Ohio Republicans are asking voters to make it harder to change the state constitution. The decision will take place in August, when in last year’s statewide primary, 8% of voters exercised their right. The goal of Senate Joint Resolution 2 is to enact minority rule when it comes to constitutional amendments; 40% of Ohioans could defeat a change. Also at issue: requiring voters from each of Ohio’s 88 counties to sign a petition to even put an issue on the ballot. The Ohio House voted 62-37 to approve SJR2, with five Republicans joining Democrats in voting “no,” while Ohio Senate Republicans approved it 27-6. You can see how your representatives voted. And you can prepare to make your voice heard in the thick of summer. -- Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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Hundreds gather in the atrium of the Ohio Statehouse to protest the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 2, which if approved by voters would make future constitutional amendments harder to pass in Ohio. (Jake Zuckerman, cleveland.com) |
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August reversal: Before the full Ohio House voted on an August ballot issue to make it harder for voters to change the state constitution, that issue had to pass through committee. Rep. Sharon Ray of Wadsworth changed the bill to remove the August requirement and the committee approved it – only for the August election to be added back in for the full House vote a day later. Ray voted for the final bill. So did five other Republicans who professed to oppose August elections. Jake Zuckerman explains the politics. How to vote: Aside from last year’s gerrymandering-delayed primary, Ohio is about to hold its first statewide August election in almost 100 years. Many Ohioans who might be interested in making their voices heard will have to come up with a summer voting plan for the first time. Andrew Tobias explains what you should do. Who voted: On SJR92, Andrew Tobias has the list of how every lawmaker voted. Today in Ohio: Republican lawmakers set an Aug. 8 election in which Ohio voters will decide whether it should be more difficult to change the constitution in a move to defeat an abortion-rights ballot issue aimed for November. We’re talking about the double speak of outside money buying elections on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.
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Opioid settlement: The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a non-profit set up to decide how to distribute more than $440 million worth of Ohio opioid settlement money has to follow public-records law, reports Jeremy Pelzer. In an unsigned ruling, the state’s high court held that the OneOhio Recovery Foundation Board must turn over documents about prior board meetings that it’s refused to turn over to the group Harm Reduction Ohio. Border bill: After months of behind-the-scenes dickering, Republicans who control the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday adopted a 213-page border security bill, even as large numbers of immigrants surged into the United States on the day COVID-related immigration restrictions expired, Sabrina Eaton reports. Marijuana banking: Legislation that would let cannabis companies access the banking system got its first-ever U.S. Senate hearing on Thursday, reports Sabrina Eaton. Although marijuana has been legalized or decriminalized in many states, legal cannabis businesses’ inability to access the banking system forces many to “operate in the shadows,” observed Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Development Committee Chair Sherrod Brown, a Cleveland Democrat. Hair straighteners: U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown wants to know whether chemical hair straighteners that are popular among Black women contain carcinogens that lead to a higher risk of uterine cancer, reports Sabrina Eaton. The Warrensville Heights Democrat joined with Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Ayana Pressley in a letter asking the Food and Drug Administration to “conduct a thorough and transparent investigation” into the issue and reevaluate whether the products are safe to use. |
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Community benefits: Cleveland’s regional Chamber of Commerce is asking City Council to scale back its proposal to require more community benefits from developers that receive taxpayer incentives, reports Courtney Astolfi. Citing “unintended consequences that would actually chill development,” Greater Cleveland Partnership CEO Baiju Shah asked council not to require community benefits from developers who receive incentives in the form of tax abatements and tax-increment financing. Athleisure revolution: Like so many people since the pandemic’s start, Julie Washington permanently swapped panty hose and matchy-matchy suits for yoga pants and athletic shoes. Even before the world went sideways, everyday fashion was moving toward an every-day-is-Saturday attitude. But the pandemic accelerated the trend and possibly made it permanent. |
