For the third time in five years, the state is proposing an untested method of putting condemned inmates to death. A bill that would put new rules on minor party candidates may soon be on its way to Gov. John Kasich’s desk, after passing the House with some changes less than two weeks after it went through the Senate. Speaker Pro Tem Matt Huffman R-Lima), Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent), Rep. Jim Buchy (R-Greenville) and Rep. Mike Curtin (D-Columbus) spoke out for and against the bill. And drivers who kill wild feral hogs on the highway could keep them under a bill passed by the state House.
The month of harvests and Halloween has been a scary one as well as a time of celebration for low-income Ohioans. The decision to expand Medicaid to people making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level means as many as 366,000 people will have access to that government health insurance program. But this month also brought a problem with the food stamp system. and 1.8 million Ohioans will start getting reduced food stamp benefits after the expiration of a temporary boost in SNAP. Sharing their thoughts on these situations are two leaders among those who help people in the social safety net. Lisa Hamler Fugitt is the executive director of the Ohio Association of Food Banks. And Joel Potts is the executive director of the Ohio Job and Family Services Directors Association, which works with county ODJFS offices around the state.