Latest news with #NickieAntonio
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Report questions Browns stadium funding plan: I-Team
***Watch previous coverage above*** CLEVELAND (WJW) – A report prepared by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, at the request of a state senator, states some of the Haslam Sports Group's economic projections for a new enclosed stadium 'may be overly optimistic.' The LSC report was released Monday by Senate Democratic Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood.) LSC is a nonpartisan agency that provides the legislature with research and fiscal analysis. 'The proposed funding plan for the new Browns stadium raises serious legal and financial concerns,' Antonio stated in a press release. 'The Haslams' projections are overly optimistic at best, and even their own consultants admit the analysis isn't intended to justify financing. Let's be clear: most of the so-called 'new jobs' are simply moving jobs away from Cleveland –- stadiums like this do not deliver the economic windfalls they promise. We should not move forward until we know the courts, the numbers and the public are on board.' Cleveland fan ejected for heckling Red Sox star Jarren Duran, who revealed suicide attempt Earlier this month, the House approved a proposed budget that would provide $600 million in bonds to the Haslam Sports Group. Profits from the project would be used to pay back the bond debt, HSG officials have stated. State Senators are now working on the budget. 'The bonds as described in House-passed version of H.B. 96 would be general obligation bonds (i.e., bonds back by the full faith and credit of the State). Rather, they are special obligation, or 'revenue obligation' bonds,' the report from LSC states. 'Whether this means they are constitutional is an open question, and ultimately only a judge could make that determination. ' The report further noted that staff was not able to verify HSG's 'economic claims because the source material and methodology were not documented in full detail.' 'Nevertheless, the HSG projections implied an outcome that would outperform other similar developments previously studied in peer-reviewed academic literature,' the report added. The I-Team reached out to the Browns to discuss the report but have not yet heard back. The report also questions the economic projections from HSG and the amount of new visitors that would go to the Brook Park location. HSG estimates 1.5 million new visitors. LSC calls that number 'overly optimistic.' The report added that the new stadium would result in a $10 to $11 million annual loss in tax revenue to the city of Cleveland. Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne spoke to the I-Team on Friday and said he believes the enclosed stadium project will not be successful. He said he will not support it, even though it is planned to be built in Cuyahoga County. International visas reinstated for 7 KSU graduates He believes the Browns should continue to play games in downtown Cleveland. He said moving the team to Brook Park will hurt downtown businesses. 'We don't see necessarily this deal is going to pan out,' Ronayne said. 'So if you claim it is the next big investment, we don't buy it. We want them to come home.' Browns owner Jimmy Haslam spoke exclusively to the I-Team. He and a top executive revealed they are no longer talking about plans to renovate the existing stadium on the lakefront. Instead, team officials are focusing completely on building a dome in Brook Park with development around it. The Browns are promising to invest more than $1 billion and are asking the state and county for $600 million each in bond money to be paid back with profits from the project. State officials are still discussing the funding proposal and are expected to have a decision by the end of June. HSG filed a federal lawsuit in October challenging the city of Cleveland's attempt to use the Modell Law to keep the team from moving. The city also filed a lawsuit against HSG in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court asking a judge to enforce the Modell Law. Both cases are still pending. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Some Statehouse leaders call universal meal program at schools wasteful
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio lawmakers are deciding how to spend billions of taxpayer dollars for the two-year state operating budget. Among those decisions, is whether free school breakfasts and lunches should be served to all students. 'We've seen time and time again why that makes for better outcomes for kids [by] just making sure that they have those meals at school,' Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) said. 'Providing it universally, there's no stigma attached to who gets a meal, who doesn't. It's just all the kids are the same in that classroom.' 'There are real questions folks have when these school lunch proposals are talking about paying for the richest 1%; [they] would still qualify for a free lunch,' Ohio House Finance Chair Representative Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) said. 