Here are your morning headlines for Tuesday, April 20:
- Dayton Mayor announces run for governor
- Columbus leaders call for protests to stay peaceful
- GOP Rep. Steve Stivers resigns to run Ohio commerce chamber
- Ohio House Dems propose gun legislation
- Ohio board OKs large increase in medical pot dispensaries
- Abortion telemedicine ban remains on hold
- Akron adding 28 “speed tables”
- Route 8 bridge replacement delayed to 2025
- Cuyahoga County bringing employees back to the office
Dayton Mayor announces run for governor
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley says she will try to unseat Republican Gov. Mike DeWine after her effort to work with him on gun reforms in the aftermath of a mass shooting in her city stalled. It is the second time the 45-year-old Democrat will try to make Ohio history by becoming the first female major-party governor nominee. Her decision had been expected after she announced in early January she wouldn’t seek a third term as mayor.
Columbus leaders call for protests to stay peaceful
Politicians, religious leaders, and community activists in Ohio's capital city are calling for protests to remain peaceful as a verdict nears in the trial in the death of George Floyd. The call for calm also comes as Columbus is experiencing a record spike in gun violence and is reeling from another fatal police shooting. Meanwhile, The Ohio State Highway Patrol sent 100 troopers to Minneapolis on Monday to assist with protests and potential unrest.
GOP Rep. Steve Stivers resigns to run Ohio commerce chamber
Republican Ohio Congressman Steve Stivers says he'll leave Congress on May 16 to run his home state’s chamber of commerce. Stivers has been serving the 15th District in the House since 2011 and had been viewed as a potential candidate to run for the seat held by retiring Sen. Rob Portman. He had raised nearly $1.4 million in the first quarter of this year in anticipation of a potential run. Stivers' central Ohio district is considered relatively safe for Republicans. He won reelection last year by a nearly 27-point margin.
Ohio House Dems propose gun legislation
Ohio House Democrats have introduced a package of gun legislation a week after their Republican counterparts stripped proposed restrictions from Gov. Mike DeWine’s budget. The Democrats’ proposals would require universal background checks for all gun sales, mandate secure gun storage in homes with minors, repeal the so-called “Stand Your Ground” law, allow more opportunity to seize weapons from people who are dangerous to themselves or others, and allow locally created gun legislation. Republicans have a supermajority in the House.
Ohio board OKs large increase in medical pot dispensaries
Ohio Board of Pharmacy has agreed to more than double the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the state over the next year to deal with patient complaints about access and high prices. The board voted Monday to add 73 dispensaries to the 52 currently operating. Three of Ohio's 31 medical marijuana districts in western Ohio currently have no dispensaries. The board says the number of people who have registered to purchase medical marijuana is higher than anticipated after dispensaries opened in January 2019.
Abortion telemedicine ban remains on hold
A new Ohio law banning doctors from using telemedicine to prescribe abortion drugs remains on hold as a suit challenging the law’s constitutionality proceeds. A Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge on Monday extended his two-week restraining order on the law that was set to go into effect April 12. Supporters of the new law, including Ohio Right to Life, say doctors need to be physically present when women take the drugs in case something goes wrong. Supporters of legal abortion say the ban makes it harder to access in Ohio and is punitive to poor women who cannot often travel long distances to seek abortions.
Akron adding 28 “speed tables”
The city of Akron wants drivers to slow down this summer, so 28 so-called “speed tables” will be installed on 14 residential streets. The city reported that two such elongated, speed bumps made of rubber installed last year led to a 23% drop in the number of speeders on those roads and that residents surveyed favored the idea.
Route 8 bridge replacement delayed to 2025
A project to replace the state Route 8 Bridge over the Little Cuyahoga River on the north side of Akron is on hold until 2025. The $130 million project had been set to start this year, but the Beacon Journal reports the Ohio Department of Transportation is putting it off due to lower-than-expected tax revenue due to the pandemic. Completion of the four-year project now is not expected until 2030.
Cuyahoga County bringing employees back to the office
Cuyahoga County employees will be back in their offices part-time beginning May 1. Cleveland.com reports the return-to-office order applies to workers in departments related to health and human services, public works, and the fiscal office, among others. County Executive Armond Budish's administration is studying the possibility of requiring employees to be vaccinated prior to being allowed back to work.
