10 minutes ago, E Rocc said:

 

It's easy to cry "gerrymandering" but the fact is they are effectively compelled to concentrate Democratic votes, and this is a Republican majority state to begin with.

 

Its not a Republican majority state by the margins we are seeing in the General Assembly. Gerrymandering also suppresses votes because you either do not have a candidate to vote for or you know the vote wont matter so even the popular vote margin isn't a complete or accurate picture of the divide in the state. 

 

Ohio's voter participation rate in Presidential elections since 2000 is 69% on average, nation wide it is 86%. That is in part due to voter suppression from this same Republican legislature, but it is also due to gerrymandering. Over the same period on average State Representatives run unopposed in 16 House districts and 3 Senate districts, more often these are Republicans running unopposed. 

 

Sometimes when its easy to cry gerrymandering because that is the problem. 

Edited December 15, 20222 yr by Luke_S

58 minutes ago, E Rocc said:

 

It's easy to cry "gerrymandering" but the fact is they are effectively compelled to concentrate Democratic votes, and this is a Republican majority state to begin with.

It doesn’t matter how many times you repeat this incorrect information, it isn’t going to become any more accurate. The independent map makers that were hired came up with maps that would have given us a legislature whose proportionality reflected the voting of Ohioans and also followed both the Ohio Constitution and complied with Federal voting rights precedence. And then the redistricting commission threw those maps out.  
 

It would be nearly as easy to make districts that would give D’s a substantial edge in Ohio by centering districts on the cities and packing R’s into fewer districts. (And I’ll emphasize that I’m saying “nearly as easy”, not “just as easy”, because R’s are getting more votes. They just aren’t getting THAT many more votes.) It is only by illegally splitting D voting areas that R’s are able to achieve supermajorities. (The commission’s actions violated the OH constitution, and were therefore illegal,  as repeatedly decided by the OH Supreme Court.)
 

A new Ohio constitutional amendment mandating the use of independent map makers is the single most important thing we can do to get an OH legislature that actually reflects the will of Ohioans. 

18 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

 

A new Ohio constitutional amendment mandating the use of independent map makers is the single most important thing we can do to get an OH legislature that actually reflects the will of Ohioans. 

this is part of the reason that the state legislature is trying to make it more difficult get a constitutional amendment approved. 

1 hour ago, Luke_S said:

Ohio's voter participation rate in Presidential elections since 2000 is 69% on average, nation wide it is 86%

Where are you getting these numbers? I'm sure the national average wasn't (and possibly never has been) 86%.

 

Edit: I was curious, so I looked it up, highest turnout in US history was 82.6%.

 

https://www.newsweek.com/highest-voter-turnouts-history-us-elections-1545235

Edited December 15, 20222 yr by Ethan

7 minutes ago, Ethan said:

Where are you getting these numbers? I'm sure the national average wasn't (and possibly never has been) 86%.

 

Edit: I was curious, so I looked it up, highest turnout in US history was 82.6%.

 

https://www.newsweek.com/highest-voter-turnouts-history-us-elections-1545235

 

This is voter turnout of registered voters, combination of FEC popular vote totals and Census voter registration numbers. Looks like Newsweek is looking at a percentage of eligible voters, which is much lower. 

16 minutes ago, Luke_S said:

 

This is voter turnout of registered voters, combination of FEC popular vote totals and Census voter registration numbers. Looks like Newsweek is looking at a percentage of eligible voters, which is much lower. 

Okay, I guess that clears up that confusion, but isn't the percentage of eligible voters the more important metric? By that metric Ohio is shockingly average.

 

https://ballotpedia.org/Voter_turnout_in_United_States_elections

2 hours ago, E Rocc said:

 

It's easy to cry "gerrymandering" but the fact is they are effectively compelled to concentrate Democratic votes, and this is a Republican majority state to begin with.

DAFUQ?

2 hours ago, Luke_S said:

 

Its not a Republican majority state by the margins we are seeing in the General Assembly. Gerrymandering also suppresses votes because you either do not have a candidate to vote for or you know the vote wont matter so even the popular vote margin isn't a complete or accurate picture of the divide in the state. 