'I don't think that sits real well with some folks like myself.' Right now, the state operating budget, as proposed by Governor Mike DeWine, requires schools to participate in a federal school meal program to secure the maximum federal money available, but it does not universally fund these programs. Advocates said the state should do its part and step in. When Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) was asked if he is supportive of the program, he said 'the answer to that is 'no.'' 'Many parents don't want to have their children eating the breakfast that's at school, that's one,' he said. 'Two, many parents can afford to pay for their breakfast.' Huffman added not only that, but there is 'a ton of waste in this program,' as it is required that all the food be given out. 'If we're going to say buy it all for everybody whether they want it or not, need it or not, are going to use it or not, that's when you end up having a lot of waste,' he said. Ohio State under federal investigation, accused of 'race-exclusionary practices' Universal free lunch and breakfast across the state is estimated to cost Ohio $300 million a year. Breakfast alone would be $50 million. And Republican leaders are not too keen on that price tag. 'They're really expensive asks,' Stewart said. 'So, if we cut 10 other things and made deep cuts elsewhere, you can afford to do a lot.' 'We should be able to afford it. These are our children; these are our future. I can't think of a whole lot of things that are more important than making sure out children succeed,' Antonio said. But high school students, like Corbin Eaton, a junior at Antwerp High School in Northwest Ohio said the argument to fully fund school breakfast and lunch is simple. 'No student should have to think about when or where their next meal should be,' Eaton said. Eaton said at the end of last school year, he and his siblings stopped qualifying for free meals because his mom went back to work. But then, unexpected barriers arose when his mom was hospitalized. 'In the fall of last year, she started having serious health issues that required three surgeries in less than a week and she was in the hospital for close to a month,' he said. Eaton even with his mom back to work, money was tight, and her being hospitalized made things even tighter. 'I mean grocery shop here and there but not frequently like we should,' Eaton said. Eaton said if his family still qualified for free meals, it would have been a weight off his, his younger siblings and his parents' shoulders during the hard time. Instead, Eaton said at times he had to struggle through classes in the morning before he was able to get lunch in the afternoon. 'I still have that trouble,' he said. 'I'm just one to usually just eat lunch at school. That helps me perform academically better in the afternoon.' Eaton said even though he is graduating in a year, he hopes something gets done, even if it goes into effect once he is out of high school, it will help his younger siblings. The state budget, where this funding would end up if lawmakers decide to add it, is getting worked on right now. It will likely pass at the end of June. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio Statehouse bill to ban LGBTQ+ discrimination loses Republican support
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Previously bipartisan legislation to ban discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community is again being proposed at the Ohio Statehouse, but without Republican support. Named the 'Ohio Fairness Act,' the legislation has been reintroduced for the 12th time and would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, without creating new protected classes or infringing on religious liberty. Sen. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood), Ohio's first openly gay Statehouse lawmaker, has proposed the bill in every General Assembly since she was elected in 2010. Watch a previous NBC4 report on the Fairness Act in the video player above. Watch: Dave Yost on his 2026 run for Ohio governor While the act has never passed the Statehouse to be signed into law, the proposal has traditionally received bipartisan support. Every member of the Senate Democratic Caucus and two Republican senators co-sponsored the bill when it was reintroduced for the 11th time during the summer of 2023. The time before that, the act was sponsored by former Sen. Michael Rulli, who now holds a seat in the U.S. Congress, and was co-sponsored by Sen. Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls). Now, the Fairness Act is only co-sponsored by the Ohio Senate's eight other Democrats. Although Antonio hasn't spoken to her Republican colleagues on why they aren't supporting the bill this General Assembly, she said she's disappointed and hopes some join the proposal's co-sponsorship list later on. 'I would guess that every single member of the General Assembly knows someone, either a friend or a coworker, a family member, a neighbor, from the LGBT community,' Antonio said. 