Recent News
A look at Issue 1: An Amendment to Reduce Penalties for Crimes of Obtaining, Possessing, and Using Illegal Drugs
Concern about overcrowding in Ohio’s prisons from non-violent drug offenders has led a group to propose a ballot initiated constitutional amendment. Backed by a coalition of civic, law enforcement, faith and business leaders, the initiative will appear on the ballot as Ohio Issue 1 this November. The initiative’s sponsors were able to secure the necessary…
Balderson Wins Narrow Victory in OH-12 Special Election
State Senator Troy Balderson emerged victorious over Franklin County Recorder Danny O’Connor in a nationally watched special election on Tuesday, August 7 to fill the open seat left when Representative Pat Tiberi resigned earlier this year. Democrat Danny O’Connor opened an early lead based on a strong performance in early and absentee voting, but…
Immigration has Made Its Way into Ohio Politics
Immigration has made its way into Ohio’s politics, but how much has immigration impacted the state? Immigration and Ohio are not often thought of in the same context, but as the issue increasingly plays a larger and larger role in national politics, the debate has found its way to the state. In the recent Republican…
Glenn College Researchers Say Gubernatorial Candidates Should Prioritize Economy
What should Ohio’s gubernatorial candidates be talking about? A paper by researchers at The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs, emphasizes that the future of Ohio’s economy should be a top priority for the gubernatorial candidates and other politicians seeking election this November. The paper called, Toward a New Ohio, takes an…
Eastern Ohio Stands to Benefit from Energy Investment
In recent years, Eastern Ohio has often made the news for the wrong reasons: industrial decline, job loss and unemployment, and the ravages of the opioid epidemic. However, area leaders hope a series of investments by the energy and manufacturing industries will help the region get back on track. Among the projects that leaders have…
Beatty and Stivers’ Civility and Respect Caucus Hopes to Bring Bipartisan Efforts to the Forefront
Civility is a buzzword in today’s political arena, as member’s abilities to engage in bipartisan efforts have become more crucial to accomplishing policy goals in such a divisive climate. Congressman Steve Stivers (R-OH) and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH) hope to be at the forefront of this movement towards more respectful dialogue, through their creation of…
Amazon HQ2 and the Future of Business Investment in Columbus
A favored line of politicians is that their policies will bring new businesses and investments to their communities, but what really makes businesses decide to put down roots in an area? This question is at the front of local and state leaders’ minds as the stakes for attracting new business to the state appear higher…
New Education Campaigns Hope to Reduce the Societal Costs of the Opioid Epidemic
The opioid epidemic is making an impact on more than just families and governmental budgets. Recent data estimates that Ohioans have lost more than 500,000 years of life expectancy to the epidemic in the past seven years. Overall, the life expectancy of the average Ohioan is down 1.1 years. According to the Center for Disease…
Lucas County Political Parties Usher in New Leaders
In recent weeks, both the Lucas County Republican and Democratic parties underwent leadership changes, electing new chairmen to their respective organizations. Attendees at Impact Ohio’s Toledo Regional Conference might recall hearing from leaders of both the Lucas County Republican and Democratic parties last September as they closed out our conference discussing the local parties…