Here are some of the topics for this week’s Reporters’ Roundtable.
The Republican-dominated state legislature has passed a bill that lowers training requirements for arming school personnel, including teachers.The bill lowers the threshold from the current 700 hours to 24.Lawmakers fast-tracked the bill, House Bill 99, in the aftermath of the murders of 19 children and two teachers in a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Governor Mike DeWine, who is running for re-election, says he will sign the bill.
Ford announced yesterday that it will bring production of an all-electric vehicle to the Ohio Assembly Plant in Lorain County. The new electric-vehicle production would bring 1-and-a-half billion dollars in investment and add 18-hundred new union jobs. Work on expansion of the plant is expected to begin by the end of the year with the rollout of the vehicle to be built expected by mid-decade. Ford says the forthcoming electric vehicle will be geared towards contractors.
While many were beginning their long Memorial Day holiday last week, a federal court intervened in Ohio’s map making mess. The federal court ordered the state to implement a set of maps already deemed unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court. The maps—known as map 3—will be used in an August 2 primary for Ohio house and Ohio senate district races.The Ohio Redistricting Commission passed the maps in a party-line vote in February. The Ohio Supreme Court threw the maps out in March as an unconstitutional gerrymander that disproportionately favored Republicans.
We are into summer but COVID-19 hasn’t made any vacation plans. Masks are back for those going to Cuyahoga County buildings including the courts regardless of vaccination status. The county is also recommending masking in public, indoor spaces. Currently the Centers for Disease Control lists Cuyahoga County as having a “high” level of community spread. Lorain and Ashtabula also have that designation. Surrounding counties such as Medina, Portage, and Summit are listed as having a “medium” level of community spread.
Sports betting is coming to Ohio---but not until January 1 of 2023. The start date announced by the Ohio Casino Control Commission means that sports bettors in the state will miss out on legally placing bets for the upcoming regular season for college and professional football.
LeBron James may refer to himself as “just a kid from Akron” but the business world has a new title: billionaire. James is the first active NBA player to reach the billionaire milestone according to Forbes. James not only still pulls down a super-star salary with the Lakers but he has a number of lucrative endorsement deals and business investments including Blaze Pizza and Spring Hill Entertainment.
Marlene Harris-Taylor, Managing Producer for Health, Ideastream Public Media
Gabriel Kramer, Multiple Media Producer, Ideastream Public Media
Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio/TV
