State lawmakers can barely see the end of the year over a flurry of legislation, but US Sen. Rob Portman has ended the 2016 presidential ambition speculation by saying that he will not seek the Republican nomination for the White House. There was a lot of legislative action this week, including bills changing the municipal income tax collection system and redistricting.
The end of a typical two-year General Assembly always means one thing – that some members we’ve gotten used to hearing from and talking to over the last few years won’t be back to start the next year. Two of the veterans who will be missed are here to look back on their years in the Statehouse – and while they couldn’t be more different, their friendship shows that respect and camaraderie across party lines is possible, even in a very partisan environment. Lynn Wachtmann is a Republican from Napoleon in northwest Ohio, and Bob Hagan is a Democrat from Youngstown. They’ve both served in both chambers, but they’re leaving their seats in the House after four terms.