Tag Archives: Ohio

7-Term GOP Rep. Bill Johnson Won’t Seek Reelection

Roll Call reports: Republican Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio announced Tuesday he will not seek reelection in 2024 after accepting an offer to become Youngstown State University’s new president. Johnson, who was first elected to represent The Buckeye State’s 6th District in 2010, said in a statement he will continue serving in the House “for several more months” and that …

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Gunman Dead After Shooting Four At Ohio Walmart

CBS News reports: Four people were shot Monday night in the Walmart in Beavercreek, Ohio by a man who walked in and started firing, police in the Dayton suburb said. The victims were taken to area hospitals and their conditions weren’t known, police said. According to police, the gunman died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and officers didn’t fire …

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Ohio GOP Advances Bill To Defy Federal Gun Laws

The Ohio Capital Journal reports: An Ohio House committee has signed off on the Second Amendment Preservation Act, clearing the way for its consideration on the floor. The measure removes references in state firearms law to federal statutes and places strict limits on cooperation with federal officials. The stated purpose being to keep local agencies from enforcing federal laws or …

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Ohio Catholic Priest Gets Life On Child Sex Charges

Toledo’s CBS affiliate reports: A former northwest Ohio priest was sentenced Friday, just over three years after he was initially arrested on charges of sex trafficking minors and adults, charges on which he was ultimately found guilty. Michael Zacharias appeared in federal court Friday afternoon, where a judge sentenced him to life in prison on two counts and 20 years …

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Ohio Republicans To File Bill Banning All State Courts From Enforcing Voter-Backed Abortion Rights Measure

The Ohio Capital Journal reports: Issue 1, the proposal to enshrine abortion access into the state constitution, passed 57-43% on election night. Despite this large victory, Statehouse Republicans have been mulling over ways to combat it. State Rep. Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) is seemingly leading this fight with other far-right representatives Bill Dean (R-Xenia), Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) and Beth Lear …

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Ohio Republicans Vow To Defy Abortion Rights Measure: “No Amendment Can Overturn Our God-Given Rights”

The Meidas Touch reports: Days after Ohio voters passed Issue 1 and codified abortion rights into Ohio’s constitution, Republicans are not accepting the election results. In a new, unhinged press release issued by the Ohio House Republican Committee, GOP members rant that “foreign billionaires” impacted the election results and call the results tainted by so-called “foreign interference.” It is unclear …

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Ohio Catholic Church Blew $1.7M On Abortion Issue

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports: Voters who approved Ohio’s Issue 1 Tuesday dealt a blow to Catholic bishops and activists who mounted an unprecedented campaign to stop abortion from becoming a constitutional right in the state. They still lost by a 14-point margin, 57%-43%. The church in Ohio spent more than $1.7 million trying to convince voters to reject the amendment. …

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Vance: GOP Lost “Moral Argument” Against Abortion

“For pro lifers, last night was a gut punch. No sugar coating it. Giving up on the unborn is not an option. It’s politically dumb and morally repugnant. Instead, we need to understand why we lost this battle so we can win the war. I was very involved in the ‘no’ campaign for issue 1, so let me share a …

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Biden Spikes The Ball: “MAGA Extremists” Lost In Ohio

Via press release from the White House: Tonight, Americans once again voted to protect their fundamental freedoms – and democracy won. In Ohio, voters protected access to reproductive health in their state constitution. Ohioans and voters across the country rejected attempts by MAGA Republican elected officials to impose extreme abortion bans that put the health and lives of women in …

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OH Becomes 24th State To Legalize Recreational Weed

The Associated Press reports: Ohio voters approved a measure legalizing recreational marijuana on Tuesday, defying Republican legislative leaders who had failed to pass the proposed law. Passage of Issue 2 makes Ohio the 24th state to allow adult cannabis use for non-medical purposes. The new law will allow adults 21 and over to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces …

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BREAKING: Ohio Voters Approve Abortion Rights

First, a Washington Post report on exit polling: Most men and women voted yes on Issue 1, according to preliminary exit polls, with women doing so by a slightly wider margin. Exit polls found more than 8 in 10 Black voters supported establishing a right to abortion in the state’s constitution, as did more than 7 in 10 Hispanic voters. …

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Ohio Gov Blasts “Radical” Abortion Rights Referendum

The Hill reports: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) called a referendum on reproductive rights on the ballot Tuesday in his home state a “radical proposal,” just days before voters will take to the polls to weigh in on the issue. “If you look at Issue 1 — it’s a radical proposal and whether you’re pro-choice or pro-life, it just goes …

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Ballot Wording Affects Ohio Abortion Rights Support

The Columbus Dispatch reports: A fight over words ensued shortly after the reproductive rights amendment was approved to go on the Nov. 7 ballot. The Ohio ballot board approved changes to the summary language in key ways by a 3-2 vote. Among other concerns, advocates were angered that “fetal viability” was changed to “unborn child.” Likewise, advocates argued that the …

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OH Senate Candidate Claims Ballot Issue Allows Rapists To Force Abortions By Minors Without Parental Consent

NBC News reports: Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno falsely claimed in a recent interview that Issue 1 — the ballot measure seeking to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution — would allow a rapist to “force” a woman to have an abortion. The remark by Moreno, a businessman, is the latest from groups and individuals opposed to Issue …

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Ohio Secretary Of State Purges 26,000 From Voter Rolls During Early Voting On Abortion Rights Ballot Measure

Democracy Docket reports: Just six days after Ohio voters began receiving ballots for the upcoming November election, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) canceled 26,666 voter registrations in the state. On Sept. 22, ballots were sent to overseas citizens and military members to begin voting in the Nov. 7 general election and on Sept. 28, LaRose ordered the cancellations, …

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Cops: Catholic Priest Molested Girl Undergoing Chemo

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports: A local Catholic priest called Westlake Police Department to report “a disturbing incident” involving Luis Jesus Barajas, 76, who was visiting the area and performing spiritual ceremonies in Spanish for Hispanic residents in the area. Barajas was driven to a home in Westlake on Oct. 10 to bless a 15-year-old girl who is undergoing chemotherapy. …

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Nazi Pleads Guilty To Hate Crime Firebombing Of Ohio Church For Hosting Drag Show, Faces Up To 15 Years

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports: A neo-Nazi who hurled Molotov cocktails at a Geauga County church because it hosted drag-queen story hour and other events pleaded guilty Monday to a federal hate crime charge. Aimenn Penny, 20, entered the pleas in federal court in Cleveland to obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs and arson. Penny faces …

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Anti-Abortion Groups Go All-In On Coming Ohio Vote

Politico reports: Anti-abortion groups are banking on Ohio to end the movement’s run of state-level losses and create a blueprint for battles in 2024 and beyond. In four weeks, voters in the Buckeye State will decide whether to enshrine abortion protections into the state constitution or be the first to reject an abortion-rights measure since the Supreme Court overturned Roe …

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Ohio Youth Pastor Indicted On Child Sex Charges

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports: An arrest warrant has been issued for a youth pastor after he was indicted on more than a dozen charges of sex crimes involving minors. Jairo Sanchez, 38, is wanted by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, according to a report from law enforcement. The youth pastor was indicted on charges of gross sexual imposition, sexual imposition, …

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OH High School Coach Resigns After “Nazi” Play Calls

The Associated Press reports: An Ohio high school football coach resigned Monday after his team used racist and antisemitic language to call out plays during a game last week. Brooklyn High School coach Tim McFarland and his players repeatedly used the word “Nazi” as a play call in a game against Beachwood High School. Beachwood, a Cleveland suburb, is roughly …

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