Latest news with #Wilkens
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Issue 2 on May 2025 ballot: Ohio to vote on $2.5B bond initiative for public infrastructure projects
Apr. 8—On May 6, voters across Ohio will approve or deny Issue 2, a request from the state in the form of a constitutional amendment to issue up to $2.5 billion in bonds to help pay for infrastructure projects over the next decade. Approval on May 6 would amend the Ohio Constitution, as the state needs constitutional approval in order to go into large amounts of debt. The bonds, if approved by a simple majority of voters, would go toward the State Capital Improvement Program and could only be used on roads, bridges, water treatment and supply systems and solid waste disposal facilities, according to the legislature's nonpartisan analysis. The state first issued a lump sum of general obligation bonds to fund SCIP in 1987. The approach has been approved by voters thrice since. The pending approval would be the biggest in state history, which lawmakers said was necessary due to inflation driving up the cost of projects. According to Ohio Public Works Commission Director Linda Bailiff, this bond approach has proven to be a successful, responsive way for local governments to make headway on infrastructure projects. "About 18,860 projects have been funded since the program's inception," Bailiff told lawmakers late last year. "Depending on the year, for every $1 of program funds another $2 to $3 is leveraged in other local, state, and federal sources." In an interview with this news outlet, Butler County Engineer Gregory J. Wilkens described SCIP as "a critical funding source" that can either fully fund projects or at least enable local governments to vie for federal and state grants. "I'd hate to even think how many structures we've built over the years because of this funding. It's easy to use; I think it is the best funding source out there for construction and water or sewer-type projects," Wilkens said. Bailiff explained that, if Issue 2 is approved, the $2.5 billion would be doled out on a per-capita basis to 19 District Public Works Integrating Committees across the state. Those districts would then analyze project proposals and determine how best to use bond proceeds. District 10, which contains Butler, Clermont, Clinton and Warren counties, assesses project proposals once a year, Wilkens said. The legislation that put Issue 2 on the ballot, passed in December, saw overwhelming support from Ohio lawmakers and various industry players, including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the County Engineers Association of Ohio. A handful of lawmakers stood against the resolution on the grounds that Ohio ought not spend more money. "The General Assembly's thirst to spend taxpayer dollars is seemingly unquenchable," said then-Sen. Niraj Antani, R-Miami Twp., who is now running for state treasurer. "This bill would authorize more spending, which I believe is unsustainable for Ohio's future." Here's the Issue 2 language voters will see on their primary election ballots: This proposed amendment would: 1. Authorize the state to issue bonds or other obligations to finance or assist in financing public infrastructure capital improvements for local governments and other governmental entities. Capital improvement projects would be limited to roads and bridges, waste water treatment systems, water supply systems, solid waste disposal facilities, storm water and sanitary collection, storage, and treatment facilities. 2. Determine that such capital improvements are necessary to preserve and expand the public infrastructure, ensure public health, safety and welfare, create and preserve jobs, enhance employment opportunities, and improve the economic welfare of the people of Ohio. 3. Limit the total principal amount of the state general obligations issued under the amendment to no more than $2.5 billion over a ten-year period. Any principal amount that could have been issued in any prior fiscal year, but was not issued, may subsequently be issued. 4. Require that obligations issued under this amendment mature no later than thirty (30) years after their date of issuance, and that any obligation issued to retire or refund other obligations mature no later than the permitted maturity date for the obligations being retired or refunded. 5. Authorize the General Assembly to pass laws implementing this amendment, including laws establishing procedures for incurring and issuing obligations, and laws providing for the use of Ohio products, materials, services and labor to the extent possible. ------ 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
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
OK judge grants woman sentenced to life for murder court hearing to challenge sentence
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A Tulsa County District judge says the first Oklahoman to apply for resentencing under the Oklahoma Survivor's Act will get a hearing to decide if her current life sentence is illegal. News 4 has been following April Wilkens' case. She admitted to the 1999 murder of her ex-boyfriend, Terry Carlton. Wilkens said that she was held hostage, raped and assaulted before she shot Carlton with his own gun. The relationship of two years was filled with victim protective orders, drugs and domestic violence. April Wilkens' lawyers request release, call her incarceration 'unlawful' Wilkens has been parole-eligible since 2013, but has been denied five times, despite exemplary behavior while incarcerated. The Tulsa County District Attorney's Office has opposed parole. In 2024, the Oklahoma Legislature passed the Oklahoma Survivors Act, which allows for resentencing for defendants who apply and are approved who have suffered domestic violence. The law applies for both victims who haven't been convicted of a crime and has a retroactive clause that allows people who are already incarcerated to ask a judge to reconsider their sentence. Lisa Moss was the first Oklahoman to get a resentencing hearing in Seminole County earlier this year and be released from prison. She had served more time than Wilkens, but didn't apply until after Wilkens. 'A lot of times, when you're in the legislature, you pass something and four or five years later you may see some results,' said Greg Treat, former Oklahoma Senate Pro Tempore. 'The year after was great.' Treat helped get the law to the finish line, saying authors tried to safeguard the initial bill language to make sure that potential applicants didn't try and exploit the system. 'We really tried to make it a very narrow funnel that people could get through to help the people that it was intended to, and I think we did a good job of narrowing that funnel quite a bit,' said Treat. Even still, the law has faced some push back from those, Treat believes have the impression it will be used to rob other victims families of justice. 'I know that one of the big opponents was the Tulsa County District Attorney to this issue,' said Treat. 'And it sounds like he's being reluctant to allow it.' Wilkens' attorneys argued the same in a writ of habeas corpus filed April 4 seeking that she be placed on supervised release until her hearing. They allege that Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler has 'unreasonably delayed her resentencing.' They say Kunzweiler has shown no evidence was Wilkens shouldn't get a resentencing hearing and calls her current sentence illegal. 1061453250-20250407-103219-Download Wilkens' attorneys declined an interview with News 4 on Monday to comment further. News 4 requested an interview with Kunzweiler as well, a spokesperson declined, but offered the following statement: Statement-from-Tulsa-County-District-Attorney-Steve-Kunzweiler-in-regards-to-new-filing-in-AprilDownload A Tulsa County District judge granted Wilkens a habeas hearing, but a date has not been scheduled. In that hearing, the court will decide if her imprisonment is lawful, and will allow her attorneys to challenge her custody. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