'I want to ask them, how do you face those people and not support them having equal rights? Because that's really what support for this bill means and if you're not supporting the bill, it means that you're not willing to take a stand for folks.' Ohio lawmakers want to allow parents to claim 'conceived children' on income taxes The legislator has long argued the act is needed given Ohio is one of more than two dozen states without nondiscrimination protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Last year, Out Leadership's state climate index labeled Ohio as under 'notable risk' for LGBTQ+ discrimination given an individual can be fired from their workplace, denied services and rejected or removed from housing based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Ohio Business Competes, a nonpartisan coalition of businesses, echoes Antonio and has advocated for nondiscrimination policies to attract the best talent. The coalition, which once was a group of more than 1,350 businesses but has since shrunk to about 90, includes Abbott Nutrition, American Electric Power and the American Heart Association. Those businesses that have supported the bill over the years, including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio Manufacturing Association, see this as an economic issue. To draw in the best and brightest workers to Ohio, the state needs to reassure prospective residents that they're welcome here no matter their family makeup, Antonio argued. The lawmaker said she is especially concerned those employee recruitment efforts are hindered following last year's approval of several Statehouse bills that opponents deem 'anti-LGBTQ+,' and given the Trump Administration's executive orders encouraging private companies to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Student-led TEDx event invites New Albany to learn from speakers 'I've had the occasion, in the past couple of weeks, having a conversation with a staffer who is looking for a state to go to rather continue to work in the state of Ohio; a very talented person who doesn't feel that the state is open and welcoming,' Antonio said. 'I also just participated in a goodbye dinner for a previous staffer who is going to Colorado because one of the things she knows about Colorado is she is much more welcome there than she is in the state of Ohio.' Lawmakers have failed to repeal Ohio's dormant same-sex marriage ban, ban anti-LGBTQ+ techniques known as 'conversion therapy' and remove antiquated HIV criminalization laws passed in the 1980s. Instead, the Statehouse has passed a bill to ban certain healthcare for transgender youth and education legislation that opponents say will result in the 'outing' of students, which caused an increased number of LGBTQ+ youth to call a crisis hotline. The Fairness Act has again been assigned to the Senate Government Oversight Committee, where it received just one hearing last General Assembly. Although the bill lacks Republican support, Antonio is hopeful that her proposal will at least get one hearing where she will get to testify before her colleagues. 'There's no closet big enough to put all the LGBTQ+ people back in, we're not going,' Antonio said. 'It's important to talk about the fact that this is the right thing to do. This is the pragmatic, business-friendly, economically advancement thing to do in this state.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio bill to put Ten Commandments in classrooms has ties to national Christian group
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A national Christian advocacy group that supports letting students leave school grounds for religious instruction now is pushing for allowing the Ten Commandments to be posted in classrooms across Ohio. An NBC4 analysis found several ties between Ohio politicians and the legislative priorities of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers. The NACL, identified by Project 2025 as one of its 114 advisory members, lists its mission as bringing Christian lawmakers together in support of biblical principles, which it does by discussing model legislation. In December, members saw presentations about the Ten Commandments and religious release time. Ohio lawmakers push to hold men accountable for role in conception Ohio lawmakers are considering Senate Bill 34, a bill that would require classrooms to post one of multiple historical documents, a list that includes the Ten Commandments. It had its first hearing on Tuesday. The Supreme Court first ruled decades ago that posting the Ten Commandments on public school or government property would violate the separation of church and state, and federal courts have consistently upheld this decision. 'This bill is part of a national effort by religious conservatives to tear down the wall separating church and state created by the Establishment Clause in the U.S. Constitution,' Ohio Senate Democratic Leader Nickie Antonio said. 'This is simply one of several historical documents referenced as options in the bill,' Ohio Senate Republicans spokesperson John Fortney said. 'It's important to remember that whether it is the Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, or the Ten Commandments, the founding fathers weren't against religion in government, they were against a government religion and none of these options establishes a government religion.' Confusion, worry with Trump's Department of Education plans In Ohio's bill, the list of historical documents also includes: The Mayflower Compact The Declaration of Independence The Northwest Ordinance The mottoes of the U.S. and the state of Ohio The Magna Carta The Bill of Rights The U.S. Constitution The Articles of Confederation The NACL sample bill was not published online, so NBC4 was unable to compare it directly with S.B. 34. The state NACL vice chair is a member of Ohio's General Assembly, Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery), and