Week in review: June 1, 2025

A summary of Ohio's legislative news for the week ending May 30, 2025.

FY26-27 PROPOSED BUDGET

The Senate should join Gov. Mike DeWine and the House in providing $14 million in the budget to establish the Ohio Institute for Quantum Computing Research, Talent and Commercialization, Miami University President Greg Crawford told the Senate Finance Committee Thursday. Miami University and the Cleveland Clinic are partnering to establish the institute and will collectively invest an additional $70 million in the institute over the next 10 years, Crawford said during proponent testimony on HB96. Both the executive budget proposal and the House version of the budget include a $14 million appropriation from the General Revenue Fund (GRF) in FY26 to support the project. "Quantum computing is poised to reshape the global economy, with projections estimating 250,000 new jobs by 2030 and 840,000 by 2035," Crawford said. "These high-skill, high-wage roles -- ranging from software development and systems integration to advanced research and development -- represent a massive opportunity. Ohio can lead this transformation and secure a significant share of these jobs by staying at the forefront of quantum workforce development."

BUSINESS/CORPORATE

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) unveiled two new digital tools to help small business owners, policymakers and the public in Ohio understand the economic impact of the 20% Small Business Tax Deduction and what they argue is at stake if Congress fails to make it permanent. The new tools include an interactive map that allows users to explore how extending the Small Business Deduction would affect job creation and GDP growth in every congressional district across Ohio, NFIB said. Also available is a tax calculator to provide small business owners in Ohio with personalized estimates of how much more they could owe in federal income taxes in 2026 if the deduction expires.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Boeing Company committed Thursday to an investment of over $50 million as part of its lease extension with the Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority for clean-room and advanced manufacturing space at the Central Ohio Aerospace and Technology Center in Heath. Boeing work in Heath includes maintenance, repair and overhaul projects for a variety of aerospace and defense guidance and navigation systems, as well as manufacturing radar antennae. The Port Authority also announced a nearly $3 million local commitment to add a state-of-the-art Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) used for classified information at the center. That is expected to help Boeing attract "future-oriented, next-generation" projects and will be paid for by Port Authority capital funds.

EDUCATION

A primary sponsor of the Fair School Funding plan rallied with the Ohio Farmers Union and the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Ohio at the Statehouse Wednesday to urge the Senate to continue the phase-in of the funding plan in budget bill HB96 (Stewart). The rally, dubbed a "tailgate" by organizers, focused on the impact of the funding plan on rural public schools, with speakers noting many schools are the centerpiece of their community in the rural areas of the state. Attendees were also encouraged to visit with senators and provide them with district-level information. Former Rep. John Patterson, who introduced the funding plan along with former House Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima), told the crowd that he spent "a great deal of time" to put together a plan for the Legislature to use "that is sustainable, that is transparent, and that is good for the future, and it's justifiable. It's based on research." He said they knew there would be difficult challenges as the plan was getting phased in, but he pointed to the Ohio Constitution and said school funding is a mandate.

ELECTIONS

It could be "functionally illegal" for Ohioans to register to vote online or by mail under SB153 (Gavarone-Brenner), attorney and former Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Pepper said Tuesday. "The logistics of this bill require ... that [voter registration and re-registration] has to be done in person, with the board of elections," Pepper told the Senate General Government Committee during opponent testimony on the bill. "Ninety-five percent of Americans don't register that way …." Pepper said boards of elections would be overwhelmed by the number of people registering in person, because they don't have enough staff to meet the demand. "Unless you can clarify that it doesn't have to work that way, the legacy you will leave here ... you will be the one responsible for the fact that hundreds of thousands of people will be sitting in line waiting at boards of elections. They've never had to wait before -- wasting time, wasting money," Pepper said. Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), a sponsor of the bill, pushed back on Pepper's characterization of the bill.