 

Ohio's voter participation rate in Presidential elections since 2000 is 69% on average, nation wide it is 86%. That is in part due to voter suppression from this same Republican legislature, but it is also due to gerrymandering. Over the same period on average State Representatives run unopposed in 16 House districts and 3 Senate districts, more often these are Republicans running unopposed. 

 

Sometimes when its easy to cry gerrymandering because that is the problem. 

That is going to be an issue to rear its head in 2032. Maybe it can be solved by then. Chances are that in 2024 the districts will be further gerrymandered than they currently are. OH-1 could change to become stronger Republican if the mapmakers redraw the maps according to the original plans.  Given that the Federal Court has already ruled the 2022 map fine because of the stalemate in the Ohio Supreme Court with the legislature, and the GOP having a more solid 4-3 majority with whomever replaces O'Connor, the chances of any gerrymandering lawsuit getting much traction in 2024 is probably pretty nil. 

24 minutes ago, Brutus_buckeye said:

stalemate in the Ohio Supreme Court with the legislature

 

That's an interesting way of saying "the legislature ignored court orders".

15 minutes ago, taestell said:

 

That's an interesting way of saying "the legislature ignored court orders".

Except they didn't. The court order was that they did not approve of the maps that were drawn. The court order the legislature to redraw the maps. The court did not order them or tell them how to draw the maps since the court did not have the power to do so. They could only reject the maps. If the legislature kept drawing maps that did not meet the majority approval, that was fine because legally, that is all they had to do. It created a stalemate between the Ohio Supreme Court and legislature that neither side was willing to compromise on.  Back when the Ohio Supreme court rejected the original proposed districts back in 2021 I pretty much said this would happen because neither side had the ability to compel the other side to bend to their will on the matter. This was the same thing that happened 25 years ago when the Ohio Supreme Court declared school funding unconstitutional. As you can see nothing has actually changed on that front yet. 

 

 

4 hours ago, E Rocc said:

 

It's easy to cry "gerrymandering" but the fact is they are effectively compelled to concentrate Democratic votes, and this is a Republican majority state to begin with.

 

Narrator: They were *not* in fact compelled to do any such thing.

43 minutes ago, DEPACincy said:

 

Narrator: They were *not* in fact compelled to do any such thing.

 

Dilute a "majority minority" district and watch how fast the Voting Rights Act kicks in.   

17 minutes ago, E Rocc said:

 

Dilute a "majority minority" district and watch how fast the Voting Rights Act kicks in.   

In Ohio you could dilute a minority/majority district without VRA worries I believe. The VRA primarily identified specific areas, namely in the South where higher scrutiny would be applied to gerrymandering and the rest of the country was given much more leeway.

21 hours ago, E Rocc said:

 

Dilute a "majority minority" district and watch how fast the Voting Rights Act kicks in.   

 

LOL it has been pointed out to you many times that this is not how the VRA actually works. Plus, Ohio only has one majority minority district under the current map (District 11) and that would not be diluted under a fair map.

Good. 
 

Ohio's law banning most abortions remains blocked, for now

 

“A Hamilton County judge's decision to block enforcement of a state law that "largely bans abortion access in Ohio" will stand, for now, an appeals court said in an opinion released Friday.

 

Ohio's 2019 law banning doctors from performing abortions after cardiac activity is detected will remain on hold for at least several more months. This delays an eventual collision course with the Ohio Supreme Court, which will soon be under new Republican leadership. 

 

Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost appealed Jenkins' decision. On Friday, the 1st District Court of Appeals, in a 3-0 decision, declined to consider Yost's appeal.

 

The plaintiffs, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood Federation of America, successfully argued that state appeals courts can only review final orders, not preliminary injunctions that preserve the status quo.”

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2022/12/16/ohios-heartbeat-abortion-law-remains-blocked-for-now/69734746007/

Some bad but potentially good news...

 

Ohio Legislature Could Block Columbus Flavored Tobacco Ban

 

Among the flurry of legislation in the Ohio General Assembly’s marathon final session was a measure restricting local governments’ ability to regulate tobacco. The move comes days after Columbus approved an ordinance banning flavored tobacco. Gov. Mike DeWine has signaled he has reservations with the bill.