the state chair is Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague. Sprague recently announced he will not run for governor in 2026, seemingly in anticipation of a run by businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Sprague is now seeking the Secretary of State office, and he attended the December presentations. The historical documents bill comes after Ohio approved a law requiring public schools to enact release policies for religious instruction during the school day off school property. Those efforts are most visibly seen in central Ohio through LifeWise, which is headquartered in Hilliard and has launched programs in multiple districts. Ohio higher education bill fast-tracked at Statehouse At the December meeting, a LifeWise representative presented about the importance of release time for religious instruction and how states should ensure their laws about release time say districts 'shall' implement release policies, rather than districts 'may.' At the end of his presentation, he provided a sample bill for legislators to implement. At the time of the presentation, Ohio had 'may implement' language on the books. Within a week of the NACL presentation, Ohio passed its RTRI new law. Much of Ohio's law mirrors the draft legislation in LifeWise' presentation, with several lines repeated verbatim. See previous coverage of this legislation in the video player above. 'Like many nonprofits, we do engage in lobbying activities in accordance with the legally allowable time,' LifeWise founder and CEO Joel Penton said. 'Some members of our staff also provide education materials about legislation that is aligned with our mission.' In the first hearing for the historical documents bill, sponsor Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) said it was 'inexcusable' they did not receive enough attention in classrooms. He also said the legislation ensured no public funds were required to pay for the costs of hanging the documents. Johnson said although public funds could be used, it also allowed for donations to cover costs. What proposed tariffs could mean for Ohio Intel plant 'Simply put, this legislation intends to reintroduce disciplined historic principles — those same principles upon which our Founding Fathers drew inspiration and put to writing — back to the classroom,' Johnson said. Other senators voiced concerns about the cost and whether it was appropriate to include a religious document. Sen. Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati) asked why the Ten Commandments were present, to which Johnson said they were foundational to the nation. Johnson also said the bill was not about the Ten Commandments, just about central historical documents. Nik Nartowicz, lead policy council for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, disagreed with Johnson. He said there was not a clear educational purpose in posting the Ten Commandments and reiterated that lawmakers are not allowed to impose their religious beliefs on constituents. He also said the Ten Commandments are a sacred text for people of faith across multiple religions and argued putting up printouts of the text could be disrespectful. From sideline to Statehouse: Jim Tressel's journey to Ohio's lieutenant governor 'I think this is being pushed as a way to honor religion, but it trivializes a sacred text,' Nartowicz said. Further hearings for the bill are not yet scheduled. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers offer new approach to repealing death penalty
State Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland speaking alongside state Reps. Adam Mathews, R-Lebanon, and state Sens. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, Hearcel Craig, D-Columbus and Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City. (Photo by Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal.) Ohio lawmakers from both chambers and both sides of the aisle announced a measure Tuesday that would abolish the death penalty and prohibit any state funding from supporting abortion services or physician-assisted suicide. Ohio law already bars state funding from subsidizing abortion, and physician-assisted suicide isn't legal in Ohio. But the sponsors described their three-part approach as a statement of values bridging the gap between two very different political outlooks. The proposal's big tent approach to 'pro-life' mirrors the Catholic church's positioning on the idea, and representatives from the church were on hand to lend their support. Sponsors placed their greatest emphasis on ending the death penalty, but outside groups are criticizing lawmakers for connecting three different policy questions and warning the bill could undermine access to abortion care. State Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, described how she previously supported the death penalty when she served in the Ohio legislature 20 years ago. What changed her mind was a book written by former Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro. A few years ago, he co-wrote an op-ed with former Governor Bob Taft and former Attorney General Lee Fisher urging lawmakers to repeal the death penalty, explaining the punishment is expensive, ineffective, and unjust. Schmidt framed her current stance as a question of human dignity. 