ELECTIONS 2026

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat Fischer Wednesday confirmed he will run for fellow Justice Jennifer Brunner's seat in 2026 as he seeks to avoid running up against age limits when his term expires in 2028. Fischer's entry into the race will be the second straight cycle where one sitting justice has sought to challenge one of their colleagues on the Court. Republican Justice Joe Deters, appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to serve out the remaining term of Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy after she was elected to the top spot, challenged and successfully unseated fellow Justice – and Democrat -- Melody Stewart in the 2024 election rather than running to retain his own seat. Brunner is the last remaining statewide-elected Democrat to hold office in Ohio. Democrats have not won an Ohio Supreme Court race since legislative Republicans passed a law requiring party identification on the ballot for Supreme Court and state appeals court races.

ENERGY/UTILITIES

Electricity costs will eclipse 10 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) in parts of the state with the symbolic start of summer on June 1, and the energy portion of all Ohioans' bills will rise between 10% in AES Ohio's service territory to more than 36% in American Electric Power (AEP) of Ohio's territory for customers who remain on their local utility's standard service offer (SSO). Ohioans can track their energy charge -- minus the distribution cost of wires and other grid hardware -- with the price-to-compare on their electric bills. Duke Energy Ohio will lead the state with the highest absolute cost of 10.5 cents/kWh as of Sunday, June 1, followed by AEP at 10 cents/kWh, AES at 9.5 cents/kWh, and FirstEnergy averaging 9.3 cents/kWh across its three regional utilities: Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison and The Illuminating Co. Clevelanders and other residents of northeast Lake Erie counties who remain on The Illuminating Co.'s SSO will pay the lowest price-to-compare or energy cost of 9.1 cents/kWh on June 1. Ohioans always have the option of checking Energy Choice Ohio's "Apples to Apples" price comparisons for electricity and natural gas to see whether they can beat their local utility's price-to-compare with competitive retail electric service (CRES) provider: www.energychoice.ohio.gov.

ENVIRONMENT

The public comment period on the proposal to change the State Implementation Plan for the E-Check Ease Act is now open and will last through the beginning of June. The provision was included in transportation budget HB54 (Stewart) and creates an alternative, parallel system where an owner of a motor vehicle may comply with the E-Check program by obtaining an alternative emissions certificate. Public comments will be accepted at [email protected] through Monday, June 2, 2025. The Ohio EPA will then respond to public comments, after which the package will be sent to the U.S. EPA for review and approval. A number of lawmakers from Northeast Ohio sent out announcements about the comment period, encouraging their constituents to take advantage of it.

The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA) issued $219,000 in bond financing to support clean air improvements for a property management company in West Carrollton. The project, led by Trojon Real Estate LLC, will install a 35-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system at the company's facility, which leases commercial space to small businesses.

GAMING/GAMBLING

With high license fees and brand limits in pending House legislation to authorize online gambling, Ohio would potentially leave money on the table and customers in the illegal market, operators told the House Finance Committee Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) released a letter to state leaders signed by numerous pastors who argue against further expansion of gambling. Several witnesses representing gambling operators and their trade groups testified on HB298 (Stewart), with multiple speakers calling out the $50 million license fee and the limit of seven brands or "skins" as likely to inhibit Ohio's potential market.

Clergy serving in the House joined their counterparts from various Ohio churches Wednesday in a Statehouse press conference focused on opposition to expanded online gambling and organized by CCV, which also highlighted the potential that legislative authorization of iGaming would violate the Ohio Constitution. CCV distributed a memo written by attorney Benjamin Flowers, former Ohio solicitor general and now with the firm Ashbrook Byrne Kresge Flowers, analyzing the constitutionality of online gambling. It focuses specifically on SB197 (Manning); the House is now considering HB298 (Stewart-John), which is less expansive than the Senate bill. Flowers wrote that SB197 likely runs afoul of Article XV, Section 6 of the Ohio Constitution, which generally bars lotteries but creates exceptions for the state-run Ohio Lottery, charitable bingo and casino gambling.