 

Bad debts

 

The initial bill, offered by Reps. Jon Cross, R-Kenton, and Bill Roemer, R-Richfield, addressed tobacco wholesalers left holding the bag. Under Ohio’s taxing scheme, wholesalers pay an excise tax on tobacco products before selling them on to retailers. But if retailers don’t pay for the goods, wholesalers don’t have a way to recoup those taxes.

 

Cross and Roemer proposed a program allowing those businesses to claim an excise tax refund from the state.

 

“This bill would enable them to claim a refund from the state for the taxes that they pay up front,” Roemer explained. “While this would not cover the entirety of the expenses by any means, it would partly offset and thereby soften the blow for the wholesaler.”

 

In a Senate committee, though, Cross and Roemer’s measure picked up amendments, including one that prohibits local tobacco regulations. The language includes a legislative finding that the bill is part of a “comprehensive” framework. Thus, any local regulation is “a matter of statewide concern and would be inconsistent with that statewide comprehensive enactment.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/ohio-legislature-could-block-columbus-flavored-tobacco-ban-ocj1/

 

Ohio Mayors Gather in Columbus to Set Agendas for 2023

 

Ohio’s mayors are urging state lawmakers to work with them while warning the legislature not to interfere in local governance. The Ohio Mayors Alliance includes the leaders of the state’s 30 biggest cities. The group spans the political spectrum and they met in Columbus Friday to discuss their agenda for the coming year.

 

The chief issues on their minds boil down to money and authority.

 

Treasure

 

Since the Kasich administration slashed a longstanding revenue sharing system known as the local government fund, cities have struggled to make ends meet. Most cities devote half of their budget to police and fire. Elyria mayor Frank Whitfield noted in his city it’s 60%.

 

“Anything that jeopardizes our funding of cities is jeopardizing the funding of police and fire,” he argued.

 

He and others spoke appreciatively about the state sharing COVID funding from federal sources like the American Rescue Plan but they also acknowledged the tap is about to run dry. Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval painted an even starker picture than Whitfield.

 

“Because of ARP funding Cincinnati was able to exist,” he said. “Without it, we would quite simply — would have failed.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/ohio-mayors-gather-in-columbus-to-set-agendas-for-2023-ocj1/

 

On 12/19/2022 at 4:07 PM, ColDayMan said:

The Ohio Mayors Alliance includes the leaders of the state’s 30 biggest cities.

FWIW, they represent a little over 29% of Ohio's total population.

In 1950, these same 30 cities, if they existed, housed about 44% of Ohio residents.

This article makes the case that the 60% voter threshold for amendments bill is likely dead as a result of the new speaker elected by the moderate Rs and Dems.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/01/proposal-to-make-it-harder-to-change-ohio-constitution-likely-stalled-again-after-surprise-house-leadership-change.html

5 hours ago, Ethan said:

This article makes the case that the 60% voter threshold for amendments bill is likely dead as a result of the new speaker elected by the moderate Rs and Dems.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/01/proposal-to-make-it-harder-to-change-ohio-constitution-likely-stalled-again-after-surprise-house-leadership-change.html

 

The absolute dumbest law in Ohio is that the Constitution can be amended by a simple majority in a referendum.  It completely bypasses practicality and epitomizes the principle that things often sound easy to those who don't have to make them happen.

 

There's pretty much no point to having a Constitution that can be amended so easily.

Edited January 6, 20232 yr by E Rocc

1 hour ago, E Rocc said:

 

The absolute dumbest law in Ohio is that the Constitution can be amended by a simple majority in a referendum.  It completely bypasses practicality and epitomizes the principle that things often sound easy to those who don't have to make them happen.

 

There's pretty much no point to having a Constitution that can be amended so easily.

I'm sympathetic to that argument, but the proposed law creates a different standard for initiatives proposed by the legislature, and those from citizen initiatives. I don't like that, and it makes it seem like a power grab, not a principled stance.  

2 minutes ago, Ethan said:

I'm sympathetic to that argument, but the proposed law creates a different standard for initiatives proposed by the legislature, and those from citizen initiatives. I don't like that, and it makes it seem like a power grab, not a principled stance.  

