Latest news with #IssueTwo
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Issue Two fuels work for Valley projects
(WKBN) – Across the state, voters will decide if a ballot referendum will be re-authorized. It's known as State Issue Two and has been on the books since 1987. If you happen to drive through a local paving, water or sewer line project in the area, chances are that at least some of the money to pay for it came from Issue Two. 'My opinion is this is probably one of the most successful programs that the state of Ohio has ever put out,' said Mahoning County Engineer Pat Ginnetti. Issue Two was originally established for road, bridge and infrastructure projects. It has been reauthorized three times and appears again on the May primary ballot. If approved, it would provide $250 million each year for the next 10 years. 'For small communities, it might be the only dollars that they can get to pave a road,' said Hubbard Mayor Ben Kyle. Money from Issue Two is overseen by the Ohio Public Works Commission, which divides the state into 19 districts based on population. Mahoning and Trumbull counties make up District 6. Governments within those districts have their project ideas judged using specific criteria. 'It provides fairness. It takes politics out of the equation and it forces us to come up with good projects,' Ginnetti said. This fiscal year alone, roughly $10.5 million is being used in District 6 to help pay for more than $47 million in construction projects. 'We are able to take these dollars, leverage them to then be able to make our local share for large paving projects and infrastructure improvements, just a little bit less. So, we're able to do more,' Kyle said. In the last year, Hubbard installed new water lines and then repaved both Rebecca and Caroline avenues using Issue Two money. In Mahoning County, Issue Two funds helped replace a pair of bridges in Poland Township, as well as a new wastewater pumping station in Springfield and the widening of Western Reserve Road. 'If we didn't have this, our program's going to shrink drastically,: Ginnetti said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio House Republicans introduce their own proposal to rewrite state's recreational marijuana law
Stock photo of a marijuana dispensary from Getty Images. A week after Ohio Senate Republicans passed a bill that would overhaul the state's marijuana law, Ohio House Republicans introduced their own proposal. Their version would keep home grow and tax levels the same, but reduce THC levels and redirect most of the tax revenue. State Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, introduced Ohio House Bill 160 during a press conference Thursday. Similar to the Senate's bill, the House's bill would reduce the THC levels in marijuana extracts from a maximum of 90% down to a maximum of 70% and caps the number of marijuana dispensaries to 350. The bill, however, would keep the 10% tax on marijuana and keep Ohio's home grow at 12 plants. 'Our bill preserves the core of Issue Two, while also adding important protections for Ohio's minors and addressing the issue of intoxicating hemp,' Stewart said, noting his goal is to pass a marijuana bill before the lawmakers go on summer break. Ohioans passed a citizen-initiated law to legalize recreational marijuana in 2023 with 57% of the vote, and sales started in August 2024. Ohio lawmakers can change the law since it passed as a citizen initiative. The state's total recreational marijuana sales were $361,994,872 as of Saturday, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Cannabis Control. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Every product that is legal today will remain legal under this bill,' Stewart said. 'I think we are making very, very few changes here. … We're not touching any of the core parts of Issue Two.' The bill deals directly with intoxicating hemp by requiring every THC product to be treated like marijuana and only be sold at the state's regulated marijuana dispensaries. 'Simply put, if it gets you high, it goes through a dispensary,' Stewart said. 'I don't think Ohioans are excited about the fact that you get essentially the same thing that's less safe from a local gas station. I don't want my kids to go walk into your local gas station chain and buy marijuana.' The bill would change how the marijuana tax revenue is directed, sending a 'bulk of tax revenue to Ohio's general fund,' Stewart said, mentioning he worked closely with House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, on drafting the bill. Even though legal weed sales started last year, Ohioans could start legally growing marijuana at home shortly after Issue Two passed in 2023. 'I think the longer you wait, the harder it is to make substitute changes,' Stewart said. 'I think in the real world, folks who are growing 12 plants today are not likely to grow less than 12 plants just because we passed a law at the Statehouse.' H.B. 160 prohibits using marijuana in public spaces, but allows for smoking inside a privately owned property, including outside on a residential front porch. 'It's legal to use these products at your home,' Stewart said. The bill would also offer expungement for prior convictions for marijuana related offenses. 'As the views of Ohioans have shifted on the issue of marijuana, our laws should reflect that, and allowing people to remove these offenses from their criminal record is good policy,' Stewart said. Even though the Senate recently passed their own bill, Stewart doesn't think his bill will create a possible standstill where nothing gets passed. 'I'm going to leave it to the two gentlemen that hold the gavel as to which bill is moving, but it's one or the other,' Stewart said. The Ohio Cannabis Coalition (OHCANN) is still digesting this latest piece of legislation, but Deputy Executive Director Adrienne Robbins seemed optimistic about H.B 160. 'We do think this is a really positive step forward,' she said. 'When you look at the Senate bill and the different iterations of it that came out, I think this is another step forward, and it does make us feel like lawmakers are one, listening to us, but then, maybe more importantly, listening to consumers' concerns as well.' Senate Bill 56 would significantly change Ohio's weed laws. The bill would limit Ohio's home grow from 12 plants down to six, reduce the THC levels from a maximum of 90% to a maximum of 70%, and mandates that marijuana can only be used in a private residence. S.B. 56 allows someone to apply to the sentencing court to have their record expunged if they were convicted or plead guilty to possessing 2.5 ounces of marijuana before the state law went into effect. Under the bill, the applicant must pay a $50 filing fee. The bill would combine the state's medical and recreational marijuana programs under the Division of Cannabis Control, require marijuana be transported in the trunk of a car when traveling, and would limit the number of active dispensaries to 350. It would also ban Ohioans from using marijuana that is not either from a licensed Ohio dispensary or cultivated at a consumer's home. This would make it illegal for Ohioans to drive up to Michigan to purchase marijuana and bring it back over state lines. The bill originally dealt with taxes and how funds were distributed, but those provisions were removed during committee. