The Ohio primary is just days away. And while both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have already secured enough primary wins to clinch their nominations and a 2024 rematch, much remains to be decided by voters.
The biggest race in Ohio is the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. Businessman Bernie Moreno, State Senator Matt Dolan and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose are involved in a very tight race. It is an expensive one too. The winner on Tuesday will face incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown this fall and the results of that election could tip the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.
Beyond the U.S. Senate primary, voters will decide candidates by party for Ohio House and Ohio Senate races as well. And those races might be confusing to some voters, because there are many contested primaries in statehouse races—especially involving Republican candidates. The challenges are part of an on-going rift within the Ohio House Republican ranks that started with the selection of the speaker earlier this year.
Cuyahoga County has settled a class action lawsuit filed in 2018 over conditions at the county jail, which former inmates have called "deplorable." County Council approved the terms of the settlement this week. The lawsuit came after the U.S. Marshals issued a damning report on the conditions in the jail detailing inhumane and overcrowded conditions.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik has presented his first operating budget proposal to city council. The $815 million spending plan calls for 1.2% in increased spending and is focused on hiring and staff retention.
State Representative Tom Patton, a Strongsville Republican, is proposing a bill that would go after the companies that run red light and speed cameras for cities. Patton says the companies, some of which are based outside the U.S., bring in millions a year.
We will discuss these stories and more of the week’s news on this week’s Reporters Roundtable.
Try out the Ideastream News Quiz.
Guests:
-Stephanie Czekalinksi, Deputy Editor for News, Ideastream Public Media
-Anna Huntsman, Akron-Canton Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
-Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio/TV