The Senate Select Committee on Gaming Wednesday heard kudos, condemnations and nearly every opinion in between as it took testimony from dozens of witnesses on SB197 (Manning) as the committee considers an expansion of legalized gaming in the state.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

Rep. Don Jones (R-Freeport) is resigning from the Ohio House effective Sunday, June 1, to become the state executive director for the Ohio Farm Service Agency, House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) announced Tuesday. Jones is currently in his fourth term and faces term-limits at the end of this session. He will be resigning from his seat as state representative of the 95th Ohio House District and will begin his work in his new role with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday, June 2. The 95th Ohio House District includes all of Harrison, Noble and Morgan Counties and portions of Belmont, Guernsey, and Athens counties. The resignation also opens up the chair position for the House Agriculture Committee, to which Jones was recently appointed.

Residents of the 95th House District who wish to be considered for the appointment should provide a resume, letters of recommendation, and any other supporting materials to Speaker Huffman at 77 S. High St., 14th Floor, Columbus OH 43215; and to Mike Dittoe, chief of staff, 77 S. High St., 14th Floor, Columbus OH 43215. Applicants may also email their materials to Huffman at [email protected] and to Dittoe at [email protected]. The deadline to apply is Friday, June 6 at 5 p.m. The panel will begin screening applicants the week of Monday, June 9, with the new member expected to be sworn in before the summer recess begins at the end of June.

The House Wednesday unanimously passed all of the bills on its calendar, including legislation requiring feminine hygiene products to be offered to female inmates at state and local correctional facilities – HB29 (John-Humphrey) -- as well as a ban on ticket quotas for law enforcement agencies, HB131 (K. Miller-Sweeney).

Also passing Wednesday were the following bills:

- HB86 (Demetriou) makes changes to the law relating to tax foreclosures and county land reutilization corporations. Sponsor Rep. Steve Demetriou (R-Chagrin Falls) said the bill is the first significant update to the law governing land banks since they were first established.

- HB127 (A. Mathews-Odioso) permits schools to withhold directory information and to remove directory information from the public record definition. Sponsor Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) said that while there is already authority for parents and students to request information to not be public in student directories, there is ambiguity in the law on whether a school board can withhold that information.

- HR101 (Bird-Brewer) urges the Special Olympics to pick Cleveland for the 2030 games.

- HB204 (White-M. Miller) designates March 9 as "6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day."

The Senate unanimously cleared all legislation on its calendar Wednesday, including a bill to give wildlife rehabilitation centers access to euthanasia medications. Sen. Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware) said his SB152 would help the wild animal rehabilitation facilities (WARFs) that admit tens of thousands of injured or orphaned wild animals, most of which cannot be rehabilitated.

Also passing the Senate was SCR2 (Johnson), a resolution urging action to address vulnerabilities in the electricity grid, and SB18 (Reynolds-Craig), which designates Feb. 14 as "Cardiovascular Health Awareness Day."

Legislation prohibiting "obscene" public drag shows and other adult cabaret performances received its first hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. The "Indecent Exposure Modernization Act," HB249 (Williams-King), is a modified and rebranded version of 135-HB245 (Williams-King), which received two hearings in the House Criminal Justice Committee during the last General Assembly and never made it out of committee. Rep. Josh Williams (R-Oregon) said the bill changes the term "private parts" to "private area" in the Ohio Revised Code.

In other action, the House Community Revitalization Committee reported out SB147 (Reineke) which addresses disposal of solid waste; the House Finance Committee reported out HB3 (Willis-C. Thomas), the School Bus Safety Act; the House Health Committee reported out HB141 (Baker-Abrams) which addresses pediatric extended care centers; the House Insurance Committee reported out SB100 (Manchester) which deals with agricultural nonprofit-insurance organizations; the House Judiciary Committee reported out HB47 (Williams) which increases human trafficking penalties; the House Local Government Committee reported out HB124 (D. Thomas-T. Hall) which deals with property tax; the House Public Safety Committee reported out HB210 (Roemer-Plummer) which deals with the sale of used catalytic converters; the House Ways and Means Committee reported out HB48 (A. Mathews – Santucci) which deals with 529/ABLE accounts; and HB133 (Craig) which addresses small employers’ providing health coverage; and the Senate Judiciary Committee reported out SB155 (Brenner-Ingram) which deals with real estate wholesalers.