'Abortion, the death penalty, and assisted suicide all undermine the commitment to human dignity,' she argued. 'To be consistent with our pro-life principles, we must oppose all three. Schmidt argued that all three proposals support the affirmation of life. 'Our legislation will make sure that the state of Ohio does not fund death and preserves tax dollars for alternatives which promote life,' she argued. 'Our commitment to protecting human life must be unwavering; prohibiting state funding for abortion, assisted suicide, and the death penalty creates a consistent, life-affirming ethic that upholds the dignity of life.' Across the aisle, meanwhile, state Sen. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, focused on practical resources. 'Abolishing the death penalty is pragmatic,' she argued. 'According to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, abolishing the practice could save the state between $128 and $384 million. Can you imagine what kinds of proactive policies we could do with that?' Even as she insisted 'the time to abolish Ohio's death penalty is now — it has been for a long time,' she didn't point to a particular ideal, but rather shifting political winds. The new Trump administration wants to re-start capital punishment at the federal level and just last year lawmakers in Ohio proposed alternative methods to jumpstart executions. 'We stand here today, progressive Democrats and conservative Republican colleagues,' Antonio said. 'We may use different language to explain where we stand on the spectrum of our beliefs, but we agree that there is a moral imperative to end the use of the death penalty in the state of Ohio.' Schmidt and Antonio were joined by state Rep. Adam Mathews, R-Lebanon, and state Sens. Hearcel Craig, D-Columbus and Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City. They're still hammering out the final text of the legislation, although Mathews, in particular, noted they would draft it to ensure the proposal is not 'severable' — i.e. a court can't remove one aspect of the legislation after the fact and leave the other provisions in effect. Although the measure's sponsors indicated they've lined up several more lawmakers ready to sign on to their bill, they'll face an uphill climb. Antonio backed a death penalty repeal with Huffman last session, and Schmidt sponsored companion legislation in the House. Neither bill cleared its committee. Ohio House holds first hearing for new nitrogen gas death penalty method Meanwhile, state Reps. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, and Phil Plummer, R-Dayton, sponsored a bill last year allowing executions to go forward using a process known as nitrogen hypoxia. 'Well look, I mean, I fundamentally disagree with the premise,' Stewart said of the proposal eliminating the death penalty and blocking funding for abortion or physician-assisted suicide. 'I don't think there's support in the state,' he continued, 'or certainly in the Republican caucus, for eliminating the death penalty.' Stewart plans to reintroduce the nitrogen hypoxia bill, and like Antonio, he brought up the new presidential administration. 'This week, President Trump introduced an executive order that I think puts the federal government squarely in favor of the death penalty,' he argued, 'not only at the federal level, but it actually directs the entire federal apparatus to support states in obtaining lethal injection drugs and in preserving laws that enable capital punishment in all the states.' The proposal also got pushback from the Ohio chapters of the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood Executive Director Lauren Blauvelt called the measure 'anti-democratic' and argued it shows 'how low out of touch politicians will go to taint popular legislation with abortion stigma.' 'The sad reality is that what should have been a focused effort to end the death penalty in Ohio devolved into yet another anti-abortion spectacle,' Blauvelt said. 'We can end the death penalty without sacrificing the gains we made for reproductive freedom. While ending the death penalty in Ohio has been long overdue, conservative politicians have added unconstitutional abortion restrictions as a Trojan horse allowing our government to dictate our personal health care decisions.' In a joint statement, ACLU of Ohio Legal Director Freda Levenson and Policy Director Jocelyn Rosnick blasted the bill for 'manipulatively interweav(ing)' unrelated issues and expressed disappointment given what they see as progress building a coalition in opposition to the death penalty. 'Our organization has maintained an anti-death penalty stance since our founding,' they said, 'but this 'bait and switch' bill is a wolf in sheep's clothing, slyly designed to limit how public funds can be used for abortion care and coverage. Furthermore, supporting death with dignity is a longstanding ACLU principle.' The sponsors insisted that nothing in their bill would violate the reproductive rights amendment approved by voters in 2023, but the ACLU isn't so sure. In particular, they worry the blanket prohibition on state funding could wind up denying access to abortion medications. 'This proposed legislation violates the Ohio Constitution by deliberately undercutting the Reproductive Freedom Amendment,' they warned. 'Should this bill pass, litigation is not off the table.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