 

To add a bit of support that there is very little principle behind this proposal, if any. Rep Brian Stewart who sponsored the bill said,

Quote

We’re not trying to make amending the Constitution impossible. We’re simply trying to require that you—in a diverse state of 11-plus million people—that you get more than 50% of the 25% that might show up to vote in a sleepy May primary.

 

It is only legislative amendments that are voted on during primaries, citizen initiatives are voted on during the general election. 

Let's not pretend that the context of this wasn't a gerrymandered congressional majority taking over, seeing that they didn't also win the State Education Board, and realizing that they will likely see the public try to pass some initiatives that they don't like.  So of course they neutered the State Education Board and tried to neuter the public initiative process.  Pure power grab by a party that wins even though their agenda isn't popular, and knows it.

14 minutes ago, Luke_S said:

that you get more than 50% of the 25% that might show up to vote in a sleepy May primary.

It seems to me that the more elegant solution to this problem may be to have a minimum voter turnout threshold. This isn't unusual in a democracy, lots of countries have some variation on this. The trouble is where to set the threshold. Maybe if less than 30% of the population votes the results aren't valid (or 40%, 50%, etc). Not sure that's needed, but it's an intriguing idea. 

Also, collecting enough valid signatures is still a big undertaking. Not just any nut job can get an amendment on the ballot. Plenty of attempts fall short. There's a reason we don't have 12 amendments to vote on every year.

1 minute ago, Ethan said:

It seems to me that the more elegant solution to this problem may be to have a minimum voter turnout threshold. This isn't unusual in a democracy, lots of countries have some variation on this. The trouble is where to set the threshold. Maybe if less than 30% of the population votes the results aren't valid (or 40%, 50%, etc). Not sure that's needed, but it's an intriguing idea. 

My proposal is to reduce the frequency of elections by introducing Ranked Choice Voting in general elections, thereby reducing the need for Primaries. I’d have RCV in the general election for EVERY position except President (and only because that race would requires changing the nationwide process for electing Presidents, which I support, but view as a separate effort.) RCV and an independent redistricting commission, both of which are possible by changing Ohio state law, would be hugely beneficial in creating a better democracy here. One side benefit is that reducing election frequency would likely increase participation - not necessarily because more people would vote, but rather because there would be fewer of the low-participation elections to bury a specific issue vote in. 

2 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

My proposal is to reduce the frequency of elections by introducing Ranked Choice Voting in general elections, thereby reducing the need for Primaries. I’d have RCV in the general election for EVERY position except President (and only because that race would requires changing the nationwide process for electing Presidents, which I support, but view as a separate effort.) RCV and an independent redistricting commission, both of which are possible by changing Ohio state law, would be hugely beneficial in creating a better democracy here. One side benefit is that reducing election frequency would likely increase participation - not necessarily because more people would vote, but rather because there would be fewer of the low-participation elections to bury a specific issue vote in. 

I'd certainly prefer RCV (I assume you're referring specifically to instant runoff voting) to the current system, but from what I've seen it hasn't eliminated the primary from any state that has implemented it. Instead they move to top 4 or 5 top vote getters in a jungle primary advance.

 

That said, compared to other voting alternatives IRV isn't great. My preferred method is STAR voting (score then automatic runoff). Here's a cool video simulating the errors in different voting methods.

 

 

That said, I don't think any of this addresses the concerns with direct democracy initiatives. 

22 minutes ago, Ethan said:

It seems to me that the more elegant solution to this problem may be to have a minimum voter turnout threshold. This isn't unusual in a democracy, lots of countries have some variation on this. The trouble is where to set the threshold. Maybe if less than 30% of the population votes the results aren't valid (or 40%, 50%, etc). Not sure that's needed, but it's an intriguing idea. 

 

This is interesting. To go back to something you said earlier though, I think whatever change is made should apply to both legislative and civilian initiatives. And when changes like this are proposed, to be adopted they should be required to meet the proposed thresholds.

