Week in review: August 10, 2025

A summary of Ohio’s legislative news for the week ending Aug. 8, 2025

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is co-leading a group of states in urging a federal appeals court to reverse a recent U.S. district court decision blocking Texas' ability to enforce state immigration laws in U.S. v. Texas. Joined by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and 22 other states, Yost filed an amicus or “friend-of-court” brief claiming states have the sovereign right to enact legislation protecting residents. With southern border crossings reaching historic highs, the attorneys general argue that more needs to be done to preserve public safety, health care and state resources for Texas citizens. "This flawed legal analysis by a divided panel of judges would erode the constitutional right of states to enforce their own laws," Yost said in a statement. "State sovereignty is at stake, and a threat of that magnitude demands a careful review by the full appeals court." The brief invokes the doctrine of constitutional avoidance, which encourages statutory interpretations that do not create unnecessary constitutional conflicts. Had the lower court relied on this principle, the brief says, it would have protected the balance struck in the nation's federalist form of government.

FY26-27 BUDGET

According to preliminary figures released Wednesday by the Office of Budget and Management (OBM), the state collected a total of $2.3 billion in General Revenue Fund (GRF) tax dollars in July, the first month of FY26. This was 11.4% or $238.7 million more than was collected in July 2024 when nearly $2.1 billion was brought in. For FY26, the non-auto sales tax brought in $1.05 billion of the month's total. Together with the auto sales tax, a total of $1.2 billion was collected. The personal income tax accounted for the next highest total, bringing in $893.3 million in July. This was $150 million or 20.2% above last year. The Commercial Activity Tax (CAT) generated $120.3 million, a $7 million or 6.2% increase from July 2024.

IT’S IN THE FY26-27 BUDGET

Ohio Supreme Court justices as well as local judges and certain local officials are in line for a pay raise thanks to the biennial budget, HB96 (Stewart). The pay increases were among many of the local government provisions in the budget. Added by the Ohio House and retained by the Senate and the conference committee as part of its final version, HB96 increases and extends pay raises for justices and judges, county and township officials, and board of elections officials from 1.75% per year under current law to 5% per year through 2029. Additionally, the language provides annual cost of living adjustments beginning in 2030 equal to the increase in the Consumer Price Index, with a 3% maximum.

In other local government provisions, lawmakers also require legislative authorities of a political subdivision to adopt a cybersecurity program that safeguards the political subdivision's data, information technology, and information technology resources "to ensure availability, confidentiality, and integrity." The program must be consistent with generally accepted best practices for cybersecurity. Under the language added by the Senate and kept in the final version of the budget, local governments are also prohibited from paying a ransom stemming from a ransomware attack or otherwise complying with a ransom demand unless the political subdivision's legislative authority formally approves the payment or compliance with the ransom demand.

Legislation that would create a unit within the secretary of state's office to investigate voter fraud and voter suppression finally moved forward after it was inserted into biennial budget bill HB96 by senators and kept in by the conference committee on the bill. Introduced this session as SB4 (Gavarone) and passed out of the Senate mainly along party lines, the Election Integrity Unit would be required to investigate alleged violations of election law upon receiving complaints from the public or on its own initiative. The conference committee also expanded the duties to give the unit jurisdiction over violations of campaign finance law and require the unit to investigate campaign finance complaints filed with the secretary of state. Under the budget language, the unit would be allowed to "administer oaths, issue subpoenas, summon witnesses, compel the production of evidence, and hold hearings."

FY25-26 CAPITAL APPROPRIATIONS

The Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) announced the award of $30 million Friday to Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court to establish its first secure community correctional facility (CCF). The announcement follows Gov. Mike DeWine's 2024 Juvenile Justice Working Group finding that, of Ohio's 11 DYS-funded CCFs, none are located in the three counties with the most DYS commitments: Franklin, Hamilton and Cuyahoga counties. The new CCF will be a secure, 32-bed facility for male and female youth in separate housing units. DYS says research shows youth have better detention outcomes when placed closer to home and family. For certain youth adjudicated of felony offenses, it notes, CCFs are smaller, local alternatives to placement in state youth facilities and offer "targeted and personalized" treatment, care and habilitation.

CHILDREN/FAMILIES

Following the passage of a state operating budget that included some, but not all, of the early childhood provisions advocated for by groups like Groundwork Ohio, some local governments in Ohio are learning to tackle their child care needs in novel ways. Even as groups celebrate the inclusion of provisions like $200 million in federal funds for Ohio's Child Care Choice Voucher program and $10 million for the Child Care Cred pilot program, the budget failed to expand income-based eligibility for publicly funded child care or appropriate up to $200 million in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds for child care. Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn told a Groundwork Ohio webinar on Wednesday that such budget uncertainty at the state and federal levels can change seemingly daily. Meanwhile, it can take a local government years to tackle an issue like child care. Muryn said Findlay currently has to figure out ways to push against the current federal move to put more onto states without allocating corresponding funds.

Ohio families will have more time and more uses for money in their state-created after-school activity accounts following federal litigation on the Trump administration's attempt to freeze COVID relief funding. In March, the Trump administration froze spending on programs using federal COVID relief funding, which is what supported the Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) accounts created by lawmakers to give families money for the likes of tutoring, museum admissions and other learning supplements amid pandemic-era disruptions to K-12 education. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) got federal approval to continue use of the money, but only for direct academic services. At the time of the freeze, about $77 million remained in accounts, and more than 45,000 Ohio families had at least $25 in their children's accounts. Authority to spend the money originally was to have expired last year, but the state requested and received an extension to use it through this summer. Recent litigation, State of New York et al. v. U.S. Department of Education et al. in the Southern District of New York, frees up use of the money.

The DeWine administration has declared August Child Support Awareness Month. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) works on behalf of nearly 600,000 children each year through its child support program. Parents can download the ODJFS Child Support mobile app, which provides access to case information, allows them to make or receive electronic payments and has other convenient features. It can be found HERE.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) and local officials Thursday to celebrate the company's investment in New Albany as it continues to build out its data center campus in the area. AWS Vice President Roger Wehner told attendees that since Amazon announced its New Albany campus a decade ago, it has invested $6.2 billion in its data center operations in Licking County. Across the state, he said AWS has invested $20 billion in construction of its facilities. He also touted about $1.4 billion in gross domestic product impact, $3.1 million in taxes paid, with about 1,500 jobs on the campus including those in construction. The company said construction and staffing for two of its buildings at the New Albany campus have been completed, and construction is underway on the remaining facilities, which are expected to be operational by the end of the year. Wehner said the decision to invest in Ohio and other areas beyond its traditional coastal operations was a "big leap for us" at the time. He praised local and state officials for providing a "super clear vision" of what they wanted from the company.