GOVERNOR

One judicial appointment was made during the week:

Gov. Mike DeWine Wednesday appointed Cynthia Curtin to the Stow Municipal Court. Curtin, of Hudson, will take the bench Monday, June 9, for the seat formerly held by Judge Kim Hoover. Curtin will need to run in November to retain the seat. Curtin is an attorney with the firm Perez Morris in Cleveland and has experience at other firms. She has a bachelor's degree from Indiana University and law degree from Cleveland State University.

Appointments made over the week include the following:

- Taras G. Szmagala, Jr. of Bentleyville (Cuyahoga County) to the Cleveland State University Board of Trustees for a term beginning May 23, 2025, and ending May 1, 2034, and Ronald V. Johnson, Jr. of Shaker Heights (Cuyahoga County) for a term beginning May 23, 2025, and ending May 1, 2031.

- Diane Braden of Caldwell (Noble County) to the Zane State College Board of Trustees for a term beginning May 23, 2025, and ending July 31, 2027.

- Yeshwant P. Reddy of Dublin (Franklin County) reappointed to the State Medical Board for a term beginning May 15, 2025, and ending March 18, 2030.

- James M. Hughes of Upper Arlington (Franklin County) reappointed to the Industrial Commission of Ohio for a term beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2031.

- Suzanne R. Kiggin of Powell (Delaware County) to the Bureau of Workers' Compensation Board of Directors for a term beginning June 12, 2025, and ending June 11, 2028; and Elizabeth M. Riczko of Fairfield Township (Butler County), Mark J. Palmer of Columbus (Franklin County), and Terence P. Joyce of Cleveland (Cuyahoga County) reappointed for terms beginning June 12, 2025, and ending June 11, 2028.

- William E. Farnsel of Berkey (Lucas County) reappointed to the Ohio Housing Finance Agency for a term beginning May 16, 2025, and ending Jan. 31, 2031.

- Sherry L. Rossiter of Glouster (Morgan County) to the Financial Planning and Supervision Commission for the Trimble Local School District for a term beginning May 12, 2025, and continuing at the pleasure of the governor.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

More than 16 years after first announcing the collaborative, Ohio Children's Hospitals and the Ohio Business Roundtable joined with Gov. Mike DeWine Thursday to celebrate the partnership aimed at improving patient safety, which they said has expanded to more than 150 hospitals in the U.S. and Canada and has spared 30,000 children from harm. Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS) was first announced in January 2009, by business leaders and health care providers as a way to improve quality and reduce costs of health care statewide.

HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS

Fair housing advocates discussed what proposed federal budget cuts to programs combatting housing discrimination would mean for Ohio in a virtual press conference Thursday, saying it would dismantle the "front-line defense" for those issues. Darlene English, associate vice president of education and outreach at the National Fair Housing Alliance, said elimination of federal funding for fair housing initiatives would bring "devastating consequences" to Ohio, as nonprofit organizations do the majority of the work processing complaints compared to the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). George Thomas, CEO and general counsel of the Fair Housing Center in Toledo, said the programs offer a cost savings at the national level and that discrimination "powerfully impacts the housing market for all Ohioans."

JUDICIAL

St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School will not be the nation's first taxpayer-funded religious charter school -- for now at least. In an evenly split 4-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a one-sentence decision upholding the Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision that a taxpayer-funded religious charter school violates the Oklahoma Constitution and the U.S. Constitution. Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the case. "The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court," the per curiam opinion states. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, celebrated the decision in a statement. "The Supreme Court's decision represents a resounding victory for religious liberty and for the foundational principles that have guided our nation since its founding," Drummond said. "This ruling ensures that Oklahoma taxpayers will not be forced to fund radical Islamic schools, while protecting the religious rights of families to choose any school they wish for their children," Drummond continued. "I have always maintained that we must faithfully uphold the Constitution, even when it requires us to make difficult decisions. I will continue upholding the law, protecting our Christian values, and defending religious liberty -- regardless of how difficult the battle may be."