39 minutes ago, Ethan said:

I'd certainly prefer RCV (I assume you're referring specifically to instant runoff voting) to the current system, but from what I've seen it hasn't eliminated the primary from any state that has implemented it. Instead they move to top 4 or 5 top vote getters in a jungle primary advance.

 

That said, compared to other voting alternatives IRV isn't great. My preferred method is STAR voting (score then automatic runoff). Here's a cool video simulating the errors in different voting methods.

 

 

That said, I don't think any of this addresses the concerns with direct democracy initiatives. 

Alaska is instant runoff, and that has resulted in Alaska having a MUCH better Representative (Peltola) than they otherwise would have. NY is RCV in primary. NY screwed up. If RCV doesn’t eliminate the party primary it was implemented incorrectly, period. 
 

Regarding how it relates to direct democracy initiatives- I was pointing out that properly implemented RCV can reduce the number of poor-turnout elections, thus improving turnout. 

44 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

Alaska is instant runoff, and that has resulted in Alaska having a MUCH better Representative (Peltola) than they otherwise would have. NY is RCV in primary. NY screwed up. If RCV doesn’t eliminate the party primary it was implemented incorrectly, period. 
 

Regarding how it relates to direct democracy initiatives- I was pointing out that properly implemented RCV can reduce the number of poor-turnout elections, thus improving turnout. 

I totally agree that RCV is MUCH better than the current system, it just also has smaller versions of the same flaws. I'm not opposed to eliminating primaries, but you need a way to narrow down the list of candidates. RCV just isn't robust enough to accurately select anything close to a Condorcet winner (the winner would beat every other candidate in a theoretical 1v1 matchup) from a list of 20-30 candidates. A score or approval voting method could handle this a bit better, but there's still an information overload problem, some primary or first round process narrows the candidate selection process down to a manageable level.

 

I think the main solution to the primary problem is jungle primaries, where everyone competes regardless of party, the top 4 to 6 candidates advance (I think approval voting might be best for selecting these candidates, but any method is likely acceptable), and the general election uses some form of voting more robust than plurality voting. I'd prefer STAR, but RCV has a lot more momentum, so I support it for that reason. 

5 hours ago, Ethan said:

I'm sympathetic to that argument, but the proposed law creates a different standard for initiatives proposed by the legislature, and those from citizen initiatives. I don't like that, and it makes it seem like a power grab, not a principled stance.  

 

I'm sympathetic to that point, it should be tougher for both.   The strength of the US Constitution in large part comes from the fact that it can be amended but it is very difficult to do so.

1 hour ago, E Rocc said:

 

I'm sympathetic to that point, it should be tougher for both.   The strength of the US Constitution in large part comes from the fact that it can be amended but it is very difficult to do so.

I still remember the blank look when I asked the librarian to show me the book of the Ohio Constitution.  🤦‍♂️

 

I may has well have asked for the book of the entire federal code.  The Ohio Constitution has been amended so many times that it's more similar to the federal code than the U.S. Constitution, and just as accessible to the average man on the street. 