ECONOMY

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday the nation added 73,000 jobs in July while the unemployment rate changed little at 4.2%. Employment rose in health care and social assistance, as federal government employment continued to decline. President Donald Trump announced on Friday he is firing the federal commissioner of labor statistics, Erika McEntarfer, claiming she "faked the job numbers before the election" and criticizing the downward revisions of past months' figures in the Friday report. The number of unemployed people was also little changed in July at 7.2 million, and BLS said the unemployment rate has been between 4.0 and 4.2% since May 2024.

EDUCATION

School districts and families who won a trial court ruling finding EdChoice violates the Ohio Constitution are hoping to revive part of their case in a cross-appeal of the state's bid to defend the voucher program. In late June, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Jaiza Page ruled that EdChoice violates provisions of the Ohio Constitution requiring lawmakers to provide a "common" school system and prohibiting the state from giving control of education funding to religious sects. Page immediately stayed her own ruling, acknowledging the certainty of an appeal and the potential effect on families who'd already made decisions on where to send children in the fall. Attorney General Dave Yost and House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) promised a strong defense of the program, and Huffman argued Article I, Section 7 of the Ohio Constitution in fact compels the state to support religious education. Last week, the state filed in the 10th District Court of Appeals, challenging both Page's June 24 ruling and her December 2022 decision on the state's motion to dismiss the case. This week, the plaintiffs filed a cross appeal of Page's ruling against them on the equal protection count.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) and its six District Athletic Boards have awarded $200,000 to 200 recent high school graduates as part of the Scholar-Athlete Scholarship Program, OHSAA announced Wednesday. In addition, OHSAA has awarded just over $1 million -- $1,250 for each member high school -- to assist with items needed by each school's athletic department, OHSAA said. The money comes from OHSAA's Athletic Enrichment Fund, which was established in 2023 for the purpose of providing a financial contribution to each member high school's athletic department to help with costs of equipment, uniforms, game transportation, officials and improving student sportsmanship and adult fan behavior.

ELECTIONS

Secretary of State Frank LaRose Wednesday released a revised, accessible version of the Ohio Election Official Manual, a statewide resource issued by the office annually with detailed guidance on the administration of Ohio elections. The updated manual is designed to be more user-friendly both for election officials and the general public, the secretary of state's office said. Improvements include simplified language, clearer explanations of complex processes and procedures, the use of checklists and charts to explain concepts, and expanded resources to help Ohio's 88 county boards of elections perform their duties. The updated manual can be found HERE.

ENERGY/UTILITIES

The Ohio capital region is poised to become the state's leading behind-the-meter (BTM) generation cluster with the recent Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) approval of the New Albany Energy Center, among two future PowerConneX providers to area data and package fulfillment campuses. PowerConneX I, the New Albany facility's official name, and PowerConneX II are part of a growing, large-scale distributed generation industry in the state including Will-Power's adjacent Socrates South and North projects and two separate developments at Ohio State University (OSU) and Jefferson Township, Fayette County to the west. Natural gas, rather than intermittent wind and sun, will power all BTM facilities currently under OPSB review, though none are yet functional. When complete, they will operate off the grid and essentially compete with American Electric Power (AEP) of Ohio's service territory.

AEP of Ohio will invest $351 million in grid automation for improved electric reliability after recent approval by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). The technology, dubbed “distribution automation circuit reconfiguration” (DACR), can detect, isolate and automatically restore power during outages by rerouting electricity, in some cases preventing brownouts altogether.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) says the Home Energy Assistance Summer Crisis Program (SCP) is in full swing and runs through typically hot August days until Sept. 30. The program provides a one-time annual bill payment to assist eligible Ohioans with electric bills, central air conditioning repairs, and air conditioning unit and/or fan purchases. The benefit tops off at $500 for customers of regulated utilities and $800 for customers of unregulated utilities. Eligible households must be at or below 175% of the federal poverty level and meet at least one of the following criteria:

- Have a member who is at least 60 years of age or older.

- Have a documented medical condition or a diagnosis.

- Have been disconnected or threatened with disconnection or have new service that is being connected.

PUCO fulfilled its administrative duties Wednesday and ordered that ratepayer subsidies to the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC) cease at midnight, Thursday, Aug. 14, in compliance with energy reset HB15 (Klopfenstein), which Gov. Mike DeWine signed on May 15.

ENVIRONMENT

Proposals are now being accepted by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) for up to $10 million in grant funding for projects to revitalize the state's abandoned mine land. The Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program grants federal funding through the ODNR Division of Mineral Resources to support projects that reclaim abandoned mine land while simultaneously promoting sustained economic growth. Those interested in the AMLER grant program must submit a letter of intent, including a brief project summary, the abandoned coal mining nexus, the anticipated grant amount to be requested, other potential funding and a location map to ODNR by Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. The above information must be sent to [email protected].

Local governments will receive $19.5 million in low interest loans to improve wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, the Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA) announced Wednesday. For the month of July, OWDA financed four projects through the Fresh Water Loan Fund Program.

ETHICS

A new Ohio Ethics Commission advisory opinion would allow public officials or employees to use frequent flyer miles that were earned during official travel for personal travel. The commission adopted the opinion Monday, partially reversing a previous restriction on the use of frequent flyer miles accrued during official travel. Under the opinion, public officials and employees may use the miles for personal travel if they have earned the miles under the same conditions as the public and at no additional cost to their public agencies. "The commission recognizes that removing restrictions on personal use of frequent flyer miles would increase administrative efficiency by removing the need to track rewards miles accrued on an individual traveler's account," the opinion states, adding that the commission believes it is time to reevaluate its previous opinion to better align it with the federal government and other jurisdictions' guidance on the matter. The federal government has permitted federal employees to retain any "promotional items" such as frequent flyer miles since 2002.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

Sen. Bill Reineke's (R-Tiffin) pronouncement this week of a bid for the Senate presidency brought into public view an often behind-the-scenes campaign. His rival for the job, Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), was taken aback by that. Both Reineke and Cirino serve in prominent caucus roles now -- the former as president pro tempore, the latter as Senate Finance Committee chair -- and will be heading into the back half of a second term next session, meaning neither could be president more than two years. Reineke used the occasion of Thursday's campaign filing deadline to announce his leadership bid. Cirino told Hannah News he was perplexed by Reineke's public announcement Thursday given that the ultimate decision is an internal one.

Rep. Sedrick Denson (D-Cincinnati) resigned from the Ohio House effective Friday, Aug. 8, the House Democratic Caucus announced. He was currently serving in his final term in the House. His 26th House District covers portions of Hamilton County. House Democrats said they will soon announce a screening panel for filling the vacancy. The recommended appointee will then need to be voted on by the full House of Representatives.

