10 million to help farmers hurt by the summer drought. (The Ohio Constitution has a single-subject rule for legislation, but over the years that has not been strictly enforced.) Cleveland.com’s statehouse team stayed up late last night to cover all the last-minute machinations. — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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Ohio legislatures stayed up well into the night in an effort to pass several bills before going on recess for the rest of the year. (cleveland.com file photo) |
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Late-night legislating: In a bleary-eyed 2:15 a.m. vote, state lawmakers approved a massive piece of legislation that would defend “medical free speech,” give a renewable tax credit to a coal burner, and ensure health insurers cover costs of hearing aids for children, among many other things, Jake Zuckerman reports. The 441-page amendment, posted online around 1:15 a.m. Thursday, was the product of backroom negotiations that yielded the addition of about 25 different bills into House Bill 315, which until then had been a simple bill to change township law. Pay raise: A last-minute push by some Ohio lawmakers to give pay raises to themselves and other elected officials starting next year is dead for now, Senate President Matt Huffman said Wednesday. Jeremy Pelzer reports Huffman said a pay-raise proposal pushed by House Republicans was “not going to happen” because there wasn’t the needed support among his fellow Senate Republicans, who hold a 26-7 supermajority in the upper chamber. Holiday travel: AAA expects a record 119.3 million people to travel 50 miles or more over the holiday period, which the agency defines from Saturday through Jan. 1. Susan Glaser reports that’s slightly higher than the previous record set in 2019. Nearly 90% of holiday travelers this year will journey by car. Today in Ohio: And the whopper of the year goes to Donald Trump and JD Vance. PolitiFact named the Republican president-elect and vice-president-elect as responsible for the 2024 Life of the Year in repeating baseless, debunked claims about Haitian migrants eating pets in Springfield. We’re talking about the lie on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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SLAPP: A bill that takes aim at the use of the courts to silence critics from exercising free speech for fear of expensive litigation cleared the Ohio General Assembly on Wednesday. Robert Higgs reports the bill would combat a civil action known as a “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation,” or more simply a SLAPP – a legal action used by deep-pocketed plaintiffs that makes claims such as defamation and invasion of privacy to intimidate people exercising their rights to free speech. 'Parents Bill of Rights': Ohio lawmakers, working late into the night on Wednesday, passed legislation requiring school districts to allow students to leave school mid-day for off-campus religious instruction, as well as a so-called “Parents Bill of Rights,” which critics fear will force schools to out LGBTQ students to their parents, Laura Hancock reports. The Ohio House passed House Bill 8 around midnight, sending the legislation to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk. School issues: The Ohio Senate passed a bill Wednesday afternoon that would allow a student to be suspended for roughly an entire school year for writing threatening manifestos, hit lists, social media posts and other acts of “imminent and severe endangerment," Laura Hancock reports. Earlier Wednesday, the Ohio Senate Education Committee added several amendments to Senate Bill 8, including giving the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce more money to administer the private school voucher program and to offer charter schools up to two years of not achieving two stars on the state school report cards. Energy efficiency: The Ohio Senate killed legislation that would have allowed utility companies to run an energy efficiency program designed to reduce their customers’ net energy use. Jake Zuckerman reports the legislation was scheduled for a last-minute vote in the Senate Energy committee Wednesday morning, the last scheduled lawmaking day of the year, though it was removed from the schedule Tuesday evening without explanation. Infrastructure bonds: Ohio voters will decide next May whether to renew a state bond program that offers billions of dollars to help local governments repair and build roads, bridges and other infrastructure, Jeremy Pelzer reports. Ohio lawmakers gave final approval to a May 6, 2025, primary election ballot measure to issue $2.5 billion in State Capital Improvement Program bonds over the next 10 years, repaid with state tax revenue. Defense bill: The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to back a National Defense Authorization bill that includes several non-defense related measures championed by U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, a South Russell Republican, Sabrina Eaton reports. Moreno-Miller divorce: A hearing Wednesday failed to bring a resolution to the divorce case involving U.S. Rep. Max Miller and former Cuyahoga County Republican official Emily Moreno Miller, reports Lucas Daprile. Though witnesses had been subpoenaed in the case and a few were even prepared to enter the courtroom, the hearing went on without testimony. |
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FedEx: Northeast Ohioans who have seen their packages get hung up at FedEx’s ground facility in Twinsburg in recent weeks are not the only ones across the country experiencing significant shipping delays. Cory Shaffer reports that customers are seeing delays at FedEx facilities outside Cincinnati, Atlanta, Asheville, North Carolina and Saginaw, Michigan, among others across the country, as the Christmas holiday looms. Job training: Cleveland’s and Cuyahoga County’s public job-training and workforce-development agency officially transitioned to a nonprofit operation over the summer and now is changing its name. Kaitlin Durbin reports the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Workforce Development Board, as it was formerly known, is now Greater Cleveland Works. |
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Gambling revenue: Ohio’s 11 casinos and racinos reported $195 million of gambling revenue in October, $4 million more than in September, reports Zachary Smith. The same casinos and racinos also generated more revenue than they did this time last year, when they reported $187.8 million in revenue for October. |
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Infant abuse: A couple has been arrested and charged in Summit County after they were accused of physically and sexually assaulting an 11-month-old girl in their care, resulting in multiple broken bones and internal injuries that authorities say nearly killed the child, Cliff Pinckard reports. Dealership fire: Authorities are searching for a suspect who set a fire at a repair shop and car dealership earlier this month on Cleveland's West Side, reports Olivia Mitchell. Officer shooting: The Akron police officer who killed a teenager on Thanksgiving fatally shot a man holding a gun during a standoff in 2022. Officer Davon Fields, 27, also was involved in the chase that led to eight officers firing 94 shots at Jayland Walker, records show. Fields, however, did not use his weapon that night. Triple-murder conviction: A Copley man was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday after he was convicted of killing three people and attempting to kill a fourth. Elias Gudino, 59, will be eligible for parole after serving 23 years in prison, Cliff Pinckard reports. |
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Christmas cookies: Alex Darus lists 14 local bakeries in Greater Cleveland perfect for snagging last-minute treats before Christmas. Giant nutcrackers: More than 200 life-size nutcrackers decorate the streets of downtown Steubenville, Ohio, reports Susan Glaser. There’s hometown hero Dean Martin, alongside his fellow Rat Packers, and Hermey the Elf from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” 'Superman': DC Studios released the first look at its upcoming “Superman” film and, yes, Cleveland is in it, reports Joey Morona. The 30-second clip is a sneak peek of a longer teaser trailer debuting on Thursday. |
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Elyria police officers rescue family after armed robbers break into apartment Read more Five catalytic converters stolen off vehicles at South Euclid businesses over weekend Read more Suspect wanted in slaying of Cleveland man in city’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood, police say Read more Pepper Pike will receive ODNR grant for second phase of Gates Mills Boulevard Trail, extending to Cedar Road Read more Solon mayor reflects on successful year, looks ahead to 2025 Read more Fairview Park had ‘a pretty good year’ with Mastick Road trail, Gemini pools project Read more Brooklyn City Council president says ‘2024 was a very good year’ Read more Parma mayor touts 2024 city projects, including Upper Ridgewood Basin and Ridgewood Golf Course clubhouse Read more Seven Hills mayor says 2024 was a year of ‘satisfaction’ Read more Olmsted Falls mayor calls 2024 a ‘great year’ Read more |
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