23 New Ohio Laws Going Into Effect

• SB 16: Increased penalties for assault or menacing when the victim is a first responder. The measure also gave local governments explicit authorities when dealing with a riot or mob and prohibited any limitations on firearm rights due to a state of emergency.
• SB 33: Changed Community Reinvestment Area policy to allow greater deduction to 529 education savings plans.
• SB 63: Allowed county probation offices to accept credit card payments. A House amendment added on a new liquor permit for auto-sports facilities.
• SB 131: Required the issuance of certain occupational licenses if a person has experience in that field in a different state. It also specifies individuals can’t register as a credit services organization or a fireworks manufacturer.
• SB 164: Altered animal cruelty laws and prohibited shelters from using gas chambers to put down pets. It also gives Cuyahoga County the greenlight to convert its tobacco tax to a wholesale tax and institute a new wholesale tax on vapor products.
• SB 202: Prohibited restricting parental rights due to the parent’s disability. House amendments gave lawyers credit toward judicial eligibility for out of state practice time and created a bail study task force.
• SB 288: Instituted new texting while driving provisions including making it a primary offense. Also made numerous changes to the criminal code.
• SB 302: Made changes to the state unemployment compensation system.
• HB 23: Required EMS and police officers undergo dementia-related training and raised the maximum age for new highway patrol troopers.
• HB 35: Permitted Ohio mayors to solemnize marriages.
• HB 66: Made numerous tweaks to local taxing authority and reporting as well as $30 million for minor league sports teams.
• HB 107: Revised Ohio’s elevator laws.
• HB 150: Established a rural practice incentive program to pay student loans for attorneys working in public offices or underserved communities.
• HB 178: Known as Makenna’s Law, this measure placed limits on water pressure at pools and other water parks.
• HB 254: Established domestic violence fatality review boards.
• HB 279: Shortened timeline for filing certain wrongful death claims.
• HB 353: Known as Ohio’s “Testing Your Faith Act,” this bill directed higher ed institutions to develop accommodations for students who need to be absent for religious reasons.
• HB 364: Changed application process for sewer and water infrastructure surcharges.
• HB 392: Authorized transport of police dogs injured in the line of duty. An amendment made provisions for riding in a fifth wheel trailer and mounting safety devices on a windshield.
• HB 405: Clarified rules of county hospital boards, gave coroners access to a law enforcement database and allowed treasurers to send bills electronically.
• HB 423: Designated the American Soap Box Derby Ohio’s official gravity racing program.
• HB 462: Prohibited “swatting.”
• HB 487: Altered bidding process for Ohio ballot printing contracts to allow out of state vendors/printers to participate.

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/23-new-ohio-laws-going-into-effect-ocj1/

 

The. Worst. Timeline.

New Law Declares Natural Gas as “Green Energy”, Allowing for More Drilling

 

Late Friday night, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine cleared his desk — signing into law two controversial bills. One makes changes in the way Ohioans will vote going forward. Most notably, it requires voters casting a ballot in-person to present a photo ID. The other law orders state agencies to award drilling licenses for state-owned lands and designates natural gas as “green energy.”

 

Voting

 

DeWine justified his decision by claiming “elections integrity is a significant concern to Americans on both sides of the aisle across the country.” He immediately went on to describe how good a job Ohio does administering elections. DeWine also took credit for provisions expanding access to IDs and nixing new ID requirements for absentee voters.

...

Drilling

 

A lot of unexpected things happen when lame-duck deadlines loom at the Ohio Statehouse. One of the most notable from December was the chicken bill that directs state agencies to allow natural gas drilling on their land.

 

The measure began as a way to reduce the minimum lot size for live poultry purchases from six chicks to three. A late amendment added language about drilling and designating natural gas as “green energy,” among other changes.

 

DeWine signed that bill Friday as well.

 

“As my administration has analyzed this bill,” DeWine argued in his signing statement, “I believe the amendments in House Bill 507 do not fundamentally change the criteria and processes established by the Ohio General Assembly in 2011 that first established the policy of leasing mineral rights under state parks and lands.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/new-law-declares-natural-gas-as-green-energy-allowing-for-more-drilling-ocj1/

 

Nearly $6 Billion in Funding to be Allocated in Ohio from American Rescue Plan Act

 

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a measure passed late in the previous session which appropriates nearly $6 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The governor declined to issue any line-item vetoes despite calls to do so, particularly from affordable housing advocates.

 

Friday morning DeWine acknowledged “no legislation is perfect,” but argued House Bill 45 delivered on his priorities like mental health funding. He described his decision to accept the housing provisions as part of the typical back and forth legislative process.

 

“Everybody has different priorities,” DeWine said. “That provision in regard to housing was not a priority of mine, but it was, obviously, of some members of the General Assembly.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/nearly-6-billion-in-funding-to-be-allocated-in-ohio-from-american-rescue-plan-act-ocj1/

 

This will be interesting to see play out.  I feel like most of Cincinnati's development projects in Downtown and OTR use both Historic and LIHTC.  If something isn't done to create a state program, we'll probably stop seeing the 80% median income units, that are almost always a part of these projects nowadays.

 

I'll be happy to see the Historic Tax credits get a boost though.

