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Feds Halt Electric Rate Hikes, And Decision Legalizing Lying In Campaign Ads Could Have Long-Term Impact

Federal regulators have now stepped in on the deals that would have allowed two electric utilities to impose short-term rate increases on customers to bring in money for struggling coal and nuclear plants. Ohio’s senior US Senator is on the short list of possible running mates for Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton.  Democratic state lawmakers are criticizing the plan to ask the federal government for permission to charge 1.5 million Medicaid recipients small premiums to stay in the program. Patients who want medical marijuana in Ohio are starting to take sides in which plans they support.  A key state lawmaker says his bill would ensure that a public records request made by a reporter, an activist or any concerned citizen wouldn't spiral from something simple into a long, expensive court battle.

For more than a year, it has been legal to lie in a political ad campaign. A 19 year old state law banning false statements in campaigns was struck down out of a case from Ohio. Now we’re in one of the most divisive presidential campaigns ever, with candidates routinely accusing each other of lying and fact-checking sites working overtime to keep up with campaign claims. And it’s often hard to decipher facts from opinions, and to determine what the truth actually is. And some candidates report that has trickled down into their races as well. So what does the loss of this law in Ohio mean for those who are running for office now and in the future? To talk about that is Mark Weaver, a former deputy Ohio Attorney General who teaches law at the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University and the University of Akron – he’s also served as an adviser to many Republican candidates. Ned Foley directs Election Law @ Moritz at Ohio State’s law school and has written several books and articles on the topic, and is also a fellow with the Stanford University Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.