OVI on the Rise: Accidents and fatalities with driving disorders on freeway in Ohio increased last year, despite fewer drivers due to the coronavirus crisis. As Jeremy Pelzer reports, the Ohio State Highway Patrol – which has a new OVI data website – had no explanation for the increases, saying their job was just to enforce the law.
Lawsuit against Trump: Toledo Democratic MP Marcy Kaptur joined a group of US Congressmen on Wednesday in a NAACP lawsuit that brought former President Donald Trump, attorney Rudy Giuliani and the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers over them Role in a January 6 riot on Capitol Hill to seek damages that temporarily prevented Congress from recording votes to give Democrat Joe Biden the presidency, reports Sabrina Eaton. “There must be consequences for those who have contributed to the coordinated attempt to overthrow a free and fair election and damage our democracy,” said a statement by Kaptur.
Off the Bank: A judge temporarily blocked Ohio law prohibiting drug discontinuation through telemedicine. A hearing later this month will determine if it remains permanently blocked, reports Laura Hancock.
Neck to neck: The race between increased coronavirus vaccinations and the spread of new variants continues. A third of the state received at least one shot, Hancock rewrites, but the positivity rate rose to 7.1%, a high that hasn’t been seen in two months.
Connect: Up to 2,000 low-income households in East Cleveland will be connected thanks to a partnership held in the suburb of Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted was announced to have access to affordable high speed internet services. Peter Krouse informs about the broadband expansion worth 650,000 US dollars.
Election Case: The case of a Conservative Ohio Elections Commission activist against a former household-minded state legislative candidate is advancing. The hearing is scheduled for July. As Andrew Tobias reports, Chris Hicks issued subpoenas to obtain evidence to support his complaint, which he filed after Allen Freeman, a Clermont County civic trustee, left Republican Elementary School in 2020 despite the support of ex-House spokesman Larry Householder had lost just $ 14,000 in the campaign reported spending in spite of public records of television commercials of more than $ 100,000 broadcast on his behalf. A Freeman attorney says he never received a bill.
Loud and clear: Ohio lawmakers and attorneys held a press conference Wednesday in favor of House Bill 198, known as Madeline’s Law, which would require insurers to cover the cost of hearing aids for children up to $ 2,500, or $ 5,000 per hearing-impaired ear . Hancock reports. Hearing aids are viewed as cosmetic by many health plans, proponents say.
Food for Thought: The Ohio Department of Aging announced it will be distributing over $ 6.1 million to agencies offering self-delivered meals to eligible Elderly Ohioans. The money comes from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which Congress passed in December. According to the department, the need for home meals has increased by 50% from 40,044 to 60,433 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of meals served rose from just over 6 million to 7.9 million.
Senate Steve: U.S. Congressman Steve Stivers announced Wednesday that he raised $ 1.4 million in the first quarter of 2021, a figure he ranks with fellow Ohio Republicans running for the U.S. Senate right way – although Stivers did not actually announce that he was running, reports Tobias. “It is a big statement that someone who is not in the race can overtake announced candidates,” said Stivers. “I still have a long way to go to show that this makes sense. I have to string up a couple of solid quarters, but that’s very encouraging to me and I’m excited about it. “
More Than A Thousand Words: Former Ohio Republican Party leader Jane Timken tweeted photos Wednesday showing her work in organizing volunteers for campaigns that also shed some light on the trail she’s trying to fill. With the tip of a hat on NBC News’ Henry Gomez having noticed, DeWine / Husted signs suddenly appeared in the background and almost all of the people depicted were wearing masks. Other Republican candidates, former treasurer Josh Mandel, have been beating DeWine and Masks non-stop.
Working overtime: Senator Sherrod Brown told reporters Wednesday that he was renewing his longstanding efforts to raise the wage threshold that requires employers to pay overtime. He said former President Donald Trump abandoned plans by the Obama administration to raise the salary threshold to $ 47,476 in 2016. Instead, it was set at $ 35,568 a year in 2020, with no automatic increases, said Brown, who was “very confident” that President Joe Biden will update the rule and hopefully “Congress can pass it and design it cannot be reversed by a future president who is clearly in the pocket of the American company. “
Jordan on the border: At a press conference in Texas on Wednesday, Jim Jordan of Champaign County’s problem on the U.S. border with Mexico was due to the Biden government’s decision to call for potential immigrants to stay in Mexico while theirs Applications have been processed to be eliminated. “You can’t get into your Capitol to exercise your first liberties and petition your government … but anyone can get into your country,” said Jordan, who led a Republican delegation from the House Judiciary Committee on a border tour .
Five groups that campaigned for House Bill 243 of the last legislative period or Madeline’s Law, which would require insurers to pay part of the cost of hearing aids. A similar bill was introduced recently this year, HB 198. Government lobbying forms do not require lobbyists to disclose whether they are for or against the bill.
1. Akron Children’s Hospital
2. America’s health insurance plans
3. American Academy of Pediatrics, Ohio Chapter
4. National Association of Independent Businesses / Ohio
5. Pfizer
Ebony Speakes-Hall was elected President of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. Speakes-Hall, associate professor of social work at the University of Cincinnati and the first black woman to direct the Ohio ACLU, succeeds Hasan Kwame Jeffries, a history professor at Ohio State University.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday appointed Patricia Ross as Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Ross is from Cleveland and grew up in Cincinnati. He has graduated from the College of Wooster and currently serves as Senior Policy Advisor to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In a statement from Pelosi, Ross’ appointment was praised, saying, “Your commitment to our veterans is ironic and personal.”
“I don’t have much to say about either of the three, except … they all look like kids in a playground sticking out their tongues and saying, ‘Donald Trump loves me more than he loves you.’ And that seems to be the tenor of the Republican elementary school: “Trump will support me,” “I’m closer to Trump,” “I’ve done more with Trump,” “Trump is my hero,” all those kinds of things. I wish they would talk about topics and what they are going to do in the state other than ‘Donald Trump is my friend’. “
US Senator Sherrod Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, comments on the GOP race for the US Senate seat vacated by Senator Rob Portman. So far, three people have entered, Republicans Jane Timken, Josh Mandel and Bernie Moreno, all of whom reportedly met with the former president.
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