4 hours ago, 10albersa said:

This will be interesting to see play out.  I feel like most of Cincinnati's development projects in Downtown and OTR use both Historic and LIHTC.  If something isn't done to create a state program, we'll probably stop seeing the 80% median income units, that are almost always a part of these projects nowadays.

 

I'll be happy to see the Historic Tax credits get a boost though.

LIHTC is only for units affordable at 60% or lower. 80% units are usually a concession by the developer in order to get tax abatements on the backend of a development.

FDA Expansion of Abortion Pill Access Blocked in Ohio

 

Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration changed requirements for pills used to induce an abortion, state law would keep Ohioans from benefitting from the change.

 

Last week, the FDA announced that it would not enforce a rule that pregnant people need to pick up mifepristone in person and allows retail pharmacies to dispense the pills, something national chains have said they are willing to do.

 

“With this change at the FDA, the harms caused by these (abortion) bans and restrictions are once again highlighted,” said Jaime Miracle, deputy director of Pro-Choice Ohio. “Every Ohioan who needs abortion access should be able to get it without judgment or delay in their community, and we will continue to fight each day to make that a reality.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/fda-expansion-of-abortion-pill-access-blocked-in-ohio-ocj1/

$175 Million Allocated to Mental Health Programs in Ohio

 

After making mental health a priority since taking office in early 2019, Gov. Mike DeWine has signed $175 million in mental health expenditures into law. 

 

The expenditures are divided into two tranches, according to documents provided by the Office of Budget and Management. 

 

“This additional $175 million investment in mental health infrastructure expansion and workforce development is significant and garnered widespread legislative support,” OBM spokesman Pete LuPiba said in an email.  “We look forward to continuing to work with the General Assembly on this crucial priority in the upcoming budget.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/175-million-allocated-to-mental-health-programs-in-ohio-ocj1/

Pro-Choice Advocates Pushing for Ohio Ballot Initiative

 

A coalition of reproductive rights groups, along with the ACLU of Ohio say they plan to have a pro-abortion ballot initiative on the Ohio Attorney General’s desk by February.

 

Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom announced the plan to do this with the help of a recently hired “general consultant” with experience boosting ballot initiatives on the topic in two other states.

 

The coalition – made up of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, Abortion Fund of Ohio, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, the Ohio Women’s Alliance, Preterm-Cleveland, Pro-Choice Ohio and Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity (URGE), along with the ACLU of Ohio – said the amendment would “explicitly protect reproductive freedom for all Ohioans.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/pro-choice-advocates-pushing-for-ohio-ballot-initiative-ocj1/

 

Ohioans With Fertility Issues Concerned about New Abortion Laws

 

With a new General Assembly comes new legislative measures, and for those watching the battle over reproductive rights, that raises concerns.

 

Lancaster resident Melissa Hintz and her husband have strongly considered moving on from the state over fears that abortion bans or regulations could impact her family.

 

Moving on could mean finding a way to transfer embryos she and her husband have as part of their in-vitro fertilization journey to another state if regulations in Ohio start to affect them.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/ohioans-with-fertility-issues-concerned-about-new-abortion-laws-ocj1/

 

Gas Bills Could Rise in Ohio After Service Hikes Get Approval

 

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio agreed to a measure last week that could increase fixed monthly charges to 1.4 million Ohio natural gas customers by more than 50% over the next five years.

 

Regulators approved a compromise that was agreed to by Columbia Gas and the Office of the Ohio Consumer’s Counsel, the state’s ratepayer-funded consumer representative. 

 

It means that after five years, gas customers might be paying as much as $58 a month simply to have gas service. The charge doesn’t include the cost of gas itself, the price of which also has increased sharply in recent years.

 

Columbia has said it needs the increase to improve its distribution infrastructure because it hasn’t filed for such a “base rate” increase in nearly 15 years.

 

The Consumer’s Counsel, the state’s official watchdog, said it signed off on the increase in part because it’s substantially less than the $80 a month in fixed costs Columbia originally requested.

 

“Under Ohio regulation as it currently exists, we negotiated with others to achieve the best obtainable result for consumers’ natural gas bills,” spokeswoman Merrilee Embs said in December. 

