Latest news with #R-Lima
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ohio House votes to give state's inmates free menstrual products
May 29—The Ohio House approved a bipartisan bill this week that would require all Ohio correctional facilities to provide menstrual products to inmates free-of-charge. House Bill 29, passed Wednesday by a vote of 91-to-0, now heads to the Ohio Senate for further consideration. If it makes its way into law, the bill should have no substantial impact on the prisons run by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, as it's already the ODRC's policy to offer free tampons and pads to inmates. The impact of H.B. 29 could come, however, at the county level. The state's nonpartisan Legislative Budget Office found that many county jails already provide these products for free. Those jails that don't can expect costs to increase based on how many female inmates they have, the lengths of their stay, and the costs of products provided. Dayton Democrat and first-term legislator Rep. Desiree Tims told this outlet that she voted for the bill "because it will ensure some form of dignity for women menstruating while incarcerated." An identical bill passed the Ohio House 92-0 in 2024 before stalling out in the Ohio Senate under the leadership of then-President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, who now leads the Ohio House. He said the bill's fate in his former chamber wasn't an indicative of a lack of support. "I don't think it will have any problem getting passed in the Senate," Huffman told reporters Wednesday. Current Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, however, said he doesn't have a personal opinion on the bill and said his caucus has not yet discussed the bill. When asked for her stance, Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, said feminine hygiene products were akin to toilet paper and asked posed a hypothetical about a Statehouse without T.P. "It would not be healthy, it would not be hygienic, and the same thing is true of feminine products. They should be provided absolutely everywhere without cost to the people who are using them." ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio Statehouse leaders appoint financial tech exec to teacher pension fund before influential vote
The entrance to the Ohio State Teachers Retirement System headquarters in Columbus. (Photo by Marty Schladen, Ohio Capital Journal.) Ohio Statehouse Republican leaders have appointed a financial tech executive to the retired teachers' pension fund ahead of the vote for a new executive director. Lynn Beal has been appointed to STRS Ohio by House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, and Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon. Beal is the vice president and head of implementation and customer success at Upstart, an AI platform that 'partners with banks and credit unions to provide consumer loans,' according to her LinkedIn profile. Having previously working at JP Morgan, she specializes in data science, analytics and insights. Askedwhy he chose Beal, McColley said she presents what he wants to see in a board member. 'When we look into an awful lot of what's happening with any board, really, not just the pension boards, it's important for us to understand what's going on because oftentimes we're the insurer of last resort,' McColley said. 'We've got to know what's going on with all of this stuff, to understand the decisions that the board is making, and frankly, as I pointed out before, it's not easy to find people who want to do this, and so we're thankful that people are willing to step up.' This position has remained vacant since Claudia Herrington finished her term in the winter. The decision comes at a time when lawmakers are going back and forth with STRS board members. In emails obtained by News 5, McColley, Huffman, Gov. Mike DeWine and Treasurer Robert Sprague asked the board not to move forward yet on a new director. 'We respectfully request that the Board hold on scheduling the vote for the new executive director until the June 11-13, 2025 meetings,' the leaders said in a joint letter on May 8. 'This will ensure that the legislative leaders can make their appointment and that individuals can have time to become acclimated before further leadership decisions are made.' This comes after a year of controversy in which elected educators are accused of participating in a $65 billion corruption scheme. The board chair denies all allegations, and some retired educators are accusing the Statehouse Republicans of trying to stop transparency. The board did not select an executive director during its last meeting, but it may make a decision in its upcoming meeting in June. The finalists are Steven Toole, former head of the North Carolina Retirement Systems and Greg Samoryski, the head of Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill would ban certain people from buying land in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A bill at the Ohio Statehouse has some worried about their livelihoods in Ohio, but others say it is a matter of national security. Xin Yuan has been in the states for 14 years and got her green card after 10 years of living here. She said she has lived in four states — but only Ohio has felt like home. Now, she said House Bill 1 puts it all at risk. 'Under this bill, I could lose my home,' Yuan said. 'While I'm here legally, I would be labeled as a foreign adversary. This is deeply dehumanizing.' The bill would ban anyone who is not a United States citizen, and from a country that is a foreign adversary, from buying land within 25 miles of 'protected property.' 'I think there's logic to it,' Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said. Under Ohio law, the list of land that would fall under 'protected property' is long. It includes any railroad property, a dam operating by the state or federal government, and trucking terminals. The bill also includes airports, military bases and farmland. 'There might be some countries that you might be a little worried having nationals from that country owning property in the United States, particularly real estate in the state of Ohio,' Gov. Mike DeWine said. 'So, we'll see.' The list of foreign adversaries to the United States is not set in stone. Right now, China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria are on the list. Under this proposal, Ohio's secretary of state would have to update the list every six months. 'That means people like my family who pay taxes and follow the law could be denied property rights overnight because of their background,' said Jay Qutiefan, who opposes the bill. But supporters of the bill said it comes down to one simple thing: national security. And the bill is popular among lawmakers. It currently has more than half of Ohio House members, Democrats and Republicans, signed onto it. And DeWine is supportive of the idea. 'I think a bill that would be strategically crafted might be good,' DeWine said. 'But it has to be written, I think, very carefully.' 'Let's be honest, this is discrimination dressed up as security,' Qutiefan said. 'Immigrants are not a threat to Ohio.' The bill has had three hearings so far, but no votes yet. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The big question in the Ohio Statehouse on the 2026 Election: Is Jim Tressel running for governor?