The Ohio Statehouse will be closed to the public from Sunday, Aug. 10 through Wednesday, Aug. 13, according to the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB). The closure will come as CSRAB performs scheduled electrical and HVAC maintenance, which it said "will ensure the safety and comfort of the building's occupants and require the shutdown of the entire Capitol Square complex." Public access to the building will resume on Thursday, Aug. 14, to allow time for the air conditioning systems to properly cool down the building. The building will be accessible to staff and stakeholders only on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

GOVERNOR

Appointments made over the week include the following:

- Tom A. Raga of Cincinnati (Warren County) to the Sinclair Community College Board of Trustees for a term beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending July 9, 2030.

- Monique R. Wingard of Cleveland Heights (Cuyahoga County) as a student member to the Kent State University Board of Trustees for a term beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending May 16, 2027.

- Valerie A. Lemmie of Dayton (Montgomery County) reappointed to the Ohio Civil Rights Commission for a term beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending July 28, 2030, and will serve as chair when her term commences.

- Mark A. Owens of Rocky River (Cuyahoga County), Daniel J. O'Connell of Girard (Trumbull County) and Elizabeth Baumgartner of Columbus (Franklin County) to the Ohio Ireland Trade Commission for terms beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending July 31, 2029.

- Terry J. Cosby of Canal Winchester (Fairfield County) to the Wildlife Council for a term beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending Jan. 31, 2029.

- Neal F. Zimmers, Jr. of Granville (Licking County) and Richard F. Hillis of Powell (Delaware County) reappointed to the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board for terms beginning July 22, 2025, and ending April 22, 2028.

- Charles R. Moses of Dublin (Franklin County) and Christopher H. Gillcrist of Avon (Lorain County) reappointed to the Ohio History Connection Board of Trustees for terms beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending June 26, 2028.

- Janet Weir Creighton of Canton (Stark County) appointed and Nita Gupta of Wadsworth (Medina County) and Jonathan S. Hughes of Dublin (Franklin County) reappointed to the State Lottery Commission for terms beginning Aug. 2, 2025, and ending Aug. 1, 2028.

- Chad L. Hoffman of Richwood (Union County) appointed and Tammy J. Bobo of Albany (Athens County) reappointed to the Banking Commission for terms beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending Jan. 31, 2029.

- Sarat Thikkurissy of Cincinnati (Hamilton County) to the State Dental Board for a term beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending April 6, 2026, Robert J. Limardi of Glendale (Hamilton County) and Teresa A. Baumann of Cincinnati (Hamilton County) for terms beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending April 6, 2029, and Trevor J. Vessels of Dublin (Franklin County) reappointed for a term beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending April 6, 2029.

- Genevieve P. Stelzer of Wapakoneta (Auglaize County) and Kimberly M. Guarnieri of Niles (Trumbull County) appointed and Jill D. Herron of Vermilion (Lorain County) and David P. Walsh of Cincinnati (Hamilton County) reappointed to the Board of Executives of Long-Term Services and Supports for terms beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending May 27, 2028.

- Timothy W. Werling of Hamilton (Butler County) and Richard L. Wand of Pataskala (Licking County) to the Advisory Council on Amusement Ride Safety for terms beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending Jan. 1, 2031, Daniel R. Bullen of Xenia (Greene County) for a term beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending Jan. 1, 2026, and Joel P. Yankie of Liberty Township (Butler County) reappointed for a term beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending Jan. 1, 2031.

- Cy L. Prettyman of New Bloomington (Marion County) and Nathan Steiner of Marshallville (Wayne County) reappointed to the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board for terms beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending Jan. 15, 2028.

- Sarah J. Mays of Xenia (Greene County) and Julius B. Feibel of Bexley (Franklin County) to the Governor's Council on Juvenile Justice for terms beginning July 29, 2025, and ending October 31, 2027.

- Jeffrey C. Balzer of Ostrander (Delaware County) to the Ohio AMBER Alert Advisory Committee for a term beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending Feb. 6, 2027.

- Rob Streck of Brookville (Montgomery County), Melissa A. Schiffel of Galena (Delaware County), Nicole M. Dehner of Columbus (Franklin County), Nicole M. Dehner of Columbus (Franklin County) and Lori Barreras of Columbus (Franklin County) reappointed to the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board for terms beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending April 29, 2028.

- Roger L. Lipscomb, Jr. of Vermilion (Erie County) to the Underground Technical Committee for a term beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and ending July 31, 2029.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

A recent report by personal finance site WalletHub found Ohio ranked 25th nationally among the best states for health care, with a fourth-place finish among neighboring states. Pennsylvania led them at 13th nationally, followed by Michigan, 21st; Indiana, 22nd; Kentucky, 43rd; and West Virginia, 46th.

The top five states were New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Iowa and Massachusetts. The five lowest were Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Alaska and Mississippi. WalletHub ranked the District of Columbia at 36th nationally as well. WalletHub also ranked states by three subcategories, with Ohio seventh nationally and second among neighbors in cost; 34th nationally and second-to-last among neighbors in access; and 39th nationally and fourth among neighbors in outcomes. Pennsylvania led neighbors for cost and outcomes while Kentucky led for access.

INTEL

President Donald Trump added to microchip manufacturer Intel's woes on Thursday by demanding the immediate resignation of its CEO, but Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel said the administration believes in Intel and its promises to manufacture chips in Central Ohio. Trump took to social media on Thursday saying Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is "highly conflicted" in the wake of reports that Tan has invested hundreds of millions in Chinese firms. "The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately," Trump posted on his Truth Social website. "There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!" Trump's post came after he threatened to impose 100% tariffs on all foreign-made computer chips earlier in the week.

JUDICIAL

More than 960 aspiring lawyers are awaiting the results of the Ohio bar exam after 12 hours of testing over two days on July 29-30. The exam was held for the first time in three major cities -- Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus -- to make it more accessible to bar applicants in different regions. Of 967 total applicants, 815 took the test for the first time. Cleveland State University College of Law administered the test to 372 exam-takers; Ohio State University's Ohio Union, 309; OSU Moritz College of Law, 84 (special accommodations); and University of Cincinnati College of Law, 202. July bar exam results will be released at 8 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 24 at the Supreme Court of Ohio website.

LABOR

The Texas AFL-CIO, California Federation of Labor Unions, Florida AFL-CIO, Illinois AFL-CIO, Missouri AFL-CIO, New York State AFL-CIO, Ohio AFL-CIO and Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) AFL-CIO released the following joint statement Tuesday in response to Donald Trump's redistricting efforts in Texas: "We are at a pivotal moment in our country -- the future of our unions, our democracy, and our freedoms is at stake. Donald Trump is desperately trying to rig the rules in his favor by demanding a corrupt, rigged redistricting process in Texas, and he won't stop there. As labor leaders from across the country, we are in strong solidarity with Texas workers in this fight -- because we know this will affect every single worker across the country.”