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/gas-bills-could-rise-in-ohio-after-service-hikes-get-approval-ocj1/

 

$58 a month to merely exist.

40 minutes ago, ColDayMan said:

The Consumer’s Counsel, the state’s official watchdog, said it signed off on the increase in part because it’s substantially less than the $80 a month in fixed costs Columbia originally requested.

 

Well I guess they did a great job then. 

45 minutes ago, ColDayMan said:

Gas Bills Could Rise in Ohio After Service Hikes Get Approval

 

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio agreed to a measure last week that could increase fixed monthly charges to 1.4 million Ohio natural gas customers by more than 50% over the next five years.

 

Regulators approved a compromise that was agreed to by Columbia Gas and the Office of the Ohio Consumer’s Counsel, the state’s ratepayer-funded consumer representative. 

 

It means that after five years, gas customers might be paying as much as $58 a month simply to have gas service. The charge doesn’t include the cost of gas itself, the price of which also has increased sharply in recent years.

 

Columbia has said it needs the increase to improve its distribution infrastructure because it hasn’t filed for such a “base rate” increase in nearly 15 years.

 

The Consumer’s Counsel, the state’s official watchdog, said it signed off on the increase in part because it’s substantially less than the $80 a month in fixed costs Columbia originally requested.

 

“Under Ohio regulation as it currently exists, we negotiated with others to achieve the best obtainable result for consumers’ natural gas bills,” spokeswoman Merrilee Embs said in December. 

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/gas-bills-could-rise-in-ohio-after-service-hikes-get-approval-ocj1/

 

The IRA has pretty substantial subsidies for heat pumps and (I think) electric water heaters. Gas company is helpfully giving us more incentives to move away from gas. I need to replace both AC and water tank in the next few years - I’m hoping it’s our opportunity to fully electrify. (Heat pump does both heating and AC.) Eventually intending to put solar on the roof. 

^ Gas is still rather affordable even after price hikes. Still better than electric. I would be cautious about going to electric given that there is a higher likelihood to have electric supply shocks than there is with natural gas. After all, Ohio is pretty much in one of the largest gas fields discovered, natural gas will remain plentiful and affordable for a long time to come around here. 

33 minutes ago, Brutus_buckeye said:

^ Gas is still rather affordable even after price hikes. Still better than electric. I would be cautious about going to electric given that there is a higher likelihood to have electric supply shocks than there is with natural gas. After all, Ohio is pretty much in one of the largest gas fields discovered, natural gas will remain plentiful and affordable for a long time to come around here. 

 

Natural gas prices historically are way more volatile than electricity prices. It's likely safer to make the switch to electricity than to stick with gas, but really only if you completely electrify. Keeping your gas stove and getting rid of everything else is going to cost you a lot in these monthly service fees. I'm probably electrifying my home this year. Complete redo of AC and furnace to a heat pump, and then electric water heater and induction stove and cutting off the gas line to the house.

 

In the short-medium term more and more of our electricity is being generated off-site by natural gas than coal, so the prices are likely to fluctuate more evenly in the future until more renewables replace the natural gas power plants.

2 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

The IRA has pretty substantial subsidies for heat pumps and (I think) electric water heaters. Gas company is helpfully giving us more incentives to move away from gas. I need to replace both AC and water tank in the next few years - I’m hoping it’s our opportunity to fully electrify. (Heat pump does both heating and AC.) Eventually intending to put solar on the roof. 

I'm in the exact same boat. I'm going to get everything priced out with IRA subsidies and see if we can afford to move off of gas.  I wanted to do this before the Russia-Ukraine war/COVID shocks/Gas Stove nonsense BTW.

Ohio AG Yost Warns CVS & Walgreens on Sales of Abortion Pills

 

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has signed on with more than a dozen other state attorneys general warning two pharmacies against selling abortion medication.

 

The letter came after CVS and Walgreens announced they planned to sell abortion pills in states where it’s legal to mail the medication.

 

The measure was led by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who wrote that he and his fellow Republican attorneys general, including Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, wanted to offer “thoughts on the current legal landscape.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/ohio-ag-yost-warns-cvs-walgreens-on-sales-of-abortion-pills-ocj1/