Farmers are firing back at Gov. John Kasich’s executive order to implement tougher regulations on fertilizer and other farm runoff to prevent toxic algae blooms. The administration says these new requirements will help keep nutrients from polluting Lake Erie. But farmers, who say they’re not the only contributors to algae problems, argue this creates mandates when they’re trying to work out solutions. Statehouse correspondent Andy Chow reports.
Ohio carried out its first execution of the year this week. Robert Van Hook died for the 1985 murder of a Cincinnati man he met in a nightclub. And an Ohio county Republican Party leader is getting a lot of state and national attention for his decision to resign after watching President Trump’s press conference with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. But unlike Trump, Chris Gagin is not walking back or changing what he said.
January will mark the first time in eight years that a new governor will take office in Ohio. And as both of the major party candidates raise money and reach out to voters, they’re also hearing from groups that have ideas for directions the new administration could take in critical areas such as the economy, local government, health and education. One of them is the state’s largest business group, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. Its research arm has put together a report called “Bold Ohio” that it says contains recommendations to grow the innovation economy. Brian Hicks heads the research group that prepared the report, which he talks about along with Bill Baumel, the managing director of the Ohio Innovation Fund.