LIBRARIES

The Ohio Library Council (OLC) announced Thursday that Bob Hinkle, chief deputy auditor for Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber, has been selected as its 2025 Citizen of the Year. The award honors an individual who has made a significant statewide contribution to the advancement of Ohio's public libraries. With more than 40 years of service in state government, Hinkle has been a long-standing advocate and partner for Ohio's public libraries, OLC explains. Among Hinkle's many contributions is his leadership in the development and implementation of the Hinkle System, an innovative electronic financial statement platform designed to streamline and modernize local government auditing processes. This transformation has allowed libraries and other local entities to comply more efficiently with reporting requirements in a digital age, OLC said.

MARIJUANA/HEMP

The Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) announced a new online resource to promote the responsible consumption of cannabis and alcohol. The guide, available HERE, connects adults with educational materials, tools and resources on cannabis and alcohol. It also offers tailored guidance on the consumption of cannabis and alcohol, highlighting key differences between the two substances while stressing safety and compliance with state regulations.

Consumers spent $702.6 million on adult use cannabis during the first year of legal sales, according to the DOC Division of Cannabis Control (DCC). Ohioans approved an initiated statute legalizing marijuana for adults age 21 and older in the November 2023 election, and sales began in early August 2024. Over the course of the year, consumers bought 109,706 pounds of plant material and purchased 11.8 million units of manufactured product, DCC said in its updated sales data document. Ohio Cannabis Coalition (OHCANN) Executive Director David Bowling celebrated the one-year anniversary of sales in a news release.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES (NCSL)

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) this week held its annual Legislative Summit in Boston which, this year, capped a yearlong celebration of its 50th anniversary that kicked off at the 2024 summit in Kentucky. NCSL was formed on Jan. 1, 1975 from the merger of three organizations. The following highlight the sessions Hannah News attended:

A top global economist for one of the country’s biggest banks told attendees of a session on tariffs he does not expect interest rates to come down anytime soon nor an influx of manufacturing investment in the U.S., but supply chains could move to closer, friendlier nations to avoid risks related to China. Claudio Irigoyen, global economist for Bank of America (BofA), was simultaneously bearish about economic challenges facing the U.S. but relatively optimistic given issues in the rest of the world. Irigoyen said uncertainty about if, when and how tariffs will have an effect will contribute to the case for the Federal Reserve to avoid cutting interest rates, because it will be hard to know when inflation has peaked. Businesses have been stocking up on supplies and inventory to give themselves a cushion to respond and to raise their prices gradually to avoid loss of market share.

The 1960s and 1970s in American politics saw separate nationwide movements both further formalizing states’ legislatures as well as questioning the role of the federal government in addressing states’ issues and fearing federal overreach. Both movements became driving forces for a collection of organizations representing different facets of state legislatures to join forces in the early 1970s to push for more influence in Congress for state legislatures. As NCSL celebrates 50 years in existence, political scientist Karl Kurtz of NCSL said the organization’s formation in 1974 followed from the U.S. Supreme Court’s “one person, one vote” principle established in Reynolds v. Sims in 1964. With state legislatures’ coming to the fore during this time, the interests of different facets of state legislatures were represented by three different organizations: the National Legislative Conference, which represented legislative staff; the National Conference of State Legislative Leaders, focused on the role of legislative leaders in contrast to that of governors; and the National Society of State Legislators, focused on training, information services and high ethical standards. They deliberated for nearly five years on issues around merging, including individual leadership, voting procedures, how the organization would be funded, and whether legislators, legislative leaders or legislative staff would have more control. Kurtz credits former Ohio State Rep. Charles Kurfess -- who was president of the National Legislative Conference from 1973-1974 -- with being one of the most important state legislators nationally to unite the efforts that resulted in the first NCSL meeting in Albuquerque in 1974.

Former Director Brian Weberg of NCSL’s Center for Legislative Strengthening moderated presentations on statehouse renovations Monday by Illinois and Oregon officials and the conference’s longtime former director of Trust for Representative Democracy, Karl Kurtz. Director Andrea Aggertt of Illinois’ Office of the Architect of the Capitol said that, in the process of tearing out walls erected since the Statehouse’s original construction, workers found everything from hidden ironwork and turnbuckles to old newspapers and food tins to spent cigarette packs and vodka bottles. Chief Clerk Timothy Sekerak of the Oregon Legislative Assembly said construction crews have had to dig far under the capitol to build what amounts to giant “air bags” to buffer the century-old edifice from earthquakes.

A panel on legislative use of artificial intelligence (AI) featured Chad Dahl, group infrastructure manager at the Washington Legislature; Chris Cantey; information systems manager of the Minnesota Legislative Coordinating Commission (MLCC); and NCSL Program Principal Will Clark. It was moderated by Jon Heining, general counsel of the Texas Legislative Council. Heining said NCSL is very concerned about this topic and wants legislative staffers to have the tools they need. He recommended setting a policy on how AI is used within the legislature and discussing it as part of contracts with IT vendors, noting they may not want a vendor training its AI on their data. Cantey said AI is “the cusp of a new technology revolution” and he has concerns about what it means for the workforce. He also described how MLCC coordinates activities of the Minnesota Senate, House and joint commissions, explaining technical aspects of legislative data and the research his group conducts on behalf of legislators.

A panel on “risks and rewards” of artificial intelligence (AI) featured Massachusetts Sen. Barry Finegold; Arkansas Rep. Stephen Meeks, chair of the state’s joint committee on advanced communications and information technology; Virginia Delegate Michelle Lopes Maldonado, member of the Communications, Technology and Innovation Committee; and Utah Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore. It was moderated by Sean McSpaden, principal legislative IT analyst for the Oregon Legislative Assembly. McSpaden noted the number of bills on AI has “skyrocketed” in recent years, with over 1,000 relevant bills offered so far this year and 38 states enacting around 100 bills during current legislative sessions.

As artificial intelligence continues on its path of reshaping nearly every sector of American life, a panel explored the emerging question: How will the nation’s energy grid be impacted by AI and cloud technologies? The panel, featuring contributors from Microsoft, Schenider Electric and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, discussed how AI can be used to forecast and manage renewable energy, challenges of data center load management, and the necessity of robust cybersecurity and energy infrastructure. David Manz of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory said the grid needs to be secured with AI, from AI and for AI. He said the technology offers advanced capabilities for monitoring and managing grid systems that exceed the abilities of human operators. Manz said AI is not the solution, but it can make the solution more effective. Cyberattacks are not a new threat, and bad actors are actively using cyberspace to achieve their objectives such as stealing money or holding a nation at risk. He said it’s real, and targeting not just corporate America but also targeting critical infrastructure.