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel. (Photo by Morgan Trau, WEWS.) Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel continues to punt the question of whether he is running for governor as some Republican leaders start to make their endorsements. Other GOP politicians are holding back. The 2026 gubernatorial race is heating up. Right now, there are three candidates seeking the GOP nomination: entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Attorney General Dave Yost and businesswoman Heather Hill. Already, endorsements are coming out. Hill hasn't received any, from research into statewide or local groups and politicians. Yost has a coalition of about 30 county sheriffs and former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. Ramaswamy has received support from President Donald Trump, U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno, U.S. Congressman Warren Davidson of the Eighth District, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Treasurer Robert Sprague, a coalition of about 20 sheriffs, religious lobbyist Aaron Baer and dozens of state lawmakers like Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon. 'He has the vision, business expertise, and relentless drive to make Ohio the best state in America to live, work, and raise a family,' McColley said in a statement. But two of the most powerful Statehouse Republicans haven't spoken up yet, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who appointed Tressel as lieutenant governor after appointing previous Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to the U.S. Senate. 'Well, the last I looked, we're about 14 months away from the primary, let alone from the general election,' DeWine responded when asked about his endorsement and whether he is waiting for Tressel to get in the race. 'So it's a long, long way to go, and I'm sure there'll be other people who get in the race.' The governor hasn't issued his endorsement yet, with many GOP strategists like Bob Clegg believing that he possibly chose his lieutenant governor — former OSU coach Jim Tressel — as his future replacement. 'He also picked somebody who has about 95% name ID in the state of Ohio, which is very rare,' Clegg said. 'And Jim Tressel cannot have a better image here in the state of Ohio.' Name identification refers to the number of voters who know you off the top of their heads already. Although he hasn't announced, Tressel has been out and about — headlining Republican events and fundraisers across the state. We asked him this week about when he will enter the race. 'When I was coaching, I would tell you I'm not thinking about the next game,' the former coach responded. 'I'm thinking about this game. That hasn't changed.' The LG recently created a 2024 transition fund, which allows him to collect money for inaugural events. However, he filed the account after his inauguration. We asked his team why this was. Still, it would be illegal for him to use any of that money for campaign-related activities. Tressel added that he has been busy learning about energy policy, foster care, education and workforce development. House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, also hasn't made his decision. 'The most important thing that I'm doing right now is getting the House of Representatives to come together cohesively on passing a budget,' the speaker said. The state operating budget has monopolized this General Assembly so far, as it typically does in odd years. 'I don't need some reason for people not to like somebody else across the aisle and not just across the Republican-Democrat aisle but across these aisles,' he said, gesturing to the GOP side of the chamber. 'I don't want to try to divide this caucus, so I've told all these folks if I'm going to endorse that's not until after June 30th. Obviously, members of the House can do whatever they want.' The Ohio Republican Party also hasn't endorsed yet, but as DeWine said, there are more than 400 days until the primary. 'We have a long way to go,' the governor said. Whoever wins that primary will face off against the Democratic nominee, likely former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State sets $100K pay rate for new leadership position held by Plummer
Mar. 21—Ohio lawmakers used the state's transportation budget Wednesday to set a salary for the newly-created leadership position of House speaker assistant pro tempore, held by local Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Butler Twp. The position, created for the first time in January, will carry an annual salary of $99,904 in 2025, according to the legislature's nonpartisan analysis and first reported by That salary, like all lawmaker salaries, will rise at a rate of 1.75% per year through 2028. The new position came at the behest of new House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, who told reporters Wednesday that it was important for him to expand the 99-member House's leadership team. "Ohio is one state that has the fewest leadership positions (in its legislature)," Huffman told reporters Wednesday. "In fact, even with the ones we have now, we're below average in terms of number of leadership positions." Plummer was voted into the position by his peers in January. On Wednesday, he abstained from the vote that would raise his pay. When reached for comment Wednesday, Plummer directed this outlet to Huffman. "The Speaker will address it. It's his program," he said. Aside from creating the assistant speaker pro tempore position, Huffman doubled the number of House majority whips from two to four. The bill passed Wednesday reflects the pay appropriations for those new leadership positions, too. Under the new setup, the assistant speaker pro tempore is third-in-command in the Republican leadership structure, following the House Speaker and the Speaker Pro Tempore. General members of the House and Senate will receive a base salary of $72,343 in 2025. Ohio law then grants members extra stipends for extra responsibilities: committee chairs receive $9,000 while committee vice-chairs and ranking members receive $6,750. Leadership positions work similarly. Here's the House's new 2025 pay structure, according to the state's nonpartisan Legislative Services Commission. — House Speaker: $112,767 — Speaker Pro Tempore: $102,890 — Minority Leader: $102,890 — Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore: $99,904 — Majority Floor Leader: $96,917 — Assistant Minority Leader: $93,938 — Assistant Majority Floor Leader: $90,954 — Majority Whip (Four members): $84,988 — Minority Whip: $84,988 — Assistant Minority Whip: $75,683 — General member: $72,343 The pay, allocated through House Bill 54, was approved unanimously by the Senate and near-unanimously in the House Wednesday. The bill now heads to the governor's desk for final approval. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