MARIJUANA/HEMP

The Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM) cannot legally disburse any of the adult use cannabis tax revenue collected under the initiated statute approved by voters in 2023, according to OBM spokesperson Pete LuPiba. "Issue 2 did not include appropriations to disburse any of the funding," LuPiba told Hannah News. "Issue 2 was passed after the enactment of the current state budget, and the initiated statute did not include appropriation line items for agencies to begin spending the money during current FY25," he continued. LuPiba said the Ohio Constitution prohibits money from being drawn from the state treasury without a specific appropriation.

The House Judiciary Committee took another step toward passing an adult-use cannabis bill on Wednesday by accepting a substitute version of SB56 (Huffman). Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) said the sub bill includes aspects of his HB160, as well as parts of intoxicating hemp bill SB86 (Huffman-Wilkin).

MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM

The OhioRISE specialized managed care program for children with complex needs is in the "toddler phase" of what could be more than a decade of development based on other states' experiences but is nonetheless making a significant difference for families who need its services, Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) Director Maureen Corcoran told the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee (JMOC) on Thursday. Corcoran led off a witness panel that collectively provided a comprehensive overview of OhioRISE, from the state agencies implementing it and regulating the involved providers, to the care management entities (CMEs) that coordinate services, to the service providers themselves, to the local agencies that have long been involved with these families. Capping off the testimony was Mark Butler, whose son Andrew has the collection of behavioral and developmental challenges OhioRISE was designed to address.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

Incoming Adjutant General Matthew Woodruff announced that Col. Jonathan M. Stewart will replace him as the assistant adjutant general for the Army. In the role, Stewart will be responsible for establishing policies, priorities, and oversight for the readiness of more than 10,000 soldiers assigned to six major subordinate commands within the Ohio Army National Guard. Stewart currently works full-time as the director of operations for the Ohio Army National Guard (ARNG) and serves as commander of the 147th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) in his traditional Guard member role. As the director of operations, Stewart serves as the principal advisor to the assistant adjutant general for Army for training, operations, and plans. As the commander of the regional training institute, Stewart oversees the Ohio ARNG's sole training school and is responsible for courses in specific Army career management fields and the Army Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development System, as well as commissioning and warrant officer-producing programs.

NATURAL RESOURCES

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) recently announced it has added loaner life jacket stations to 32 Ohio state parks throughout the state. "Wearing a life jacket can make the difference between life and death," said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. "We want every Ohioan and every visitor to have a safe and fun day on the water, and these loaner stations remove one more barrier to making that happen." ODNR purchased 1,890 life jackets to supply the stations with a wide range of sizes, from infant to adult, to ensure that park visitors have access to properly fitting flotation devices whether they're paddling, fishing or enjoying a day at a park beach.

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Statewide nonprofit Philanthropy Ohio has appointed Meghan Cummings as the organization's next president and CEO. Cummings, an Ohio native from Cincinnati, will assume her new role on Monday, June 16. Cummings has served as senior vice president of strategy and impact at CFLeads since 2024. Prior to that, she spent over a decade in various roles within the Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) and also previously worked with the Alzheimer's Association and Cincinnati's Center for Addiction Treatment. At GCF, Cummings led the foundation's community initiatives, including policy advocacy and large-scale initiatives across sectors.

PENSIONS

The Ohio Ethics Commission wants prospective leaders of the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) to file financial disclosure forms before the pension fund's board makes a hiring decision. The request mirrors new scrutiny of finalists for appointment to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. In a letter to STRS Interim Director Aaron Hood earlier this month, Ethics Commission Executive Director Paul Nick wrote that STRS' leadership search came up during the commission's May 9 meeting. That meeting came one day after Gov. Mike DeWine, Treasurer Robert Sprague and GOP legislative leaders sought delay in STRS' hiring decision to allow time for filling a board vacancy by the legislative leaders - a development Nick's letter also notes.