Civility is the secret sauce to an effective legislature because being curious of colleagues rather than judgmental can lead to consensus building, said New Hampshire House Clerk Paul Smith. The panel also discussed challenges with decorum and civility they face in their chambers. Bernard Dean, chief clerk of the Washington House, said chamber rules dictate a certain standard to which members’ social media accounts are held. However, on their own accounts that aren’t explicitly associated with their office or campaigns, they’ll post disparaging comments about their colleagues, sometimes while there are floor speeches and debate happening about the very issue they’re posting about. Duckworth said civility does not cancel out passion. It’s not the inability to hold folks accountable, it’s just doing it professionally with respect, he said. “What civility is, though, is a choice. And I choose to believe that anybody in this room can choose to be civil with anyone regarding any issues, because at the end of the day, you are the one that controls the words you use and how you treat others,” Duckworth said.

Thanks to strong revenue growth in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and robust rainy day funds, states are in a strong position coming out of FY25 but face looming challenges from the federal government and slower population growth, a panel said this week. Erica MacKellar, a program principal with NCSL, and Goeffrey Buswick, a managing director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, gave an overview of state budgeting going into FY26 and beyond, with Buswick predicting slow growth in the coming years for the country. MacKellar said NCSL is receiving responses from state legislative fiscal officers from its June and July survey, showing that states saw modest revenue growth over most of the recent biennium – better than what states were predicting going into FY24-25.

Keeping good people on hand so they can keep up with current events -- and the executive branch -- is an ongoing concern for state legislatures, staff leaders from across the U.S. said at an NCSL summit session. John Barron, chief of staff for the Ohio Senate, said staffing might not be top of mind for any given legislator. “In order to do all those things that you want to do in the top five or the top 10, a highly functioning staff is very important,” he said. Barron was joined by W. Stuart Loosemore, talent and engagement manager for the Massachusetts Senate; Travis Swallow, chief financial officer for the Arizona House; and Peverill Squire, a University of Missouri professor. Barron, an attorney, said he’s concerned about how feeding information into AI learning could compromise attorney-client privilege or legislative privilege. “From our staff standpoint, our employees are utilizing AI to enhance their job and be able to become more efficient. They’re not looking for it to be able to replace them,” Swallow said. Barron also asked his fellow panelists how they approach staff recruiting and retention.

A panel that included legislators, regulators and industry representatives discussed the “Cannabinoid Conundrum,” including various forms of hemp and medical cannabis use. Panelists included Michael Bronstein, co-founder and president of the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp; Staci Gruber, director of Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts; Utah Sen. Evan Vickers, a Republican active in marijuana legislation there; and John Hudak, director of the Maine Office of Cannabis Regulation. NCSL Senior Fellow Karmen Hanson opened by noting cannabis remains federally illegal, while saying hemp’s legalization in the 2018 Farm Bill may have inadvertently led to the current situation. She also said state cannabis regulation varies widely. Gruber explained the complexities of cannabis, saying there are over 120 phytocannabinoids and the most common are Delta 9-THC and cannabidiol, abbreviated as CBD. Hemp is a variety of cannabis with low levels of THC. Gruber said negative effects of cannabis almost always refer to the effects of THC.

The lion’s share of federal savings on Medicaid from HR1, aka the One Big Beautiful Bill, will come from a handful of policy changes with major implications for state budgets and operations, an NCSL policy expert said. Kathryn Costanza, NCSL program principal for health, spoke on a panel about the challenges facing states and their Medicaid budgets. Also on the panel were Oklahoma Sen. John Haste; Nevada Senate Deputy Majority Whip Fabian Donate; April Kees, staff director for the Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee; Jonathan Ball, legislative fiscal analyst for the Utah Legislature. “Federal policy pressures are the elephant in the room,” Costanza said. Costanza said five policies in HR1 account for 86% of the hundreds of billions of dollars in federal savings – “Federal savings are not necessarily state savings,” -- forecasted for the coming decade, she remarked. They are the following:

- Work requirements.

- Changes to eligibility and enrollment rules.

- Limits on provider taxes.

- Limits on state-directed payments.

- Twice yearly versus annual eligibility redetermination for the expansion population.

A panel on “Navigating the Now: Key Trends in Health Policy” saw leaders from Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Indiana discussing what their states are doing amid federal changes. The panel included Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, a Republican; Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton, a Democrat; and Tennessee Senate Finance, Ways and Means Chair Bo Watson, a Republican. It was moderated by NCSL Vice President of Policy and Research Kate Blackman. Watson said his state is the only one with a 10-year block grant for Medicaid and isn’t an expansion state, so its experience with Medicaid changes will be different from that of other states. McClinton detailed the number of Pennsylvania residents who receive Medicaid, saying they are bracing themselves for the effects of the changes and how she urged federal legislators to oppose the changes. Huston said he sees this as an opportunity, and that of the three entitlement programs this is the only one with a state share. He also said it is part of making the federal government more fiscally responsible and that it is good for the country even if it is challenging to states. Watson concurred with that view, while McClinton said she did not as “people will die and that’s no laughing matter.”

A panel on “Voting in the Military: Stories from the Field” identified the challenges military personnel and other overseas voters face, along with what states and the federal government have done to improve that process. Panelists included Scott Wiedmann, director of the U.S. Department of Defense Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), West Virginia Delegate Doug Smith and Illinois Rep. Stephanie Kifowit. Thomas Hicks, a commissioner on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, served as both a panelist and moderator. He highlighted the Uniformed And Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) for 2024, noting that 66% of returned ballots were sent by mail and 27% by email. He also said 96% of the total ballots were counted and 4% rejected. The number of UOCAVA registered voters has been 1.2 million in 2020, 737,000 in 2022 and 1.3 million in 2024.

Motor fuel tax revenue is making up a smaller amount of state transportation funds than it used to, a drop of 41.1% to 35.9%, according to Doug Shinkle, associate director of transportation for NCSL. At a presentation on surface transportation funding, Shinkle said this decrease between 2016 and 2024 is caused by the proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) since they don’t use motor fuel and the fuel efficiency of vehicles getting better. Shinkle pointed out that even without the existence of EVs, the part of state transportation funds made up by motor fuel taxes would still be decreasing due to fuel efficiency improving. Shinkle turned to more data that showed that cumulatively, states will lose $12.4 billion by 2030 due to EVs’ causing lower motor fuel tax revenue, with those amounts growing as time goes on.