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's proposed budget, which is currently being heard in the Ohio House, increases the tax on marijuana from 10% to 20%. The budget is due July 1. This is not the first time both chambers have tried to pass their own legislation in attempts to change the state's marijuana law. Shortly after Ohioans voted to legalize marijuana, the Ohio Senate quickly passed a bill that would have made major changes to the law that would have affected taxes and home grow, but the Ohio House never brought the bill to the floor. Instead, state Rep. Jamie Callender, R-Concord, introduced a bill that would have clarified some of Issue 2's language, but it never made it out of committee. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Ohio lawmakers are trying to change marijuana rules
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio lawmakers are working to rewrite the recreational marijuana law voters approved two years ago with a bill that proposes at least 44 major changes. Senate Bill 56, sponsored by state Sen. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), closely mirrors an effort that failed to pass last year. 'This is just another slap in the face,' state Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) said. Dublin City Schools cancels plan to buy Cardinal Health building for $37 million 'The voters passed Issue Two and that is clear, but I do believe it is incumbent upon us as a General Assembly to make sure that we put some common-sense guidelines and guardrails in place,' state Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson), chairperson of the General Government Committee, said. Her committee is where the bill is being heard. Among provisions in the proposed bill is decreasing the legal maximum THC level for marijuana extracts from 90% to 70%. 'It's like concentrated orange juice,' Huffman said. 'You don't drink concentrated orange juice; you're going to dilute it down so that it's a reasonable amount.' The bill not only makes direct changes to marijuana content, but it also changes many things around it, like tax laws. Right now, the excise tax on recreational marijuana is 10%, this bill would increase it to 15%. Current law divides the collected money this way: 36% to the Cannabis Social Equity and Jobs Fund: Used for social equity and job initiatives. 36% to the Host Community Cannabis Fund: Benefits municipal corporations or townships with adult use dispensaries. 25% to the Substance Abuse and Addiction Fund: Supports substance abuse and addiction services. 3% to the Division of Cannabis Control and Tax Commissioner Fund: Supports the operations of the Division of Cannabis Control and covers the tax administration costs. Under SB 56, all the tax revenue would go to the state government, giving lawmakers control of how it is spent. Nine-year-old Powell girl battles rare cancer, inspires others 'We should spend the money now and be fluid in the future on where the money is going to end up going,' Huffman said when asked if it would be spent in the state operating budget. 'There's no way that I'm going to let all this money go to general funds when voters clearly didn't want that,' DeMora said. Not only does the bill defund the Social Equity and Jobs Program – it abolishes it. Huffman said he is open to some discussion. 'With social equity, what's the best way to achieve that,' he said. The bill also prohibits any person from owning more than eight dispensaries, prohibits the possession of marijuana other than homegrown or from an Ohio dispensary, does not allow anyone to receive unemployment benefits if they are fired for using marijuana, and bans any public smoking. Hundreds of foxes, wolf-dog hybrids, other animals rescued from NE Ohio 'fur farm' 'It is focused on the combustibles for because you can smell it and people find that offensive,' Huffman said. 'If you could smoke a cigarette walking down the street, you should be able to smoke marijuana walking down the street as far as I'm concerned,' DeMora said. The legislation also removes protections from 'adverse actions' against marijuana users. SB 56 would limit the number of dispensaries allowed in Ohio to 350. Right now, there are 128 certificates of operation. 'Supply and demand will increase the number going forward,' Huffman said. 'And I don't think 350 is set in stone and that we can change that going forward.' Overall, opposition to the bill says it goes too far and ignores the will of the voters; backers of the bill said they want to add common-sense guidelines to existing law and keep Ohio from going down a bad path. Pickerington teachers speak out about voyeurism incident 'I've seen, I saw Denver before marijuana was legalized and I've seen what's happened to it slowly over time after the legalization,' Roegner said. 'And it really is sad. I mean, Denver used to be such a beautiful city.' 'I'm going to try to be nice when one of my colleagues makes a statement like that, that I think is, that is not correct,' DeMora said. 'Making marijuana legal had nothing to do with people becoming homeless. I mean, that's ludicrous and I don't understand why someone would say that.' Even though the bill is so extensive, DeMora said it is missing a key piece, which he said brought Democrats on board last General Assembly: expungement. 'There ought to be a mechanism to have these people's records expunged and not to have to go through hoops,' DeMora said. 'They're trying to make it tougher to have people that have this on their record get it expunged. It should be automatic. It should be state paying for it.' Huffman said he is open to an expungement addition but did not specify what he wants it to look like. 'Does everybody get an automatic expungement? Do they have to have an active role? Are they just petitioning the court to be able to do that,' Huffman said. After classroom brawl, Hilliard councilman pushes for safety increase The bill also cuts the number of plants that can be grown in one house from 12 to six. The bill had both sponsor and proponent hearings on Wednesday, so now it awaits opponent hearing. The legislation does not have any provision concerning Delta-8 and other hemp products but Huffman said he will be introducing that soon, saying he plans to introduce a bill requiring those products only be sold to Ohioans 21 years of age and older and only through dispensaries. DeMora said he is agreeable to that measure. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
