A bipartisan committee of Ohio lawmakers will begin work on a new congressional map for the midterm elections, meeting on Sept. 22 with an end-of-October deadline for a map to pass with bipartisan support. But is bipartisanship even remotely possible?
This week Democrats unveiled their own redrawn map, one that would give Republicans a slight advantage in eight districts with Democrats holding a slight advantage in seven.
Ohio currently has 10 Republicans and five Democrats serving in the U.S. House. The speaker of the Ohio House, who presides over a supermajority of Republicans, immediately called the democratic effort a gerrymander, even as democrats say the republican gerrymander is what they're trying to solve.
We will begin the Friday “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable” with the beginning of the redistricting efforts and whether this time the two parties can work together on a map.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, in an interview with Politico, said the impact of Medicaid cuts may mean MetroHealth, the safety net hospital for Cuyahoga County, could go "out of business." Was that hyperbole? While MetroHealth is facing financial woes, its spokesman said the doors aren't closing.
Ursuline High School and the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown now face two federal lawsuits. The first, filed last week, accuses the diocese, school, football team and coaches of covering up the sexual assault of a player during a hazing ritual. The second, filed this week, alleges a football player harassed and physically assaulted a female student who rejected the players demand for sex.
Cuyahoga County Council unanimously voted this week to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ people. It's the first county in Ohio to do so.
Cleveland Heights Mayor Kalil Seren was recalled in an overwhelming vote, 82%, and the process for removing him will being when the primary results are certified later this month. The council president is set to take over until the end of the year and voters will choose in November between two council members who emerged from the primary this week.
Cleveland City Council incumbents on the ballot in Tuesday's dismally low-turnout primary all moved on to the November ballot. But in two races in November, someone currently on council will lose their seat as it is reduced from 17 to 15 members. While in two other wards, the lack of an incumbent in the race guarantees a new face will be joining council.
Many Ohioans are being priced out of the rental market. A report by the Coalition for Homelessness and Housing in Ohio found that the gap between what the average renter makes and what they need to make to afford a basic two-bedroom apartment has risen 148% over the last five years.
Guests:
-Abbey Marshall, Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
-Gabriel Kramer, Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
-Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio/TV