A founding member of the Ohio General Assembly’s Historic Preservation Caucus joined preservation experts from Massachusetts at a panel to tout the economic and social benefits that can cascade from preservation tax credit programs. Rep. Bob Peterson (R-Sabina) was joined by Jessica Rudden-Dube, executive director of Preservation Massachusetts, and Douglas Kelleher, who leads Epsilon Associates, a consulting firm involved in preservation projects in Massachusetts. “Certainly, we’re not Boston or Philadelphia, but I’ll put our history up with anybody’s,” said Peterson. “I’ve put on plastic gloves and held in my hands the 2,000-year-old tip of a spear used by the Adena Indians. Pretty cool. I’ve seen the Civil War Battle Flags that they used in Ohio,” he said. The panelists discussed a variety of case studies and examples of preservation projects, often involving large commercial or industrial buildings in historic downtown districts that were disused or dilapidated. Peterson mentioned Chillicothe’s Carlisle Building, now a combination of office space and apartments for medical residents.

Prohibiting campaign contributions from foreign nationals shouldn’t be a partisan issue, according to Ohio Sen. Theresa Gavarone and Hawaii Sen. Chris Lee. “Really, it shouldn’t be a red issue or a blue issue, Democrat or Republican. I mean, it’s really an American issue,” Gavarone said during a discussion on foreign influence in elections. “When we have people from other countries who want to come and influence our elections, and maybe change our constitutions or elect certain people, it certainly makes you wonder what their motive might be,” Gavarone continued. “I think it’s something that we can all agree on, that we want to protect the system our Founding Fathers put in place almost 250 years ago.”

States looking forward to their next decennial redistricting cycle -- or those in a mid-decade redraw by choice or by law -- will have to navigate the changing legal landscape of how judges sift racial gerrymandering claims from non-justiciable partisan disputes. As tensions flare around the U.S. on mid-decade congressional map shuffling ahead of the 2026 election, the NCSL Legislative Summit featured a panel on relevant rulings. Joining the discussion were Julia Jackson, policy and research manager for the Colorado General Assembly; Kate McKnight, a BakerHostetler attorney; and Samuel Davis, attorney and instructor at Harvard University. McKnight reviewed the various factors that come into play in court cases focused on claims of racial gerrymandering, including the need to show cohesive voting patterns of a given minority group.

According to NCSL, there are currently 191 bills in 42 state legislatures to address the topic of making sure only U.S. citizens vote in elections. A panel examined how elections officials are going about verifying the citizenship of voters on their rolls, as well as how federal legislation and an executive order by President Donald Trump will affect states and local boards. Katy Owens Huber, an associate director at NCSL who moderated the discussion, said many of the pending or passed citizenship bills address documenting proof of citizenship. Other bills require state voting databases to be compared with other databases to verify citizenship, while a few states, including Ohio, have passed amendments to their state constitution to require only citizens to vote in the state. Still others have passed legislation prohibiting non-citizens from voting in local elections. Huber said some states have made changes to their driver’s licenses and identification cards to denote whether a person is a citizen or non-citizen, and others have increased penalties for those non-citizens who may have inadvertently gotten on the voter rolls and cast a ballot in an election.

As the supply of housing fails to meet demand and housing costs are rising nationally, Ohio is far from the only state to approach housing availability and affordability from a state level. But to what extent should the public sector and private sector work together to ease housing issues? A panel at NCSL included two leaders whose organizations look at innovative ways in which the public and private sectors are working together on housing issues nationwide. Kimberly Burnett, executive director at Ivory Innovations, said there is no single silver bullet to solve the country’s housing affordability crisis. Instead, her organization takes a comprehensive look at barriers to housing affordability to find and promote several innovations. Burnett is convinced that innovation at the state level is crucial to addressing the housing shortage. Burnett sees momentum growing for increasing the housing supply in two areas: construction and policy and regulatory reform. On the policy side, Burnett said many states are making changes to allow for the construction of more houses, and the issue of reforming housing rules is often a bipartisan issue at the state level.

State voters are often amenable to governance reforms that will make their state legislatures more efficient but not to proposals to pay their state lawmakers more, a political scientist who researched hundreds of years of ballot questions said. The session, “Ballot Measures as Barometers,” featured Michelle Fontenot, clerk of the Louisiana House; Oregon Sen. Bruce Starr; Massachusetts House Speaker Pro Tem Kate Hogan; and Peverill Squire, a University of Missouri professor. Squire last year released a book, Reforming Legislatures: American Voters and State Ballot Measures, 1792-2020. Voters have faced about 1,500 ballot measures targeting changes to their state legislatures in the time period covered by the book. The bulk of them, more than 1,100, were constitutional amendments referred by lawmakers to the public. A decent majority, 58%, were adopted.

Following the murder of their colleague, Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, state legislators spoke about how they handled their grief and fear. Oregon House Speaker Julie Fahey said she knew Hortman personally, and reflected that it’s important to talk with colleagues about threats they face and their isolating impact. As the top-ranking member of her chamber, Fahey said the loss of a fellow state legislative leader meant talking with other legislators about her grief and what it meant for her and them. Fahey said there is a cost of service, and acknowledging that openly is important.

The several dozen presiding state legislative officers of the United States ought to gather regularly to advocate for state government and against federal overreach, Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said during a panel discussion on federalism. Huffman was joined in the discussion by three other majority legislative leaders -- Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton, West Virginia House Speaker Roger Hanshaw and Hawaii Senate President Ronald Kouchi. Huffman touted the value of organizations like NCSL to advocate for state government, but suggested the potential of a more focused group. "The states need to decide how it is that we can act collectively in a way that is simply the states versus the federal government. We have multiple issues where the states agree, without regard to Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, whatever label you want to assign to that. The question is, how do we advance the states' arguments versus the feds, and getting all 7,000 legislators in a room and agreeing on something is not practical. Frankly, the NCSL is the best vehicle for doing that, but even so, the people who come to the NCSL meeting may not be representative of their states. We think mostly they are," Huffman said.

A panel on access and affordability challenges in child care featured remarks by Child Care Aware of America CEO Susan Gale Perry and Dependable Source Corporation CEO Willie Jones. It was moderated by NCSL Associate Director Jenna Bannon, who started by saying legislatures are taking note of the child care crisis -- it ripples out to affect everyone, and public-private partnerships are needed beyond just legislative action. Bannon also noted how there has been a recent surge in state legislation related to child care. Perry then discussed how the U.S., unlike some other nations, has a localized focus on child care and said the best solutions come from families and child care providers. She added policies should work for businesses and discussed her organization's efforts to scale up solutions and help military families with child care.

A panel on "the path forward" for universal broadband access covered what states have been doing and changes made under the Trump administration. It had Washington Rep. Cindy Ryu, West Virginia Delegate Daniel Linville, Maine Connectivity Authority President Andrew Butcher and former U.S. Department of Agriculture Missouri State Director Janie Dunning, with Pew Charitable Trusts Manager Jake Varn moderating. Varn explained the Pew Charitable Trusts' efforts and said he works on its broadband access initiative, largely focused on state programs. He noted there has been a dramatic increase in the importance of state broadband programs and staff over the past five years. That has brought tremendous strides in broadband access, he continued, but the panel focused on "caveats" for that progress. Those included challenges with broadband offices implementing federal programs, fluctuations in federal policy, public knowledge about safely using the Internet and affordability.

