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After weeks of negotiating, the Ohio House of Representatives finally chose Representative Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell) to be Speaker of the House for the remainder of the 132nd General Assembly.  The chamber has been without an official leader since former Speaker Cliff Rosenberger resigned in April amid an FBI investigation into his travel expenses. That investigation and the…

In early 2018, elected leaders from Toledo and surrounding communities signed a Memorandum of Understanding creating the framework for the Toledo Area Water Authority (TAWA).  For years the City of Toledo has supplied water to many communities in the surrounding region, but the water system, including the Collins Park Water Treatment Plant, remained under city…

As autonomous vehicles continue to change the way we view transportation, Governor John Kasich issued a timely executive order to ensure Ohio remains at the forefront of this growing industry.  On May 9,  Kasich issued Executive Order 2018-04K to permit the testing of autonomous vehicles on all roads and highways in Ohio.  The order also provides…

At the first hearing of the Joint Committee on College Affordability, Chancellor of High Education John Carey testified that Ohio’s efforts to make college more affordable have made a difference.   In his testimony, Carey credited the administration and legislature’s efforts for improving the affordability of Ohio’s public universities and community colleges. Carey noted that tuition…

At the 2017 Impact Ohio Akron Regional Conference, we saw an overarching theme of change. Akron is seeing new public and private leadership implemented city-wide as some of the region’s largest institutions welcome newcomers to the top of their ranks.  Amongst these entities are the Akron-Canton Airport, University of Akron, Leadership Akron, Akron-Summit County Public…

After winning The Smart City Challenge and receiving a $50 million grant to transform Columbus into a Smart City, community leaders hope to use some of this money on an initiative to reduce infant mortality rates.  The infant mortality rate in Franklin County is high above the national average.  Having a child in an urban environment…

After an ugly runup that brought intraparty fights into the open, Ohio’s voters mostly stuck with establishment candidates in Ohio’s primary election on May 7. Attorney General Mike DeWine bested Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor by almost 20 percentage points in a Republican gubernatorial primary in which both candidates spent millions on attack ads. DeWine now…

The political fights over Medicaid will likely continue as the costs of healthcare continue to rise and Medicaid takes up a larger and larger chunk of the state and federal spending. That said, the program has demonstrated considerable durability against political challenges and is certain to remain in some form for the foreseeable future.  That means…

At the 2017 Impact Ohio Regional Conferences, the opiate crisis was one of the big issues discussed.  In Akron, Cincinnati, and Dayton we heard from numerous experts about the seriousness of the crisis and how it affects public health as well as social and economic welfare.  Our experts shared what their communities were doing to…