Meanwhile, House and Senate leaders named their appointee to the STRS board: Lynn Sautter Beal as an investment expert. Beal works with Upstart, an AI-based lending platform.

PUBLIC SAFETY

The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported that 12 people were killed in 11 fatal crashes on Ohio's roadways during the 2025 Memorial Day weekend, according to provisional statistics. This was a decrease from last year, when 26 individuals were killed. During the four-day reporting period that began Friday, May 23 and ran through Monday, May 26, state troopers made 17,034 traffic enforcement contacts, including 410 impaired driving arrests, 70 drug arrests and 2,090 safety belt citations. In addition, the patrol made 9,515 non-enforcement contacts including 1,746 motorist assists.

Many Ohio townships and municipalities do not pay for fire or EMS and instead take advantage of services in surrounding jurisdictions, while other counties establish too many 911 call centers at too great a cost to their population, Reps. David Thomas (R-Jefferson) and Thomas Hall (R-Middletown) said Wednesday during a first hearing on their HB274. The joint sponsors urged local governments to support shared services at the lowest possible cost to the largest number of taxpayers.

STATE GOVERNMENT

The Ohio Board of Deposit on Tuesday approved cryptocurrency as a financial transaction device pending the board's approval of a vendor contract, Ohio Treasurer of State Communications Director Laura Martine told Hannah News. The Ohio Board of Deposit consists of three members -- Treasurer of State Robert Sprague, Attorney General Dave Yost and Auditor of State Keith Faber. The move allows proposals to facilitate the use of Bitcoin as payment for state fees and services, the Ohio Secretary of State's Office said. "Crypto is one of the world's fastest-growing asset classes, and it's quickly gaining wide acceptance as a store of value and a form of currency," Secretary of State Frank LaRose said.

STUDIES/POLLS

The Council of State Governments (CSG) announced a new four-part policy research series examining today's top policy priorities through a nonpartisan, state-by-state lens. CSG said its 50-State Scan offers insights into how states are addressing shared challenges and developing strategies to strengthen governance. The first installment, "Maximizing the Impact of State Tax Dollars: A 50-State Overview of Government Performance and Reform Initiatives," explores how states are working to enhance government efficiency and accountability through strategies involving efficiency offices, waste reduction, performance-based budgeting, oversight and audits, and Medicaid fraud prevention. David Adkins, executive director/CEO of CSG, said, "We're not prescribing solutions -- we're highlighting practical, state-led strategies that allow leaders to learn from one another and consider what works in different contexts. Government efficiency and accountability were natural starting points, because trust in public institutions begins with transparency, responsiveness and responsible stewardship."

According to Pew Charitable Trusts, state budget officers are contemplating what new policy proposals that would reduce federal funding to states will mean for the traditional state-federal fiscal relationship. According to Pew, there's a saying in the state budget world that there is no such thing as a "normal" budget cycle. Part of the budgeting process requires allowing for unforeseen events. The past five years have underscored that sentiment as state policymakers navigated new spending needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the revenue surge that followed, and historic levels of federal aid. Federal dollars are the second-largest source of funding for state governments, historically ranging from about a quarter to a third of total revenue; the vast majority goes toward Medicaid, the joint federal-state program that provides medical and health-related services to low-income people. During his first months in office, President Donald Trump and his administration have issued dozens of orders directly affecting aspects of these funding flows. Meanwhile, the legislative proposals to make significant changes to the tax code and drastically change Medicaid funding wait in the wings, Pew said in its recent analysis.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) Chairman Chan Cochran defended the agency Thursday against prominent, albeit anonymous, speculation about privatizing BWC, one of only four remaining state insurance monopolies. The comment came during open remarks on the bureau's performance, branded as a "Relentless Pursuit of Excellence." "A person of some statewide prominence was quoted the other day as saying that perhaps the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation should be privatized," Cochran observed, noting BWC's various contracts with outside vendors. "Certainly, we're deriving the best of both forms of governance."

Provided by Hannah News Service