NCSL Senior Legislative Director Barrie Tabin and Senior Federal Affairs Counsel Susan Parnas Frederick discussed the ramifications for states of recent federal action on technology in an NCSL summit discussion this week. Connecticut Senate Deputy Majority Leader James Maroney moderated their panel and offered his own thoughts. In opening the panel, Maroney said the federal passage of technology law was a rare event this year. Tabin followed by discussing the "Take It Down" act criminalizing the publication of non-consensual intimate images and requiring websites to create procedures to promptly remove them. She said that had bipartisan support and was backed by NCSL. Maroney then said there had been potential for comprehensive legislation on artificial intelligence (AI), but that has shifted. He turned to the proposal to set a 10-year moratorium on state and local regulation of AI as part of the reconciliation package that was ultimately dropped, noting that could resurface in the future.

An NCSL panel on advanced air mobility (AAM) challenges and opportunities addressed how federal and state governments can support industry. Panelists included Hawaii Senate Assistant Majority Whip Chris Lee, Oklahoma Senate Majority Assistant Floor Leader Paul Rosino, Massachusetts Department of Transportation Chief of AAM Integration and Strategy Robin Grace and Vertical Aviation International (VAI) Manager of Government Affairs and Regional Relations Katia Veraza. It was moderated by Utah Senate President Pro Tem Wayne Harper, who also serves as president of NCSL. Harper described AAM as a growing issue that states are looking to prepare for and said that in Utah, two companies are using it for package deliveries, with one focused on medical deliveries. He also noted six states -- Ohio, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma and Utah -- recently enacted legislation on AAM, including infrastructure regulation and integration of AAM technology. Harper gave further details on Utah's legislative actions on AAM and drones, including review of its existing laws and help for local governments and businesses when it comes to drafting rules. They are also funding electric aircraft charging stations in the state.

The founder and former editor of SCOTUSBlog and onetime counsel before the U.S. Supreme Court summarized the most important cases decided during its 2024-25 session, including the Court's newly minted order in the Callais v. Louisiana redistricting case and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's 9-0 opinion affirming the reverse discrimination complaint in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services. Days before blogger Amy Howe of "Howe on the Court" spoke at NCSL, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 132-word order in Louisiana instructing all parties to fully brief the following question in the coming weeks: "Whether the state's intentional creation of a second majority-minority congressional district violates the 14th or 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The 14th Amendment preserves civil rights by guaranteeing equal protection under the law, while the 15th Amendment protects citizens' right to vote without deference to ‘race, color or previous condition of servitude.’”

Nebraska Legislature Speaker John Arch said that powerful oversight committees cause the rest of the legislative body to cut oversight out of their everyday responsibilities. However, Arch said the issue of oversight needs to be emphasized to chairs of policy and appropriations committees as an aspect that needs to be part of their work. In Nebraska, they have one inspector general (IG) for child welfare and one inspector general for corrections. Arch said under this structure, the child welfare IG should be going to the Health and Human Services Committee to communicate issues they've seen that need to be addressed. "That isn't the Oversight Committee's job to do that. The Oversight Committee doesn't have bills, they don't have hearings, that isn't what they're doing," Arch said.

In the political world, self-care and work-life balance are concepts that can become lost in chaos of the Capitol, especially during marathon sessions or long election nights. NCSL dedicated time during its summit to address burnout in legislators and their staff and how to prevent it with self-care. Mark Quiner, director of the NCSL Center for Ethics in Government, told session attendees that self-care isn't a self-indulgent habit; rather, it's a healthy way to promote well-being and reduce stress. Quiner read a list of misconceptions of what self-care entails: overspending, binge eating, instant gratification, expensive and lavish vacations, numbing bad feelings using alcohol or illicit substances, binge watching TV and more. He said what self-care actually is, though, is the prioritization of physical and mental health, adopting healthy lifestyle habits that can be maintained long term, eating a balanced diet, finding exercise activities to enjoy, getting adequate amounts of good quality sleep, following treatment plans for existing health conditions, taking time for yourself, and participating in healthy activities you actually enjoy.

OHIO HISTORY

The Ohio History Connection is now accepting applications for funding through the Ohio History Fund until Tuesday, Sept. 9. The competitive matching grants program supports many kinds of history projects about Ohio and its communities including the following:

- Rehabilitation of National Register-listed historic buildings

- Museum collection storage initiatives

- Educational programs

- Digitization of archival materials and historic photographs

- Surveys of buildings and archaeological surveys

- Exhibit development, including virtual exhibits

- Oral history projects

- Organizational development, including board training

The grant application can be found HERE.

PEOPLE

Michelle Stoughton has been named president of the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid health plan, Anthem announced Tuesday. In her new role, Stoughton assumes responsibility for all aspects of Anthem's Medicaid health plan operations in Ohio, which covers more than 200,000 members. She will also lead efforts to strengthen relationships in the community with state leaders, providers and other stakeholders. She most recently served as the regional vice president of government relations for Anthem in Ohio and managed the central region team of senior government relations directors for Anthem's parent company. Before that, Stoughton served as the Midwest director for Albers & Company and as government relations director for the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants. She has also served as a legislative aide in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Kettering Mayor Peggy Lehner tells the Dayton Daily News that she will not seek another term after nearly three decades in elected office, including 12 years in the Ohio House and Senate. Lehner said her husband, Dr. James Lehner, is now retired, and she is looking forward to enjoying retirement with him. The 75-year-old Lehner told the newspaper that it is time to give younger people a chance to step up for roles in public office.

PUBLIC SAFETY

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) recently announced $800,000 in hazardous materials (hazmat) training grants to 30 applicants, with half of all funds going to Cleveland State University. The Hazardous Materials Training Grant Program trains emergency responders at educational institutions and local governments in the best practices for handling hazardous materials. "Hazardous materials training grants will provide thousands of emergency response personnel with valuable training to adequately respond to emergencies across Ohio," stated PUCO Chair Jenifer French.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety's (ODPS) Ohio Traffic Safety Office announced its third round of driver training grants Tuesday to Educational Service Centers (ESCs). The "Drive to Succeed" initiative seeks to expand low-income access to teen driver training through regionally based scholarships for the young. Roughly $6 million in competitive grants will be awarded over the next two years to enroll teens at an approved driver school providing 24 hours of classroom and eight hours of behind-the-wheel training. Agencies wishing to receive a grant must submit their proposals before 12 noon, Friday, Sept. 12. Awards will be announced in October. Guidelines can be found HERE.