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Consumer changes: Many of the changes COVID-19 wrought have stuck in consumer culture: an emphasis on cleanliness, a reliance on technology and an insatiable demand for customer convenience. Marc Bona reports Giant Eagle has curbside pickup/delivery in 103 of its supermarkets – about half of its locations. And the company had to implement it in a sustainable way. Shaker Square: Key storefronts are vacant at Shaker Square, but the first signs of a turnaround also are visible this spring, reports Steven Litt. The Cleveland landmark is under new ownership, with the goals to stabilize the property, prepare it for sale to new for-profit ownership within five years, and then reimburse the city for at least half of the $12 million loan, or more, depending on the sale price. University rankings: Multiple Ohio universities landed in the top 50 rankings of law and medical schools and their specific programs, according to the 2023-24 U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Programs Rankings released Thursday. Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University came out on top for Ohio schools, although several others scored high in specific programs, reports Zachary Smith. Emergency end: The coronavirus-related public health emergency ended Thursday, meaning more Ohioans could face out-of-pocket expenses that had previously been covered by the federal government or insurers. Laura Hancock reports that COVID-19 testing, vaccines and treatments eventually will return to typical healthcare coverage – some sooner than others. West Side Market: Not everyone has access to enough healthy, affordable and culturally appropriate food. Public markets – like the West Side Market -- play a role in addressing that issue, reports Paris Wolfe. Learn more about leveraging public markets to improve food access and wellness on May 16 at “In the Market for Accessibility,” the fourth installment in a seven-part Community Speaker Series. Weekly COVID: After trending downward for several weeks, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio rose by nearly 1,000 cases from 2,978 last week to 3,836 this week, reports Julie Washington. |
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Cheating fisherman: Two men who cheated at a September walleye tournament in Cleveland by stuffing their fish catch with lead weights are headed to jail for 10 days, reports Cory Shaffer. Once Jacob Runyan, 43, of Ashtabula, and Chase Cominsky, 36, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania, are released from jail, they will be placed on one year of probation and must pay a $2,500 fine. The judge also imposed an additional 30-day jail sentence if the men violate probation. EMT missing: Friends and family of Lachelle Jordan, a mother of two, on Thursday passed out fliers and talked to residents in her East Side neighborhood in the hope that the missing Cleveland EMS worker will return home safely. Olivia Mitchell reports that authorities say Jordan's disappearance is suspicious and Cleveland officers are working with U.S. marshals to find her. On Monday, a Cleveland man was arrested and accused of stalking her. Multiple homicides: Police are investigating four deaths over the past week, including a 60-year-old woman who was beaten to death, and a 31-year-old man who was fatally shot at a bar, Olivia Mitchell reports. Cocaine pipeline: A Cleveland woman was sentenced Wednesday to nearly 16 years in prison for helping to build a cocaine pipeline that delivered hundreds of pounds of the drug from California to Northeast Ohio. For years, Khalilah Crumpler used drivers to haul the drugs and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash between Cleveland and Ontario, California, according to a plea agreement. Escaping discipline: A Cleveland police detective, under scrutiny for retaliation and lies, retired last month, shortly after his 25th anniversary with the division, reports John Tucker. By retiring, Det. Jeffrey Yasenchack will escape discipline and potential termination for actions stemming from a violent traffic stop and the raid of the driver’s home. He also will enter a pension program that benefits officers who serve 25 years. |
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Tutto Carne: Cleveland’s pioneering restaurateur Carl Quagliata is making a dream come true. After 47 years of operating the upscale Italian restaurant Giovanni’s in Beachwood, he is opening his first restaurant, a boutique Italian steakhouse called Tutto Carne, in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood, reports Paris Wolfe. Dublin, Ohio: Ohio’s Dublin may not have much in common with its Irish namesake. But don’t let that stop you, reports Susan Glaser. Dublin has much to recommend it, including this month’s Memorial Tournament, a top PGA contest; the terrific Columbus Zoo in nearby Powell; and a new outpost of Columbus’ popular North Market. WOW: Wade Oval Wednesdays are back with nine free concerts scheduled on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., June 14 through Aug. 16. Paris Wolfe reports the music will represent a broad range of genres. 1899 Social Club: 1899 Social Club came about because Brian Lindenbaum, visiting Ohio during the winter holidays in 2017, had a hankering to golf. Nine months later, 1899 Indoor Golf opened in Canton. One in Twinsburg started in 2019. After a break for the coronavirus pandemic, 1899 Social Club – the largest of the three – is up and running on Van Aken Boulevard near the northwest corner of Warrensville Center Road and Chagrin Boulevard, reports Marc Bona. To do: It’s about damn time to have some fun. Pop superstar, classically trained flutist and body-positive activist Lizzo tops our roundup of weekend events as she performs for the first time in Cleveland with a concert at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday. Joey Morona has 17 other ideas, including a few Mother’s Day-related activities. |
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Convicted human trafficker in Lorain County gets life in prison Read more Two men die in shooting outside apartment complex in Bedford Read more Man accused of killing his wife in Fairview Park, police say Read more Middleburg Heights celebrates Baldwin Creek Preserve grand opening Read more Brook Park poised to extend vape, smoke shop moratorium Read more Rehoming history: Medina County Historical Society hosts annual yard sale Read more Don’t knock it: Middleburg Heights residents can sign up to keep solicitors away Read more Former St. Mary School one step closer to Berea landmark designation Read more |
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