Ohio moved closer to overhauling its higher education system, the state Supreme Court said an opioid nonprofit is subject to public records laws, and former GOP chairman Ohio Republican asks for more time to appeal his criminal conviction.
We break down what it all means on this week’s episode of Ohio Politics Explained. A podcast from the USA TODAY Ohio Bureau Network to catch you up on the state’s political news in 15 minutes or less.
This week, anchor Anna Staver was joined by reporter Laura Bischoff.
Ohio Senate passes controversial higher education bill
Ohio Senate Republicans voted in favor of a package of sweeping changes that would transform the way students and staff interact with public colleges and universities.
Senate Bill 83 would restrict mandatory diversity training, ban teacher strikes, create annual post-tenure reviews, mandate a new history class and penalize teachers who fail to cultivate “bias-free” classrooms.
“This legislation is an urgently needed course correction for higher education in Ohio,” said Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland.
But Democrats like Sen. Kent Smith, D-Euclid, called SB 83 “the worst assault on academic freedom I’ve ever seen.”
Former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges Wants His Sentencing Delayed
The former chairman of the Ohio Republican Party asked to postpone his sentencing date on a racketeering conviction so he can file more post-trial motions.
Matt Borges and former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder were found guilty of racketeering conspiracy earlier this year for their roles in a $61 million bribery scandal to bail out two nuclear power plants with dollars from the taxpayers
Borges is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30, but is asking for more time because two potentially relevant Supreme Court decisions were issued this week.
The cases dealt with what the court described as prosecutorial overreach in public corruption cases, including one that debated the extent to which the public is entitled to honest services from a private individual. He and Householder face up to 20 years in prison.
What’s Inside the Ohio Senate Budget?
The Ohio Senate is currently crafting its version of the state budget, and we expect to see several significant differences from the House-passed version.
They are likely to include universal school vouchers, a bigger tax cut and significant legislation that would change who oversees K-12 education, according to multiple sources interviewed by the USA TODAY Network’s Ohio Bureau.
Once the budget passes the Senate, the two chambers will have until June 30 to reach a compromise.
Opioid payments are public records
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled this week that the foundation that distributes $440 million in opioid settlement dollars must make its records available to the public.
OneOhio Recovery Foundation claimed it was a private, non-profit corporation that did not have to comply with Ohio’s open records laws. The justices unanimously disagreed.
The money is part of an $808 million settlement reached in 2021 between Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and three major drug dealers.
Local governments received 30%, the state 15%, and the rest went to OneOhio for grants that help solve and/or mitigate the opioid epidemic.
Listen to “Ohio Politics Explained” on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts and TuneIn Radio. The episode is also available by clicking the link in this article.
USA TODAY Network’s Ohio bureau serves The Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 affiliated news organizations throughout Ohio.