Nominations are now being accepted through the end of the year for awards to honor the extraordinary bravery, commitment and service of Ohio's fire service professionals, departments and educators, as well as citizens who have demonstrated outstanding achievements or heroism. The Ohio Fire Service Hall of Fame and Fire Awards are presented annually by the Ohio Department of Commerce's Division of State Fire Marshal and the Ohio Department of Public Safety's Division of Emergency Medical Services. Nominations for the 45th annual awards ceremony will remain open through Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. The criteria and eligibility requirements for each award are available HERE.

PUCO Chairwoman Jenifer French says more local jurisdictions could elect to apply for assistance in installing Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems at railroad crossings to alert 911 and other authorities of blocked train tracks. Real-time information provided by SCADA, an industrial technology that monitors utility grids, water systems, oil and gas distribution, rail networks and more -- will allow emergency management agencies (EMA) to alert first responders of occupied train crossings and reroute them the next fastest way. Muskingum County EMA, Columbus and Ohio River Railroad County, Ohio Southern Railroad, Inc. and Ohio Central Railroad, Inc. proposed the emergency workaround to PUCO's Transportation Department. Commissioners followed Wednesday by awarding $101,775 from the State Grade Crossing Protection Fund to cover 100% of SCADA monitoring at five train crossings including E. Main St., Linden Ave., Main St., State Rt. 719 and State St. in Zanesville. The county has committed to installing the data system and going live by Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026

STATE GOVERNMENT

As expected, the Ohio Department of Commerce's (DOC) unclaimed funds booth at the Ohio State Fair saw increased activity in 2025 compared to 2024. During the 2025 Ohio State Fair, approximately 1,200 visitors initiated claims totaling nearly $634,000, according to a news release from the DOC Division of Unclaimed Funds. In 2024, nearly 1,000 visitors initiated claims totaling nearly $333,000. DOC Unclaimed Funds Outreach Supervisor Susie Wagner recently told Hannah News that her agency has seen an 80% in claims on its website as lawmakers included a provision in the budget providing millions of dollars in unclaimed funds for a new Cleveland Browns stadium and other sports/cultural facilities.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave Ohio's Infrastructure an upgrade over its last report, putting it in line with the national average while still giving the state an overall "C." The group recently released its latest rankings, with the state's "C" a slight improvement over its "C-" in 2021. The report evaluated 17 categories of infrastructure, from roads and bridges to drinking water and rail systems. While some areas are showing signs of progress, others still need serious attention, ASCE said. "Infrastructure impacts every Ohioan, every day," said Charles Sawyer, chair of the 2025 Report Card for Ohio's Infrastructure. "This report card is a call to action to ensure our systems are safe, resilient, and ready for the future."

TECHNOLOGY/AEROSPACE

The Ohio Department of Development (DOD) recently announced it had opened a new round of grant funding as part of the Ohio Third Frontier's Technology Validation and Start-up Fund (TVSF). The fund is meant to help innovators and entrepreneurs bring breakthrough technologies to the marketplace. The round will include both Phase 1 awards for Ohio research institutions and Phase 2 for startups and other new companies. Awards are focused on technology and tech-enabled products in fields such as advanced manufacturing, materials, biomedical and life sciences, energy, sensors, and software and information technology.

Academic and industry experts gathered in the state capital Wednesday to discuss the rapid impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the marketplace and everyday life and possible winners and losers in the AI "revolution," as Ohio State University Provost and Executive Vice President Ravi Bellamkonda described it. Bellamkonda, whose academic career encompasses Osmania University in Hyderabad, India, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Brown University, Georgia Tech, Emory and now Ohio State, borrowed the word from Columbus Metropolitan Club's (CMC) aptly named roundtable, "Central Ohio's AI Revolution." He spoke of OSU's pair of nationally funded, standalone AI centers and said the university now has committed to ensuring all students who enter this fall and graduate are "bilingual." "They will be fluent in AI and in the application of AI to their field of study, from history to literature to everything else," Bellamkonda said. "We're all in."

TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE

According to Pew Charitable Trusts, states have dug a significant and growing hole in their ability to maintain and repair critical transportation infrastructure, highlighting the need for consistent data, improved funding and management of state roadway assets. The good news for Ohio is that, according to Pew, it is one of just 11 states that does not appear to face this gap as much as other states. Pew analyzed information from all 50 states' most recent Transportation Management Plans (TMP), which are federally mandated reporting requirements that states produce to outline how they assess and manage their transportation infrastructure. The reports were largely released in 2022 and are a requirement for states receiving federal National Highway System (NHS) funding.

As part of its ongoing effort to promote economic growth and improve communities, the Ohio Department of Development recently released more than $6.3 million through the Roadwork Development Grant (629) program to six communities. According to the department, this program provides funding to local jurisdictions with an economic development project by assisting with eligible public roadwork improvements. The program also helps employers create or preserve employment opportunities.

WORKFORCE

The Ohio Department of Development (DOD) announced this week the opening of a new round of company applications through Ohio Third Frontier, a state-sponsored internship program that will help reimburse businesses. Under the program, tech-based companies, or businesses with a technological need, can be reimbursed through the College Technology Internship Program for up to two-thirds of each intern's salary. The Ohio Third Frontier, an economic development initiative within the Department of Development, will reimburse companies for two-thirds of an intern's wages -- up to $7,500. The company can hire as many as 10 interns per round, and the minimum wage for interns is $15 per hour but can exceed that amount. The program is accepting company applications through Friday, Aug. 29.

Ohio is fortunate to have around 150 workforce initiatives in operation around the state currently, Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel told the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Workforce Summit on Thursday. Tressel said that while initiatives like JobsOhio can talk about big numbers saying that the state of Ohio will need to fill hundreds of thousands of jobs in coming years, the state needs to do a better job of raising awareness of job training and assistance already available in each of the state's regions. Tressel's comments echoed recent comments from Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Stephen Dackin on a recent CNBC survey that ranked Ohio number five overall on how easy it is to do business in the state, while ranking Ohio 31 for workforce and 27 for education.

Both students and businesses can learn from one another in addressing Ohio's current and future workforce gaps, and leaders at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Workforce Summit on Thursday called on both groups to take an active role in that process. In a panel on "Addressing Ohio's Workforce Gaps," Superintendent Keith Horner of Apollo Career Center in Lima hearkened to the summit's opening keynote by Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel in emphasizing the importance to students of exposing them to the workforce needs of businesses and making students aware of career opportunities available. Horner said that hands-on experiences for students are invaluable. Panelist Jake Vasilj of COSI likened the education that leads to a career to football, in that a student normally doesn't just walk on to the Ohio State University team. Rather, they have to work, level by level, from a young age, starting long before high school.

Provided by Hannah News Service