This week, the Ohio House passed two property-tax related bills. Supporters say the bills will provide more than $2 billion in tax relief over the next three years and say the measures are the most significant property tax reform in decades.
But according to others, the bills won't help all Ohio property owners and claim the bills do not go far enough in overhauling the current system.
Separately another proposal from Ohio Sen. Andrew Brenner a Republican from Delaware County would completely reshape school funding.
We will talk about the House bills as well as the proposal from Sen. Brenner to begin Friday’s “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable.”
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has sent a letter to Congress to help the city decommission Burke Lakefront Airport. Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne also signed the letter.
Bibb has long advocated closing the airport and redeveloping the land as part of his larger lakefront plans, while Ronayne said in his state of the county speech last week this was a project he wanted to work on with Bibb.
The head of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District said hard decisions are coming in his third annual State of the Schools this week including a new consolidation plan that could close buildings and lay off staff.
CEO Warren Morgan said state and federal funds are declining, and the district expenses are far outpacing revenue.
Lakewood is also dealing with consolidation as this week the district's board of education voted to consolidate the district's seven elementary schools to six. This despite a recent protest of more than 100 parents, students and community members.
Lawmakers in the Ohio House passed a long-stalled piece of legislation this week that both tweaks the existing statute on recreational marijuana and takes action on intoxicating hemp products.
The passage of the bill came a week after a judge blocked Gov. DeWine's attempts to pull intoxicating hemp products from shelves citing concerns they could be obtained by underage buyers.
The Ohio Redistricting Commission met on Tuesday for the first time in this cycle to redraw the state's congressional district map. But Republicans, who control the commission, have not yet introduced a map.
Guests:
-Josh Boose, Newscast Producer, Ideastream Public Media
-Abigail Bottar, Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
-Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio/TV